Announced in 2022 alongside Shadows (then known as Codename Red), Hexe is allegedly a linear title with some open-world elements. It’s also apparently aiming to be the “darkest” game in the series yet, and who better to direct than someone who worked on the Batman: Arkham series? As spotted by ClawsomeGamer, Benoit Richter of Batman: Arkham Origins fame is directing Codename Hexe, according to his LinkedIn.

Developed by WB Games Montreal and released in 2013, the prequel received a positive enough reception, though it’s more known for the general lack of acknowledgement from Rocksteady’s “mainline” Arkham series. Of course, Richter has worked on other Ubisoft titles, including Transference and Assassin’s Creed Valhalla.

While Assassin’s Creed Codename Hexe doesn’t have a release date, rumors claim it will launch after Shadows concludes its post-launch support. That means sometime in 2027, and there are seemingly plans for a year of DLC and updates, but plans could always change.

Splinter Cell: Conviction – Splinter Cell

Splinter Cell: Conviction was released in 2010 to a divisive reception, and a lot of that can be associated with the radical changes that the game made with respect to franchise norms. It veered away from the tactical stealth action that made the original games popular in the first place, and introduced new elements like Mark and Execute which can be used to clear out rooms full of enemies in an instant alongside the inability to hide dead bodies among others. These changes were mostly made in an effort to make the game appeal to the masses.

Sure, it’s understandable why fans of older games didn’t gel with this formula – but we adore Splinter Cell: Conviction simply because these new mechanics enable a sense of flow to the gameplay proceedings. Sam Fisher moves at a brisk pace, dotting from cover to cover and clearing out huge hordes of enemies with relative ease – and that feels really empowering which is something that’s missing from other entries. And that’s also really fitting since you are racing against time to prevent a terrorist plot, so better to be quick and ruthless than clean and slow.

But not all of the Arkham games get the love and attention that they deserve, and nothing exemplifies that better than the fact that more often than not, collectively, they’re referred to as the Arkham trilogy- as we just did a few moments ago. Because really, it’s not a trilogy. Standing toe-to-toe with those three excellent games is Arkham Origins, the WB Games Montreal-developed prequel spinoff that, for multiple reasons, just sort of got lost in the shuffle. Viewed as a half-step to keep fans satisfied between the releases of Arkham City and Arkham Knight, Origins is a game that gets ignored too often (including by Warner Bros. itself), and the fact that it launched only for PS3 and Xbox 360 less than a month before their successors certainly didn’t help the game get any traction.

As those who have played it will tell you though, this game is well worth your attention. Arkham Origins might not have the same impact as the likes of Asylum and City, it might not have the same scale as City and Knight, and it might not be as bombastic as those three games are- but what it is is a thoroughly enjoyable, incredibly well-made game that consistently delivers an authentic Batman experience that, above all else, feels like a very valuable part of the Arkham canon.

Of course, it has all the strengths of the two games that preceded it. The Arkham series’ punchy, rhythmic combat is on full display in Origins, and beating thugs to a pulp while weaving and zipping in and around their attacks in a deadly ballet never gets old. Mixing and matching Batman’s gadgets and many attack combos to take on unique strengths that vary in the sizes of mobs you’re taking on and what kinds of enemies you’re coming up against is predictably thrilling right from the first combat encounter of the game, up until the point the credits roll.

Similarly, stealth, too, is as fun as ever, and using your gadgets and the environment to your advantage as you pick off groups of enemies one by one and strike fear into their hearts feels incredibly empowering. There’s a reason the Arkham series didn’t mess with those two core pillars of gameplay too much for as long as it stuck around- because both stealth and combat boast a strong core in all of these games that just never gets old. Meanwhile, the open world deserves a shoutout as well- not because it stood out in any ways that Arkham City or Knight didn’t (it’s actually a much more pared back experience compared to those two), but simply because if you’re looking for more of that open world Batman traversal, exploration, and side activities, there’s more than enough here to keep you satisfied.

