The materials have been noted as being dated between April 2009 and January 2010. Since they were found in the deleted sectors, the uploader, MrTalida, has also noted that there are also plenty of incomplete files that had been overwritten by other, more recent files. As such, the uploader warns viewers about potential corruption in the video files, with some having loud audio that is essentially made up of garbage data.

The uploader has also noted that the files are largely consistent of things made for internal use, including demonstration videos, development schedules, and design documents for gameplay, art, and technical aspects. Ultimately, while far from being a complete look at how Project Apollo would have shaped up, they offer insights into its early development.

Among the noteworthy features showcased in the demonstration videos included dynamic audio systems that could change the background score depending on the gameplay. Notably, the music in this demonstration is right out of the Hans Zimmer-composed original soundtrack for The Dark Knight. Other examples of the project’s complex audio systems show off how sounds would change depending on Batman’s position in the game’s vertical axis, seamlessly transitioning from road-level audio to the sound of wind as Batman scales up a skyscraper.

There are plenty of video files also showcasing the studio’s work on the visuals of Project Apollo, including the physics for Batman’s cape, and how the game’s facial expressions for its various characters would look. On the gameplay side of things, we get to see stealth takedowns, and even some melee combat. The title was also slated to feature vehicle segments where players would take control of the Tumbler. A video shows off the driving physics for the vehicle as it rides through an early prototype of a level filled with blocky, untextured assets.

Movies getting released alongside video game adaptations were quite commonplace in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s. While many of these tended to be little more than low-quality cash-grabs that were made as part of a movie’s marketing budget, some would end up being quite interesting to check out. Among these was 2005 action adventure title Batman Begins. As you might guess, it was based on the first movie of what would eventually be known as Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight trilogy. While the title was largely seen at the time as being better than the average adaptation, it was also the first time we would see a Batman game that makes use of both stealth and action elements. These aspects would define Rocksteady’s own Batman: Arkham series.

There's feature demo videos, production schedules, game design docs, concept art, & more. These materials help us better understand what product the team at Monolith was attempting to make with Apollo, and what challenges and decisions they faced early in development.archive.org/details/proj… 2/9

— MrTalida (@mrtalida.bsky.social) 2026-01-12T23:50:49.436Z

A variety of early development videos demonstrate dynamic audio systems that would react to the player's situation and smoothly transition music. It's the sort of thing that makes a world of difference but we rarely consciously notice! 4/9

— MrTalida (@mrtalida.bsky.social) 2026-01-12T23:53:04.882Z

More early Project Apollo audio systems videos. This one shows how audio changes with Batman's vertical position.6/9

— MrTalida (@mrtalida.bsky.social) 2026-01-12T23:56:52.321Z

Here's a series of videos showing various game mechanics at play, like completing a quest, knocking an enemy out, throwing smoke bombs, basic combat, and AI navigation. Again, this is very, very early stuff.8/9

— MrTalida (@mrtalida.bsky.social) 2026-01-13T00:00:46.010Z

Lastly, here's a series of videos showing the progress Monolith had made on the tumbler batmobile sections. AFAIK, the previous leak didn't show any tumbler footage, so this may be our first peek.You can see how the feature progressed from Oct 2009, to Nov 2009, to Jan 2010.Enjoy the files!9/9

— MrTalida (@mrtalida.bsky.social) 2026-01-13T00:02:07.387Z

While art leaked last year courtesy of concept artist Goran Bukvic, who said it was for a “cancelled game,” a fresh batch has been discovered on ArtStation (courtesy of Batman Arkham Videos). Created by Rodrigue Pralier, who now works at Free Range Games, these were “early researches” for a “cancelled 2015 project.” They include an older-looking Bruce Wayne, Killer Croc, and Huntress.

What appears to be Damian is also front and center, dressed in the signature cowl. This new Batman title would have also reportedly featured the daughter of Black Mask, a revived Poison Ivy, and even Two-Face as The Judge (his more extreme law-abiding avatar).

