A Different Type Of Batman Adventure Is Coming, And I'm Even More Pumped About It Than Robert Pattinson's Return In Batman 2
I am Batman.
For fans of the Dark Knight, the extended wait between Matt Reeves' The Batman and the upcoming sequel The Batman: Part II has already been excruciating, and we still have to continue being patient all the way until October 2, 2026. Thankfully, we won't have to wait nearly as long to see the Caped Crusader's next adventure, and what's more, fans will get to wear the cape and cowl in order to experience it, at least in a sense.
Somewhere around two years before Pattinson's Bruce Wayne returns to the big screen (and possibly around the point when Colin Ferrell's The Penguin series is available to stream with a Max subscription), the newest game in the beloved and acclaimed Batman: Arkham franchise will be released, and it'll be a VR adventure exclusively releasing on the Meta Quest 3, so we can all be the helmet-wearing hero that Gotham City needs, deserves, and giggles at while watching from across the room.
Batman: Arkham Shadows Trailer
While we'll have to wait until this year's Game Awards to see a full-length trailer, presumably with gameplay included, here's a look at the very first teaser.
Batman's second game in the VR-verse will be subtitled Arkham Shadows, and it follows the Batman: Arkham VR experience that was released in 2016. That game fell under the umbrella of "fun for what it was," but many fans were left frustrated by how short it was, and that it wasn't nearly as complex as other Arkham releases.
Personally, I had a blast with it, even if the game itself didn't necessarily justify the cost. It set up the promise of something greater, and I am wholly faithful that Arkham Shadows will be that greater thing.
What Will Batman: Arkham Shadows Be About?
Perhaps understandably, not a lot of details were part of the initial report from Meta Quest, though we know that the studio Camouflaj worked with Oculus Studios, DC and Warner Bros. Interactive to bring it together. Here's the rather simple synopsis that was shared:
Evil stalks the streets. Gotham City is in danger. And you’re the only one who can save it.
You're damned right I'm the only one that can save it! Because I'm Batman! Or at least I will be whenever the game comes out.
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No specific release date has been set up just yet, but it's noted as being planned for a "late 2024" release. On the pre-order page on Meta's website, it's indicated that October will be the specific window, but that could always change.
It's worth noting that this being an official Arkham game is an interesting move, considering the franchise's Batman met a rather dour fate in Rocksteady's 2023 release Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, which caused quite a bit of turmoil among the fanbase. Somehow I don't think this version of the hero will be a zombie, although that would make for a whole new level of excitement.
In the meantime, Batman is currently being enjoyed in animated form within the first part of the DC Animation feature Crisis on Infinite Earths, the final Tomorrowverse tale, which is now streaming on Max.
Nick is a Cajun Country native and an Assistant Managing Editor with a focus on TV and features. His humble origin story with CinemaBlend began all the way back in the pre-streaming era, circa 2009, as a freelancing DVD reviewer and TV recapper. Nick leapfrogged over to the small screen to cover more and more television news and interviews, eventually taking over the section for the current era and covering topics like Yellowstone, The Walking Dead and horror. Born in Louisiana and currently living in Texas — Who Dat Nation over America’s Team all day, all night — Nick spent several years in the hospitality industry, and also worked as a 911 operator. If you ever happened to hear his music or read his comics/short stories, you have his sympathy.