2023 is set to be one of the most exciting years in gaming in quite some time, that is as long as some titles live up to their true potential. While games likeMarvel’s Spider-Man 2,Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, andResident Evil 4 Remakeare all just too big to fail, the jury’s still out onSuicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. First announced back in 2020,Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice Leagueis Rocksteady’s first game sinceBatman: Arkham Knight, which released almost eight years ago. A lot is riding onSuicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, and a lot will come down to the game’s story and writing.
Rocksteady’sBatman: Arkhamseriesis one of the most critically-acclaimed superhero video game series of all time, with even the worst-performing entry,Arkham Knight, still reviewing very well at the time. While the series' weighty, satisfying combat has always been one of its most praised aspects, its portrayal of Batman’s rogues gallery has also been a consistent highlight, and Rocksteady seems to be taking this one step further inSuicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. But in all the trailers shown so far, Batman’s most iconic foe, the Joker, hasn’t been mentioned once, and the final game needs to at least reference his connection to the wider universe.
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Soon after Rocksteady first announcedSuicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, the developer confirmed that the game would in fact be set in its ‘Arkhamverse,’ taking place some time after the events ofBatman: Arkham Knight. Right now, the timeline is a little unclear, with some sources stating that the game will take place years afterArkham Knightwhile others say it’s set just a few months after. Regardless of the timeline,Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice Leagueis a direct continuation of this universe’s continuity, and that means all the characters that have shown up in both theArkhamgames andSuicide Squadare one and the same.
One of the four playable characters inSuicide Squad: Kill the Justice Leagueis Harley Quinn, and if she is the same character as the one in the Arkhamverse, then she’s been through a hell of a lot before the events of this game. First introduced inBatman: Arkham Asylum,this version of Harley Quinnis just as obsessed with the Joker as the vast majority of other iterations, willing to do just about anything to win his affection. This continues inBatman: Arkham City, where her adoration for the Joker reaches an all-time high. When the Joker dies at the end ofArkham City, Harley becomes distraught, and attempts to kill Batman and Robin in his name, which players get to experience in theHarley Quinn’s RevengeDLC. This need for revenge continues inBatman: Arkham Knight, with Harley agreeing to work with Scarecrow solely to kill Batman.
It’s fair to say that the Joker’s death affected this version of Harley Quinn a lot, and though her personality seems pretty different inSuicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, this is the same character, and the Joker’s actions will have still affected her just as much. It’s imperative thatSuicide Squad: Kill the Justice Leaguenot only references the Joker and the events of theArkhamseries, but dives right into it, giving fans plenty of conversations between the characters abouthow the Joker’s death affected Harleyand how it informed her decision to join the Suicide Squad.
This need to reference the Joker and the events ofArkhamonly becomes more necessary with the inclusion of Batman. Revealed inSuicide Squad: Kill the Justice League’s latest trailer,Kevin Conroy’s Batmanis making one final appearance, and his presence in the game brings up a few glaring questions. As well as revealing how he survivedArkham Knight’s Knightfall ending,Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice Leaguealso needs to show how Harley views Batman at this point in time and whether she still wants revenge for the Joker.
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice Leaguelaunches July 19, 2025 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
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