And then, of course, there are the boss fights. Oh, the boss fights. The Arkham series has had some truly excellent boss fights across all four of its games (and, to be honest, some monumentally disappointing ones), but without the shadow of a doubt, Arkham Origins has easily the best collection of boss fights in the entire series. The best of the lot is Deathstroke, of course- that fight in particular has everything one could want from it, and being able to not only watch, but experience that fast-paced one on one duel between these two equally matched foes is perhaps the highlight of the entire game. In fact, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call it one of the best boss fights in the entire series, if not the best. And of course, there’s plenty of other memorable set piece boss encounters in Arkham Origins as well, including the likes of Bane, Firefly, Copperhead, and Mr. Freeze, to name just a few. Honestly, the boss fights alone make this game worth a look for anyone who has enjoyed the series- though it’s not like it doesn’t have plenty else going for it.

That’s because Arkham Origins also does some interesting new things with investigation mechanics that other games in the series don’t do. Batman is supposed to be the world’s greatest detective, after all, but that side of the character isn’t something that the Arkham games ever focused on an awful lot- with the exception of Arkham Origins. These sequences weren’t extraordinary, by any means, and it’s not like they would go on to set the standard for other similar games for years to come. But within the context of Batman, and the Arkham series, they definitely did feel like a refreshing change of pace.

Something that does stand out in Arkham Origins is the story, which is very much in like with other games in the series. The fact that Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill did not reprise their roles as Batman and the Joker respectively seemed like a bit of a bummer on paper before the game came out, but honestly, it doesn’t hurt the game. In fact, Roger Craig Smith is a solid stand-in for Conroy, while Troy Baker absolutely knocked it out of the park as the Joker. The dynamic between these two characters has often been at the heart of some of the best Batman stories across media throughout the years – including Rocksteady’s own trilogy itself – and that’s very much true of Arkham Origins as well. Even beyond that, they way the game brings both iconic and lesser known characters from the Batman mythos into the fray and uses them for its story is consistently satisfying, especially for longtime fans of the property- and by the time the credits have rolled on Arkham Origins, though it might not feel like an absolutely essential part of the larger Arkham story, it does feel like a very valuable part of it. If you have played this game, your experience of the full series is going to be a lot fuller and richer than it would be otherwise.

Arkham Origins has decently sized, dedicated fanbase that, thankfully, has taken it upon itself to make everyone aware of how good the game is, of all of its excellent highs and everything that it brings to the table. That’s good, because sadly, it hasn’t been played by nearly enough people. Warner Bros. definitely hasn’t helped matter- Arkham Origins gets roundly ignored by the publisher whenever it’s talking about its Batman games in any capacity. The fact that Origins is still stuck on the PS3 and Xbox 360 and hasn’t received any remasters to port it to modern consoles is an absolute shame- even its backward compatibility on Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S is limited to the disc version exclusively. Hopefully, there will be a remaster for the game in the not-so-distant future, because then, it will finally get its time in the sun- and those who’ve been missing out will realize that this is, in no vague terms, one of the best Batman games to date.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

God of War: Ascension

God of War: Ascension showcases the story of series protagonist Kratos as he fights all those who oppose him for breaking his blood oath to Ares. While the game is considered a great one by many, others thought that the QTE heavy combat and the over-the-top violence that catapulted the series to great heights at one point were now becoming stale and required a major rethinking going forward.

Destiny 2 – The Dreaming City Curse, Uldren’s Revival, etc

You could write a book on the number of unresolved plot points in Destiny 2. The Dreaming City curse, Uldren’s revival as a Guardian, Mara Sov’s disappearance, the Nine, the Dredgen, Mithrax – the list goes on and on. Heck, we’re only now seeing some plot progression regarding the Darkness aka the giant pyramid ships, but that’s at a venerable snail’s pace. Don’t even get us started on all the threads from Destiny 1 that are still yet to be resolved (like what the Traveler even is).

BATMAN: ARKHAM ORIGINS

Batman: Arkham Origins could not have released under worse circumstances, in retrospect. Not only was it developed as a stopgap and sandwiched between two of the series’ biggest games in Arkham City and Arkham Knight, it also came out exclusively for 7th-gen consoles right on the cusp of the beginning of the next console generation. The fact that it was developed by WB Games Montreal while the series’ main devs Rocksteady focused on Arkham Knight did its pre-release hype no favours either, while Warner Bros. themselves have, bafflingly enough, continued to roundly ignore the game in the years that followed. That’s a real shame, too, because with a great story, some of the best boss fights in the series, and the typical strengths in combat and open world traversal that the Arkham games are know for, Arkham Origins did everything series fans wanted it to.

