Five years on from the release of Batman: Arkham Knight, fan still have no idea what Rocksteady Studios has been working on all these years - at least not officially. Rumors have cycled through a myriad of DC properties from Suicide Squad to Batman Beyond, Superman, and now all the way back to the beginning with the latest round of leaks claiming that Rocksteady's next game is called Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. Reports also indicate that Warner Bros is planning an announcement next month during DC FanDome, but of course, this should be taken with a grain of salt.
While there's been no official word on Rocksteady Studio's next game, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League has a fair amount of backing behind it, more so than most rumors, and will likely be part of the new connected DC Games Universe which includes the next Batman game. The DCEU film didn't exactly win over the masses for the popular supervillain group, so like James Gunn's upcoming The Suicide Squad film, Rocksteady's best bet is to take elements from the comic books.
Amanda Waller Needs to Call the Shots
One thing the 2016 Suicide Squad film got right, as did The CW TV series Arrow, was its use of the character Amanda Waller. For those that aren't familiar, Waller was created by John Ostrander (Legends #1 - 1987) and is by far the most important character in the series - featured as a prominent figure throughout the supervillain groups history. She is the head of A.R.G.U.S. And the brains behind the creation of the Suicide Squad, known for using blackmail, coercion, and sheer intimation to achieve her goals and keep the squad in line. There can't be a Suicide Squad game without Amanda Waller and she needs to be a prominent figure in the story. Waller calls the shots, nothing gets by her, and anyone that tries to double-cross her will live to regret it - if they live at all, that is.
Blackmail, Coercion, and Betrayal
The basic premise of the Suicide Squad has always been one of its most fascinating aspect; a group of supervillains forced to carry out high-risk missions for the government to reduce their jail sentences. However, at the end of the day, they're (mostly) villains and it takes much more than a reduced sentence to get them to cooperate which is where Amanda Waller comes in. Suicide Squad has always been fairly dark and its "heroes" are often forced to carry out missions through blackmail and coercion; for example, Deadshot's (Legends #2 - 1987) daughter is often used as a means to force him into completing missions. What makes a more interesting story than a group of villains forced into carrying out deadly missions, when everyone is only in it for themself and nobody is safe from death? A potential title that indicates the Suicide Squad has betrayed the government and are finally working together for a common goal to kill the Justice League.
Oracle Could Be A Connecting Link
This next element could be a little difficult if the Suicide Squad are trying to kill the Justice League heroes, but it would be a great way to help push the idea of a connected DC Games universe. Long-term DC fans would know that after Barbara Gordon was shot and paralyzed by the Joker, she moved on to become Oracle and would help Batman complete missions from the sidelines. What's not common knowledge is that Oracle originally worked for the government and was apart of the Suicide Squad in her early years (Suicide Squad #23 - April 1989). Oracle would be a brilliant character to incorporate into both WB Montreal's Batman game, which is said to feature the 'Bat-Family,' and Rocksteady's Suicide Squad, as a way to help build the larger, expanded DC universe that fans have wanted to see for so long.
There Are More Villains Than the Joker
After four Batman Arkham games which all featured the Joker as a major villain, not to mention the Suicide Squad film, it's time to play around with some new characters. Each iteration of the Suicide Squad has had its share of common denominators such as Deadshot, Captain Boomerang, and Harley Quinn, yet DC has also done a great job at keeping the lineup full of fresh faces. From Rick Flag Jr. (Legends #2 - 1987) to Captain Cold, Enchantress, Slipknot, Thinker, Deathstroke, and Count Vertigo, there are dozens of characters to choose from that would make for a great story without relying on the same old card trick. There's also the fascinating element that no one in the Suicide Squad is safe and that any of the characters can die and be replaced, as James Gunn plans to explore in The Suicide Squad.
Warner Bros. Will be holding its DC FanDome event on August 22, a free 24-hour virtual fan event that is said to be packed with "new announcements from WB Games, Film and TV, and comics." It's rumored that Rocksteady's Suicide Squad game will finally be revealed during DC FanDome, alongside a brand new Batman Arkham game from WB Games Montreal, developers of 2013's Batman: Arkham Origins. Unfortunately, DC FanDome is still a month away so fans are going to have to wait a while longer until we get any new updates or teases about either game.
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is rumored to be in development for unspecified platforms.