As for current projects, WB Games allegedly pitched a title based on Game of Thrones. It’s unconfirmed whether it’s been approved. The team was also working on Monolith Productions’ Wonder Woman before the studio was shuttered and the project cancelled.

That’s what a recent job ad suggests, at any rate. Spotted by a ResetEra user, a listing published by Rocksteady for a senior core engine programmer reveals that the studio is looking to release its next game on “high-end PCs, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and the next generation of consoles.”

Of course, the listing doesn’t specifically mention a Batman game, instead referring to the project as an “upcoming unannounced AAA title”. However new single-player Batman game is what Rocksteady’s next AAA release will be, according to leaks. Plans could still change, especially given how early in development the game is right now, but for now, it looks like Rocksteady is eyeing a cross-gen release down the line.

Rocksteady Studios has published a job listing for a Game Director position on Warner Bros. Discovery’s official careers website. Under skill requirements, the listing calls for “strong design leadership and experience across multiple genres, particularly third-person action, melee brawlers, and open world traversal games.”

The Batman: Arkham trilogy emphasized melee combat and open world traversal, and based on this job ad, it certainly does seem like Rocksteady is set to return to that with its next game. Leaks have claimed that the studio’s next project is going to be another Batman title, courtesy of the critical and commercial failure of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. It’s also claimed, however, that the game is still several years away, so it’s going to be a while before we hear much (if anything) about it. After all, Rocksteady doesn’t even have a game director for the project right now.

“People familiar with the timeline” revealed that the project is “years away from landing.” As demoralizing as it sounds, it’s not too far-fetched – Rocksteady was reportedly pitching a new single-player game back in June 2024. With work on Suicide Squad wrapped up, it’s likely that preliminary work only just started.

The studio has also suffered layoffs in the wake of the live-service shooter’s failure. It would be even less surprising if it needed time to put a team together.

This setback is only the latest to affect Warner Bros. Games, which has reportedly rebooted Monolith’s Wonder Woman game. Announced in December 2021, it’s already over $100 million deep with its budget, but still years from release (and even that’s up in the air). Stay tuned for updates in the meantime.

Caught by IGN, during the company’s recent quarterly earnings call, Warner Bros. Discover CEO David Zaslav acknowledged the aforementioned stumbles, before stating that the company intends to reduce its output going forward, while also zeroing in on four “really powerful” franchises with significant fanbases in Hogwarts Legacy, Mortal Kombat, Game of Thrones, and DC- Batman in particular, as per Zaslav.

“We’re through some of the worst — and it hasn’t been pretty on the gaming business — but we have four games that are really powerful and have a real constituency that love them, and we’re going to focus on those four primarily,” he said. “We’re going to go away from trying to launch 10, 12, 15, 20 different games. I think we have a real chance now with focus to have the gaming business be steadier.

“We have four strong and profitable game franchises with loyal, global fans: Hogwarts Legacy, Mortal Kombat, Game of Thrones, and DC, in particular Batman. We are focusing our development efforts on those core franchises, with proven studios to improve our success ratio.”

With Batman: Arkham developer Rocksteady Studios having been behind Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, Zaslav singling out Batman and mentioning “proven studios” is certainly interesting, especially amidst reports that Rocksteady is looking to revert to single-player games, and that the studio has started working on a new Batman game.

Meanwhile, it was recently officially confirmed that a sequel to Hogwarts Legacy is in development, while previous reports have claimed that a Hogwarts Legacy Definitive Edition is also in the works, and due out sometime in 2025 with 10-15 hours of new content.

That’s as per XboxEra co-founder and prominent leaker Nick Baker, who recently claimed on Twitter that the studio behind the Batman: Arkham series had started developing another Batman game. Whether it’s going to be another entry in the Arkham series or something entirely new is unknown, but whatever it is, Baker claims PlayStation is attempting to secure an exclusivity deal for the game.

