The Batman: Arkham series redefined the superhero genre and changed the course of action games in the decade following Arkham Asylum’s release. While four mainline entries – Asylum, City, Origins, and Knight – delivered similar gameplay, a smaller spin-off game, 2016’s Batman: Arkham VR, let players step into the shoes of the Caped Crusader using their PlayStation VR, Oculus Rift, or HTC Vive headset. Batman: Arkham VR felt more like a tech demo than a fully fleshed-out game, but its relatively high sales showed that the appetite was there. Today, Oculus Studios announced another VR title set in the Batman: Arkham universe titled Batman: Arkham Shadow.
Though Rocksteady Studios, the developer of Asylum, City, and Knight, was behind Batman: Arkham VR, the developer that most recently released Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League does not appear to be involved with Batman: Arkham Shadow. Instead, Camouflaj, the studio behind République and Iron Man VR, is in charge of Batman: Arkham Shadow.
Details are scarce, but Camouflaj founder and studio head Ryan Payton penned a letter on behalf of the team, which is posted on the studio’s website. “From the start, Batman: Arkham Shadow is being crafted to be the ultimate VR game and take full advantage of the Meta Quest 3,” the letter said. “Leaning into our eight years of dedicated VR game development history has enabled us to not only create a distinctly Arkham-feeling game but done in a way that leverages the immersive magic only VR can provide.”
“Batman: Arkham Shadow is the largest Camouflaj development project to date and marks our second release as a first party member of Oculus Studios, following 2022’s critically-acclaimed release of Marvel’s Iron Man VR for Quest 2,” the letter later said.
When combined with the key art, the teaser trailer seems to hint at The Ratcatcher being the main villain in this title. Check out the very brief teaser video below.
We can expect a full reveal at Summer Game Fest 2024’s livestream, set for June 7 at 2 p.m. PT. Batman: Arkham Shadow is coming exclusively to Meta Quest 3 later this year.
