Batman: Arkham Knight served as a satisfactory ending to Bruce Wayne's Batman, but WB Games had a canceled game known as Project Sabbath in the works.

Recently leaked concept art for WB Game’s canceled Batman: Arkham Knight sequel revealed several details about the game’s completed vision. Several images imply new mechanics and storylines that likely won’t see the light of day. Known only as Project Sabbath, the sequel would have continued the Batman Arkham universe with an apparent time skip. Concept art and titles suggest Damian Wayne would have inherited the Batman legacy, which makes sense given Bruce Wayne and Talia Al Ghul’s romantic relationship in the Batman Arkham series. Additionally, inspiration from other Batman projects suggests Project Sabbath could have acted as a soft reboot for the series, making Damian Wayne the next Batman for a new series.

Batman: Arkham Knight served as the ending to the highly acclaimed Batman Arkham series. On many fronts, it provided a satisfying end to the series, with Gotham City beginning to move past Batman’s legend and embracing a less ‘super’ side of living. However, the need for heroes like Batman persists with petty crime and Arkham Asylum’s failure to contain its villains. Batman storylines in shows, games, and movies tend to conclude relatively quickly, given the repetitive nature of the character. Still, Damian Wayne could have introduced new dilemmas and gameplay to deviate from the industry standard. Given Damian’s age and Talia Al Ghul’s apparent death, it’s likely the League of Assassins raised Damian Wayne for a portion of his life. Playing a Batman with twisted morals in an even darker world could have revitalized Batman Arkham’s formula.

The gaming industry is filled with rumors, concept art, and public cancellations of projects already in development. Even the most promising titles like Star Wars 1313, Daredevil: The Man Without Fear, and Battle of the Sith Lords all suffered similarly abrupt ends. Project Sabbath, the planned sequel for Batman: Arkham Knight, is just another casualty of the massive investment AAA titles are in the gaming industry. While it’s unlikely for WB Games ever to reveal the reasoning behind Project Sabbath’s cancellation, fans can obtain some satisfaction by piecing together information from the leaked concept art.

Project Sabbath Could Have Been Batman Arkham’s God Of War

Batman: Arkham Knight concluded with Scarecrow revealing Batman’s identity as Bruce Wayne to the public, effectively ending the vigilante’s myth and placing a target on his back. Though Scarecrow (and all other rampaging villains) returned to GCPD custody before the night’s end, Bruce Wayne’s career as Batman effectively ended the moment Commissioner Gordon removed his cowl. The Knightfall Protocol brought about the “death” of Batman, detonating Wayne Manor but likely leaving the Batcave intact. A secret cutscene at the end of Batman: Arkham Knight confirms Batman continued fighting villains in some capacity, but Bruce Wayne’s mortality assures he won’t be able to fulfill his duties forever. This leads into the next piece of concept art, featuring Damian Wayne in an advanced Batsuit.

While Bruce Wayne’s secret identity is compromised in the Batman Arkham universe, Gotham’s crime rate and supervillains have likely continued to operate. With the GCPD’s dependence on Batman abruptly severed, it’s unsurprising that the city continued needing vigilante assistance following Bruce’s apparent demise. Given Bruce Wayne’s age, it’s likely Alfred Pennyworth would have been deceased during Project Sabbath’s timeline, leaving the father to run the BatCave and mentor his son during his early days as Batman. Like God of War, Project Sabbath could've featured father-son plots as Bruce Wayne tutored Damian in nonlethal crime-fighting.

Project Sabbath’s Gotham City Has Fallen Further From Grace Since Arkham Knight

Gotham City has never been a desirable destination. Its high crime rate, rampant supervillains, corrupt police force, and lack of quality housing force many citizens into squalor and lead many more to leave. Foreboding phrases like “The End Is Here” and the broken down Wayne Enterprises tower hold menacing implications for Batman’s City. Wayne Enterprises frequently appeared as Gotham City’s pride and joy throughout previous Batman Arkham games. Bruce Wayne’s fortune funded not only his crime-fighting career but constantly worked toward the betterment of Gotham and its citizens. With Bruce Wayne’s ousting as Batman, stock prices would likely have plummeted and resulted in the company’s abrupt death. The building appears to be wholly condemned, with the architecture fractured and half-finished construction abandoned. Additionally, the extinguished letters in the Wayne Enterprises sign confirm the end of Bruce’s era as Gotham’s protector in and out of the Batsuit.

While the death of Wayne Enterprises has foreboding implications for Gotham’s future, “The End Is Here” concept art points toward a darker storyline. Damian Wayne’s Batman (as shown by the red highlights on the suit and motorcycle) rides under a bridge with barbed wire on to his right. Batman Arkham's gloomy Gotham City map appears to be more like a ghost town than an urban center down on its luck. Dim lights barely illuminate the drain beneath a pair of highway overpasses, with shadowy silhouettes suggesting the presence of other characters or vehicles lying in wait. The barbed wire could be a precaution against Gotham City’s newest threats but could also be a remnant of the Arkham City project that occurred in Batman: Arkham City. Given these hints, it’s likely Project Sabbath could have harassed a much more dangerous Gotham City with remnants of other Batman Arkham maps, which would provide cost-efficient recycling of assets.

Project Sabbath Introduced New Villains & Vehicles In Batman: Arkham Knight's Sequel

Batman has one of the most popular and memorable villains galleries in DC, allowing Batman Arkham to use villains like Joker, Bane, Catwoman, Two-Face, Killer Croc, and more. While Joker died in Batman: Arkham City, Batman’s many other villains continued living on beyond his so-called death at the end of Batman: Arkham Knight. Once supervillains began appearing, it’s understandable that more generations of villains and criminals would spring from their legacies. Duela Dent, a revamped Two-Face, a female Black Mask, and an older Dick Grayson are just a few characters who appear in Project Sabbath’s concept art. New takes on classic villains could have been a risk WB Games wasn’t willing to take, but it also could have given Gotham City’s Rogues Gallery a future beyond Bruce Wayne’s Batman. Damian Wayne would likely have faced upgraded versions of classic villains, with both Gotham’s vigilantes and criminals eager to set themselves apart from their predecessors.

Project Sabbath would have likely emphasized Damian’s coming-of-age story, with mentor figures like Batman Arkham's Dick Grayson (aka Nightwing) and Bruce Wayne pulling him in different directions. However, Damian Wayne also enjoys advanced technology with a new motorcycle and Batsuit and would likely need to master this new technology quickly. The bike probably would have acted as the primary form of transportation, as it appears in several pieces of concept art and is a less destructive traversal method. Various aspects of Damian Wayne’s Batsuit also hints at his League of Assassins upbringing, with a wicked blade on his forearm and metal plates on his knuckles capable of dealing devastating damage.

While concept art for games rarely depicts an accurate image of the final product, Project Sabbath looks as though it would have tastefully continued the Batman Arkham series. It’s unlikely WB Games will ever fully deliver on Project Sabbath, but fractions of Arkham Knight's sequel could appear in Gotham Knights. As shown in trailers, the Knights already utilize motorcycles for transportation, and different characters enjoy advanced technology, such as Robin’s teleportation. For now, fans can look forwards to Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League as the next official installment of the Batman Arkham series.

Next: Suicide Squad Game: What Justice League Heroes Should Appear