Batman: Arkham Origins Coming October Without Rocksteady

The next Batman game will carry the name Arkham Origins, and it will be the first game in the Arkham series not to have Rocksteady at the helm. On top of that, a separate handheld title is coming.

Taking over for this instalment is Warner Bros. Montreal. According to Game Informer, the studio has full access to Rocksteady's custom modified Unreal engine to get the look and feel right.

Origins will be released for PS3, 360, PC and WiiU on October 25th.

As the title suggests, the game is a prequel. It pitches a young, inexperienced Bruce Wayne against many of his enemies for the first time. Speaking in a 'coverage trailer' (yes, apparently that's a thing) an unnamed WB dev says, "We've got eight of the best assassins in the world who have come together to Gotham City for one night - Christmas Eve, of all nights - to kill the bat."

The Game Informer cover shows us that Deathstroke is one of the assassins.

A handheld title will carry the name Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate and will land on the PSVita and 3DS at the same time as the console title launches. The game takes place after the events of Origins. It's apparently a 2.5D "Metroid-style exploration action game". Jamming 'Metroid-style' in there is appropriate, as the game's being developed by Armature Studio, a company formed by ex-devs of the Metroid Prime trilogy.