We first learned about the potential for a compilation in March of last year, as hype for Arkham Knight was reaching a veritable fever pitch. With the game pitched as Rocksteady’s farewell to the franchise, it made complete sense that their prior efforts would be bundled together to satiate collectors and completionists.
These plans were seemingly confirmed in May, when a survey polling fans on the re-release was leaked publicly. Given that the materials even included potential box art designs, it seemed fairly certain that the game would see release — but we’ve heard very little about the collection since.
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Yesterday, the above video posted by Unseen 64 contributor Liam Robertson, making the claim that the game is still in development and could potentially hit shelves this summer. Robertson cites a source familiar with the title’s prospective publisher, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment.
Robertson also confirms a detail from the original 2015 report, that the collection will likely only contain Arkham Asylum and Arkham City. Festive prequel Arkham Origins was not developed by Rocksteady, and was met with a harsher critical reception than other installments in the series.
Likewise, last year’s Arkham Knight is not expected to be part of the package. It seems almost certain that the game will be re-released by itself in the near future, perhaps with all the DLC released as part of its much-maligned season pass included.
A summer release date for the Arkham collection is being floated, but that seems subject to change. However, given that the caped crusader is likely to be in the collective consciousness thanks to the upcoming Batman v. Superman movie, it’s an easy opportunity for Warner Bros. to take advantage of.
However, the future of Batman’s video game career seems to be in doubt. Rocksteady is rumoured to be working on another project set within the DC Comics universe, but there’s no official word on that just yet — and it’s unlikely that the title would feature the Dark Knight in any sizeable capacity.
An Arkham collection and the remaining DLC for Rocksteady’s finale might have to tide fans over for 2016. However, it seems likely that a new series of Batman video games will spring up sooner or later.
