Batman: Arkham Shadow’s Sales Figures Reveal a Potential Path Forward for the Franchise

The Batman: Arkham franchise broke new ground for the superhero video game genre. For the most part, Batman: Arkham Asylum and its sequels struck a perfect balance of having grounded stories, characters, and action, while also not being afraid to explore some of the more obscure parts of the Caped Crusader’s rogue’s gallery. Last year’s Batman: Arkham Shadow continued to build upon that legacy.

A prequel set six months after Batman: Arkham Origins, Batman: Arkham Shadow sees a Roger Craig Smith-voiced Batman hunting down the elusive “Rat King.” Currently exclusive to the Meta Quest 3 and 3S, Batman: Arkham Shadow delivers an extremely authentic Arkham gameplay experience that takes full advantage of the new medium. Arkham Shadow performed well critically, and it’s just been confirmed to have passed an impressive sales milestone, and that could end up forging a path for the Arkhamverse’s future.

Batman: Arkham Shadow’s Sales Pave a New Path For The Franchise’s Future

The Batman Arkhamverse Is At a Crossroads

Batman: Arkham Shadow wasn’t the only game set in the Arkhamverse to release last year. What was meant to be Rocksteady’s triumphant return to the franchise ended in disaster, with last year’s Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League receiving an infamously dire reception from fans and critics alike. Though it had some humorous moments and its combat could feel satisfying under the right circumstances, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League was a far cry from the Arkham entries that came before it, with its live-service model severely impacting the amount and type of content in the game.

Though many of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League‘s controversial story decisions have just been reversed in the game’s final post-launch season, the game as a whole has left the Arkhamverse on a bit of a sour note. As things stand, fans probably won’t be clamoring for a sequel to Suicide Squad anytime soon. But that’s where Batman: Arkham Shadow may have just opened a new door.

Batman: Arkham Shadow Could Only Be The Beginning

When Batman: Arkham Shadow was first announced, many fans were disappointed that the Arkhamverse’s next entry was going to be VR-exclusive, and even worse, one that was exclusive to just one VR platform. But despite this initial backlash, and despite VR still being a relatively niche part of the gaming industry, it’s just been confirmed that Batman: Arkham Shadow has sold over 1 million copies, with over 1 million players having unlocked the game’s first achievement (a feat that was first spotted by YouTuber QuestWithMatt).

1 million copies sold is quite a ways off from Batman: Arkham Knight and Origins, which both allegedly sold around 7 million each. And it’s a far cry away from Batman: Arkham Asylum and City, which sold 10 million and 14 million respectively. But in terms of the VR market, 1 million copies sold is an impressive milestone.

2020’s Half-Life: Alyx is probably the most apt comparison for Arkham Shadow‘s sales numbers. Both games marked the return of big gaming franchises, and both games were used to sell shiny new headsets (the Valve Index and Meta Quest 3/3S). By December 2020, 9 months after its release, Half-Life: Alyx had sold 2 million copies. Arkham Shadow has sold 1 million in a little over 3 months.

So, while it may not be as immediately successful as its flat-screen counterparts, Batman: Arkham Shadow is still shaping up to be another win for the franchise. And that might be enough to convinceWarner Bros/DC to continue exploring the Arkhamverse in spinoffs like Shadow. The first step for Warner Bros. should be fast-tracking a sequel to Batman: Arkham Shadow, as the game leaves plenty of room for future entries, especially after the recent release of its Dick Grayson-focused post-credits epilogue.

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Released

October 21, 2024

ESRB

T For Teen // Violence, Mild Blood, Language

Developer(s)

Camouflaj