Rocksteady is Making a New Batman Game with Unreal Engine 5 and a Big Plan

There are rumors that Rocksteady is working on a new Batman game, and the project could be a big comeback for the style of single-player superhero games that made the studio famous. The project has long been the subject of rumors and leaks, but a handful of reports have given a better glimpse into what the studio might be aiming for. 

Unlike Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, this new project reportedly aims to be a traditional single-player AAA experience. That alone makes it one of the more compelling projects currently associated with Warner Bros. Games.

The first major rumor appeared in September 2024, when leaker Special Nick claimed that Rocksteady had returned to making a Batman game. 

Bloomberg's Jason Schreier later independently reported that Rocksteady was in the early stages of development on a new single-player Batman project. Since then, additional reports and job listings have continued to support the idea that the studio is working on another Batman title. 

The timing also makes sense when you look at Warner Bros. Discovery's broader plans for its gaming division. The company has talked a lot about getting back to its best intellectual properties after a string of expensive mistakes, with things like Game of Thrones, Mortal Kombat, Hogwarts Legacy, and the DC Universe being particularly key. 

Batman obviously fits that strategy, particularly considering the character's past as one of WB Games' most recognizable gaming IPs. A new Rocksteady Batman game could therefore become one of the key projects representing this new direction.

Based on the available reports, you can expect this project to be much closer to the traditional Arkham formula than the live-service direction taken by Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. Schreier's reporting specifically described the game as a single-player project, while Rocksteady's hiring activity has also pointed toward a high-production original game rather than another games-as-a-service title. 

That would represent a significant change in direction for the studio. After the difficult reception surrounding Suicide Squad, returning to a focused Batman experience could make considerable sense for both Rocksteady and Warner Bros.

There has also been speculation that the game could potentially serve as a new origin story for Batman within James Gunn's DC Universe. ComicBook reported that the project could connect to the new DCU and potentially establish Batman's origins in that shared universe. 

That possibility gets even more compelling when you add in James Gunn’s comments on the future of DC gaming. 

Gunn said he has spoken with studio heads, including Rocksteady and NetherRealm, about DC characters and stories as recently as August 2025. His comments suggested that DC Studios was taking a more deliberate approach to gaming rather than treating games as completely separate projects. 

There has also been plenty of speculation about the game being Batman Beyond, although that particular rumor has been strongly disputed. A widely circulated claim suggested that Rocksteady was working on a Batman Beyond project, but Jason Schreier reportedly described the supposed leak as fake. 

No credible source has connected the current Batman project to Batman Beyond. For now, there is simply not enough evidence to establish that the game will focus on Terry McGinnis or a futuristic version of Gotham.

One of the more interesting possibilities involves Warner Bros.' Nemesis System technology. The company has a patent covering the Nemesis System for several more years, and that has led to speculation that Rocksteady could finally bring the technology into a Batman game. 

The system became known for allowing enemies to remember encounters with the player, develop rivalries, and change based on previous interactions. A Batman game could make particularly effective use of that idea because Gotham is filled with criminals who could develop personal histories with Batman.

You could potentially have individual villains or criminal characters react differently after repeated encounters with Batman, creating personal rivalries throughout the campaign. 

That would allow the open-world side of the game to feel more dynamic instead of relying entirely on scripted missions and encounters. The canceled Wonder Woman game was also reportedly experimenting with a modified version of the Nemesis System. 

Batman already has plenty of allies who could theoretically work with a similar system, especially if the new game returns to the broader Arkham-style cast. However, a traditional Nemesis system built around Gotham's criminals would arguably be an even better fit. 

Different enemies could potentially rise through the criminal hierarchy, gain abilities, remember their encounters with Batman, and develop their own relationships with other villains. None of this has been confirmed for the new project, but the technology remains one of the more interesting possibilities surrounding it.

Another major detail that has reportedly been confirmed through Rocksteady's job listings is the use of Unreal Engine 5. The studio previously built the Arkham games using earlier versions of Unreal Engine, but moving to Unreal Engine 5 would provide considerably more modern technology for the new project. 

One listing for a senior core engine programmer specifically referenced UE5 low-level systems and identified an unannounced AAA project as the target. That gives you a fairly strong indication of the technical foundation being used for the game.

The same job listings reportedly pointed toward ambitious platform plans. 

The project is expected to target PS5, PC, and XBOX Series X|S, while also mentioning future console hardware. That could suggest Rocksteady is preparing for a lengthy development cycle, potentially allowing the game to arrive around the transition toward another generation of consoles.

Rocksteady has also reportedly brought in a developer with significant experience across both Batman and Assassin's Creed. The reported hire previously worked at Ubisoft Singapore, where he was involved with Assassin's Creed Mirage, Assassin's Creed Valhalla, its Siege of Paris DLC, and Assassin's Creed Origins. 

He also worked at WB Games Montreal, where he contributed to Batman: Arkham Origins. That combination gives the project access to someone familiar with both the Arkham style and large-scale open-world action games.

There have also been rumors surrounding Sony and potential PlayStation exclusivity. Special Nick's original 2024 claim suggested that Sony was attempting to secure the game through financial incentives, commonly described as "money-hatting" a title. 

Later reports suggested that the discussions between Sony and Warner Bros. could involve full console exclusivity, timed exclusivity, or exclusive in-game content. Warner Bros. has not confirmed any such agreement, so this remains speculation rather than an established part of the game's release plans.

The biggest uncertainty surrounding Rocksteady may actually come from outside the studio.

Warner Bros. Discovery is being acquired by Paramount Skydance, and the outcome could affect WB Games and its studios. Paramount has already established Paramount Game Studios after combining parts of Skydance Interactive and Skydance New Media, with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin announced as one of its major projects.

That creates some uncertainty around Rocksteady's future, although a complete cancellation of the Batman project would appear to be one of the less likely outcomes. Batman remains one of Warner Bros.' most valuable properties, and the reported development progress gives the project considerable importance. 

A more realistic possibility would be a restructuring, changes in leadership, or changes in the studio's strategy under new ownership. The Batman project could still continue toward a potential 2027 or 2028 window even if the corporate structure around Rocksteady changes.

For now, the most reliable information paints a fairly straightforward picture. Rocksteady is reportedly developing a new single-player Batman game using Unreal Engine 5, with PS5, XBOX Series, PC, and future hardware apparently being considered. 

The game has not yet been announced with a setting or continuity, so it could be a new reboot, another game in the Arkham universe, or a game tied directly into James Gunn’s DCU. The project also appears to be several years away, meaning there is likely plenty of development time left before Warner Bros. is ready to reveal exactly what Rocksteady has been building.

What makes the project particularly interesting is how many different directions it could take while still staying connected to Rocksteady's strengths. 

You could be looking at another traditional Arkham-style adventure, a completely new interpretation of Batman, or potentially the first major DCU game designed to exist alongside the movies and television shows. 

Unreal Engine 5 gives the studio the technology to build a significantly larger and more detailed Gotham, while the possible use of the Nemesis System could make the city's criminal underworld far more reactive. Until Rocksteady or Warner Bros. officially reveals the project, however, those details remain possibilities rather than confirmed features.

The clearest takeaway is that Rocksteady appears to be returning to the character that established its reputation in the first place. After years of uncertainty surrounding the studio and the difficult launch of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, another single-player Batman game could represent a major reset. 

With experienced developers reportedly joining the project, modern technology behind it, and Warner Bros. once again focusing heavily on its strongest franchises, this Batman game could become one of the company's most important upcoming projects. For now, the wait continues, but the information already available suggests that Rocksteady's next trip to Gotham could be very different from its most recent game.