Batman: Arkham Origins Campaign DLC: Mr. Freeze Takes Over Wayne Manor?

Update: WB has released the first screenshot from this DLC. It shows the Humanitarian of the Year Award encased in ice. That seems to be a clear sign that Mr. Freeze will be the main villain of the add-on.

Original article: Last week, Warner Bros. promised a "special announcement" for the Arkham series on New Year's Eve. Their announcement today was merely another tease, though. Whatever they're talking about has something to do with Bruce Wayne's house.

"You are cordially invited to the Humanitarian of the Year Awards at the Wayne Manor on New Year’s Eve," the publisher said on the Arkham Facebook page. They also posted this elegant invitation to the event:

When WB first teased this announcement, I guessed that it pertained to Batman: Arkham Origins' single-player DLC. The development team previously announced that they were working on a story-based expansion. It's going to be a few hours in length, like the Harley Quinn's Revenge epilogue DLC for Arkham City. WB said that this story DLC would chronicle an important bond in the Batman universe.

"It is in line with our angle of the origins - not necessarily of characters, but of key relationships," Origins senior producer Ben Mattes said in a recent interview. "It is a DLC that will focus on one of the most key relationships in Batman canon."

Today's hint from Warner Bros. suggests that the DLC will take place in Wayne Manor. Maybe one of Gotham's native supervillains will crash the award ceremony and take hostages? The scenario has a lot of potential. We might get to play as Bruce Wayne and Batman. Also, who wouldn't love a chance to rummage through Wayne Manor and the Batcave below?

It's still not clear what "key relationship" this DLC will explore, though. If it takes place at Wayne Manor, then the focus is likely the relationship between Bruce and another character. Who, though? Bruce and Alfred? Or will we see flashbacks of Bruce's parents? Flashbacks seem appropriate in a home that Bruce has lived in his entire life.

This is all speculation, though. We don't even know whether today's announcement is about the story DLC. It seems like the most likely option but there are plenty of other possibilities. WB might be gearing up to announce Rocksteady Studios' next-gen Batman: Arkham game. There's also a chance that they'll announce some other product, like a mobile game or comic book.

The story DLC will be the last add-on released for Arkham Origins' Season Pass. The Season Pass grants owners a range of skins for Batman, including Thrillkiller Batman and Earth 2 Batman. Two of the skins, Gotham by Gaslight and Brightest Day, are exclusive to the Pass. The game's DLC also includes a series of challenge maps called "Initiation." "Initiation," set prior to the events of Arkham Origins, depicts Bruce's training at an Asian monastery. The Pass costs $20 to purchase.