Mercenaries – Assassin’s Creed Odyssey

The Mercenaries in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey may not be the toughest foes you face. However, they can be pretty annoying without the right builds, especially when more than a few show up. What’s a Misthios to do? Critical assassinations. Critical assassinations for days. Spec into assassin damage and watch those Mercenaries fall, even if it takes a few strikes. It might not be the best option for tanking and fighting several foes at once but for picking them off one by one in the early going, you could do worse.

It is looking increasingly likely that a new Batman game will be announced imminently. Recently, Batman: Arkham Origins developers WB Games Montreal – who’ve been rumoured be working on a Batman game revolving around the antagonistic group known as the Court of Owls – dropped a cryptic tease, which came around the same time as several people attached with the game doing the same, including Scott Snyder, the co-creator of the Court of Owls.

Now, WB Games Montreal have dropped yet another tease on social media. Via their Twitter account, they’ve posted a short clip showing the symbols we saw in their tease from yesterday, accompanied with the words “Capture the Knight.” It’s worth nothing that before these couple of tweets, WB Games Montreal’s social media had been inactive for four years. The timing of their updates doesn’t seem to be a coincidence.

Tomorrow, Sony are broadcasting a State of Play presentation, during which they’ve promised “new game reveals”. It’s possible that this new Batman game gets announced then. Microsoft are also airing another episode of Inside Xbox tomorrow, which is another possible place for Warner Bros to potentially announce their new game.

Either way, we’ll keep you updated on whatever goes on, so stay tuned.

Capture the Knight / Cape sur la nuit pic.twitter.com/yMFXMd4djU

— WB Games Montréal (@WBGamesMTL) September 23, 2019

Batman Day took place on September 21st, celebrating 80 years since Bruce Wayne and the Dark Knight debuted. Batman: Arkham Origins developer WB Games Montreal tweeted out its support for the same but its video contained strange symbols at varying points. Though the symbols were isolated, we didn’t really get a decent indication of what they meant.

Until now, that is. On Twitter, writer Scott Snyder cryptically tweeted “Wait for it… #bewarethecourtofowls” in response to the developer’s tweet. Snyder is the co-creator of the Batman: Court of Owls storyline, so this more or less indicates that the studio’s next game is indeed based on the same. The fact that Snyder deleted his tweet (check out a screen capture of the same below) only lends more credence to the same.

Rumours have been rampant for a while that WB Games Montreal is working on a new Batman game. Even more rumours indicated that it would be based on Batman: Court of Owls and it seems that an announcement is finally coming. Perhaps at tomorrow’s State of Play for PlayStation? One certainly hope. Stay tuned for more details in the meantime.

Gotham City’s Caped Crusader has been in the news a whole lot of late, owing to Batman Day. September 21st was the character’s 80th anniversary, which was celebrated all around in various ways, including the games industry. Fortnite announced a crossover with Batman, while the Epic Games Store is also giving away six free Batman games. But it looks like there might be more to look forward to in the future as well.

Warner Bros Games Montreal, the studio that developed Batman: Arkham Origins, recently put up a tweet celebrating Batman day, but people quickly noticed something very interesting about the tweet. It came with a short clip of the Bat-Signal on the front of a building, but some interesting, cryptic images also kept flashing across the screen at regular intervals. They’re easy to miss, but you can take a look at them in the screenshots below. Now, do these images mean that WB Montreal are teasing a new Batman game? They don’t have to, but it seems likely nonetheless.

A new Batman game developed by WB Montreal has been in the rumour mill for ages, with several leaks and reports claiming that the game is going to be centred around the shadowy criminal organization known in the comics as the Court of Owls. Just recently, the voice actor who played Batman in Arkham Origins also teased a new game, while his publicist and Arkham Origins’ writer did the same not long afterward.

Whether or not this ends up amounting to anything remains to be seen. Either way, we’ll keep our ears to the ground, so stay tuned for all the latest update.

@WBGamesMTL is proud to celebrate Batman’s 80th anniversary with rest of the world during #BatmanDay #Batman80 pic.twitter.com/4VGz9kBWxj

— WB Games Montréal (@WBGamesMTL) September 22, 2019