Exciting new concept art has surfaced online, offering a tantalizing glimpse into a canceled “Batman Arkham” game. The leak provides concrete visuals of characters intended for the project, including Damian Wayne potentially wearing the cowl and an intriguing look at an older, retired Bruce Wayne, alongside several iconic villains.
This revelation has ignited significant discussion among fans of the acclaimed series, which hasn’t seen a direct sequel since 2015’s Batman: Arkham Knight. While the original source of the leak didn’t initially confirm the developer, the shared concept art, combined with external reports and a linked tweet, strongly suggests this project was WB Games Montréal’s “Project Sabbath,” reportedly in development around 2015 before being shelved.
Concept Art Details: Damian Wayne as Batman?
The concept art, shared by character artist Rodrigue Pralier, explicitly features Damian Wayne, Bruce Wayne’s biological son. One key piece depicts Damian in a pose strongly suggesting he would have taken on the mantle of Batman, wearing the iconic cowl.
Another standout piece shows an older version of Bruce Wayne. Portrayed with a beard and using a cane due to an apparent leg injury, this depiction aligns with the idea of a Bruce who has retired from active crime-fighting, potentially stepping into a mentoring role similar to his Batman Beyond counterpart.
The art also reveals designs for villains who would have populated this darker Gotham City. Confirmed appearances include the formidable Killer Croc, the skilled vigilante Huntress, and one other currently unknown character.
What We Know (And Speculate) About the Canceled Project
Based on the concept art and related external reports about WB Games Montréal’s canceled plans, this game was intended as a direct sequel to Batman: Arkham Knight. It would have potentially explored the future hinted at in Arkham Knight‘s “true ending,” where a more sinister Dark Knight emerges in a Gotham City facing new challenges.
A Dystopian Gotham: Reports suggest the game’s setting would have been drastically different from previous Arkham titles, depicting a more chaotic and dystopian Gotham. Concept art linked to this project (though not necessarily this specific leak) hinted at a city ravaged by crime, potentially with a sci-fi or Robocop-esque aesthetic, featuring landmarks like Wayne Tower in ruins. This suggests a Gotham that has significantly deteriorated since Bruce Wayne’s disappearance.
Damian’s Darker Nature: As the son of Batman and Talia al Ghul, trained by the League of Assassins, Damian Wayne is known for being more brutal and less restrained than his father. This could have led to a game with a significantly darker tone and potentially more intense combat or stealth takedowns, offering a “wildly different experience” compared to the traditional Batman Arkham gameplay.
Potential Storylines: The narrative could have seen the aging Bruce Wayne mentoring Damian, drawing parallels to Batman Beyond. Villains might have appeared as older or reimagined versions, potentially controlling parts of the city.
Fan Reactions and the Shadow of Gotham Knights
The leak quickly spread on social media, prompting a wave of reactions from the dedicated “Batman Arkham” fanbase. Many expressed frustration and disappointment towards Warner Bros. Games over the cancellation of what appears to have been a compelling follow-up concept.
A prominent point of speculation among fans is that this proposed Damian Wayne game was canceled to make way for Gotham Knights, the 2022 action RPG developed by WB Games Montréal. While Gotham Knights featured the Bat-family (Nightwing, Batgirl, Red Hood, Robin) operating after Bruce Wayne’s supposed death, it is widely perceived by fans as having failed to capture the magic of the Arkham series and faced generally negative reviews.
This contrasts with the seemingly unique vision presented by the canceled Damian Wayne project, which aimed to push the Arkhamverse timeline forward with a new protagonist and a drastically altered setting.
The Future of the Arkhamverse
The leak of the “Project Sabbath” concept art underscores the long wait for a true continuation of the “Batman Arkham” narrative. A decade has passed since Arkham Knight, and despite the commercial success and critical acclaim of the original trilogy by Rocksteady Studios, no direct sequel has been announced.
Recent DC game releases set tangentially in the Arkhamverse, such as Gotham Knights and Rocksteady’s own Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, have faced challenges and received mixed to negative fan reception, further highlighting the void left by the original series.
While it remains unconfirmed if any future games will pick up the storyline directly from Arkham Knight*, this concept art leak serves as a powerful reminder of a promising, albeit canceled, vision for the series’ future—one that would have thrust Batman’s son into the cowl of a darker knight in a dystopian Gotham.