Earlier this year, it was claimed by Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier that following Suicide Squad’s critical and commercial failure, Rocksteady was looking to return to its roots with a new single-player game. Beyond that, the studio is also said to be providing development support on an unannounced director’s cut of Avalanche Software’s Hogwarts Legacy. Read more on that through here.

But wait, hang on, there is another Arkham game on the horizon. Arkham Shadow, coming from developer Camouflaj is releasing Autumn 2024 and from what’s been shared so far it looks like a suitable return to Gotham City’s crime-ridden alleys and gritty underbelly. It’ll feature the same hard-hitting combat established in Rocksteady’s trilogy, the return of iconic characters Harvey Dent and Jim Gordon plus notorious arch-nemeses Scarecrow and Harley Quinn, plus underutilised supervillain Ratcatcher. In lieu of dearly departed Kevin Conroy, the voice comes courtesy of superb Arkham Origins actor Roger Craig Smith. The ingredients are prepped to serve up a satisfying slice of Arkham goodness, but there is a caveat. Arkham Shadow is a VR exclusive.

Now, there’s nothing especially wrong with VR games. For Arkham Shadow, Camouflaj are determined to respect the legacy carved out by Rocksteady with a faithful representation of Batman’s unique macabre atmosphere, but – let’s be real – VR games are still a niche enterprise. Worse still, Arkham Shadow is a Meta Quest 3 exclusive, so not set to be available on other VR hardware. Of course, Oculus Studios will be banking on Arkham Shadow being a headset seller, but that means there’s huge pressure on this title; despite Meta Quest’s passionate fanbase clamouring for larger VR titles, are those outside the virtual reality sphere going to be persuaded to finally dip their toe in if they haven’t already?

Damning is Arkham Shadows’ reaction from Arkham fanatics and reporting press alike. The worst comment out there asks rhetorically ‘do WB Games even care about their fanbase?’ As good as Arkham Shadow seems, its player base is undeniably narrow. If this were a console game, fans would be in rapture. But they’re not. Nothing will satiate desires for another Batman game than another console-slash-PC Batman game. Not a VR exclusive, not an accompanying comic, or movie tie-in. A new game, and a new game only.

If the appetite across comments sections, forums, and threads is to be taken as seriously, then why isn’t another single player Arkham game incoming? After all, WB Games have spoken repeatedly on DC’s potential as a billion-dollar gaming brand. Even if there was an Arkham sequel in the works (Arkham Shadow, we haven’t mentioned yet, is a prequel set shortly after the events of Arkham Origin) then it’s unlikely to be single player. The reason for this, unfortunately, lies in WB Games’ desire to double down on live service, free-to-play, and mobile.

The rationale behind this is befuddling on two counts. One: Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League was a diabolical flob, costing WB Games millions in irrecuperable losses with colossal damage to their brand and a wavering of Rocksteady’s reputation (though Rocksteady choose to work on a live service FPS themselves). Two: last year’s wizarding single player RPG Hogwarts Legacy – of which Harry Potter sits amongst Warner Bros.’ most lucrative properties – was a financial success. Indeed, a Director’s Cut is reportedly in the works with none other than Rocksteady Studios working alongside Avalanche Software to bring the title to fruition. At present there’s no indication live service elements will be shoehorned into this re-release, but Hogwarts Legacy 2 will undoubtedly – if we’re being cynical – feature some sort of free-to-play, microtransaction laden, live service element.  

As reported by Bloomberg in June, Rocksteady’s leadership are pitching a new single player game to WB but we’re not privy to what this game is. It could be a return to Arkham, but we’re really not sure. Elsewhere, Rocksteady co-founders Sefton Hill and Jamie Walker quietly opened a new studio at the start of 2024. This studio, Hundred Star Games, poached numerous developers from Rocksteady and is reportedly working on a AAA single player action-adventure game, financed via partnership from Microsoft. This game is unlikely to be Batman related given Hill and Walker’s exit from Rocksteady, and it’s probably better for everyone if it isn’t given that it’ll be an Xbox exclusive (because, as we’ve discussed with Arkham Shadow’s VR exclusivity, a new Batman game available to a cross-section only is far from optimal for the whole of Arkham’s fandom).

The only positive throughout this incoherent mess is that a new Arkham game will happen. That is, according to DC boss James Gunn who when grilled on Threads regarding the future of the franchise and, more specifically, if Kill the Justice League will be the closing instalment in the Arkham universe his response was that no, there’re no plans for it to be the last. What’s more, in keeping with another of Warner Bros. statements, Gunn also confirmed any future DC game wouldn’t be linked to or based on any contemporary movies. These responses have since been deleted from Threads which reduces their significance or boosts their likelihood depending on how you look at it. Coming from the horse’s mouth, so to speak, it seems plausible Gunn has the inside track on something, somewhere.

Apologies, but there’s a lot of nebulous speculation in this feature. It’s all a bit ‘he said, she said’, but in a world where justice prevails (you know, the type of world Bruce Wayne fights to maintain) then another single player Batman game will come. An opinion though: assuming it won’t be some live service monstrosity it could well be a reboot, not a continuation of Arkham’s narrative. Whilst Warner Bros. are clear their games won’t be following their movie counterparts and despite James Gunn’s posts, Matt Reeves and Peter Craig’s The Batman was a reboot and a largely well received one at that. There’s endless scope for stories in Batman’s universe with a whole gaggle of supervillains to duel. If we’re to get a new Batman game, a reboot could be the way forward.

The Arkham games are some of the most memorable action games ever created, whether you’re a fan of Batman or not. Their atmosphere, their fluid, kinetic, intuitive combat, the sensational voice acting, and – above all else – their respect to the legendary characters inhabiting Gotham elevates them above a ton of games, not just superhero titles. Rocksteady was instrumental in creating these games, in getting the ingredients right, in understanding what makes Gotham tick, what makes Batman so perennially popular in mainstream culture. With a live service, free-to-play future that Warner Bros. are banking on, the possibility of a single player Batman game like the ones we’ve grown to love is unlikely. It seems that, for the time being, VR exclusive Arkham Shadow is our best chance of enjoying another single player Batman game – the travesty.

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.

Speaking during Warner Bros. Discover’s recent quarterly earnings call, when asked about the company’s gaming business and future, CEO David Zaslav revealed that the company will be looking to license out some of its IP to other, external development studios- which means internal Warner Bros. studios might not necessarily be the ones developing games on WB IP going forward.

“We have 11 studios here, and we have a lot of IP,” Zaslav said (transcription via IGN). “And there’s also a lot of interest among others in coming to take advantage of some of that IP for gaming, which we’re looking at. Because as JB [Perrette, president of global streaming and games] said, we need to get bigger, and the IP that we own and the value that it has in the gaming space is something we’re looking to take advantage of.”

The list of IP that WB has access to is mouthwatering, to say the very least, with heavy-hitters such as Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, Batman, Superman, and many others included. The prospect of those properties being licensed out to developers across the industry – similar to the approach Marvel and Disney have taken in recent years – would certainly be an intriguing one.

However, it seems like he doesn’t intend to return as The Joker in the future. Kevin Conroy, who had been the voice of Batman/Bruce Wayne in all aforementioned projects and co-starred with Hamill for a number of years, recently passed away, and Hamill says that without Conroy voicing Batman, he doesn’t see himself returning as The Joker.

“They would call and say, ‘They want you to do the Joker,’ and my only question was, ‘Is Kevin Batman?'” Hamill recently told Empire Magazine (via Screen Rant). “If they said yes, I would say, ‘I’m in.’ We were like partners. We were like Laurel and Hardy. Without Kevin there, there doesn’t seem to be a Batman for me.”

Conroy is set to have a final post-humous appearance as Batman, having been confirmed to star in the role in Rocksteady’s upcoming Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League.