Summary
Gotham Knightsmay have divided fans when it launched last fall, but it seems that more players are picking it up on Xbox Game Pass.Batman: Arkham Originsdeveloper WB Montrealput out its own spin on the classic DC Comics mythos inGotham Knights, which saw former sidekicks Nightwing, Batgirl, Red Hood, and Robin take over in defending Gotham City following Batman’s apparent death. Players could choose between one of these four heroes as they patrol an open-world city and take down various criminals and supervillains in either single-player or online co-op.
Despite this intriguing premise,Gotham Knightswas met with mixed reviewswhen it launched on PlayStation 5 and Xbox last October, with many criticizing its plot, combat, and sidequests in comparison to Rocksteady’s much more belovedBatman: Arkhamseries. Almost a year later,Gotham Knightswas announced as one of Xbox Game Pass’ slate of new additions for October 2023. Some fans have hoped that having the game available for free as part of a monthly subscription service like Game Pass could cause skeptics to warm up toGotham Knights, especially after a year of patches and updates that addressed many of its most glaring technical issues.
Recent reports indicate thatGotham Knightshas seen a considerable boost in active players after being added to Xbox Game Pass in October. Industry analyst and former Activision and Warner Bros. Games executive Mat Piscatella shared a graph ofGotham Knights' player tallies on Twitter, and sure enough, there was a massive spike in players when the game was added to Game Pass.Gotham Knights’ player count also rose among PlayStation owners when it was added to PlayStation Plus a week or so later, but not to the extent shown in its Xbox counterpart.
Gotham Knightsultimately ended October with about the same number ofactive players on both Xbox Game Passand PS Plus, and both went down as the month carried on. Piscatella himself notes that there could be any number of factors behindGotham Knights' higher initial player number on Game Pass, and one of the other Twitter users commenting on his post noted that while Game Pass managed to capture twice the players that PS Plus did, PlayStation users seemed to engage with the game for a longer period of time.
Nonetheless, it seems thatGotham Knightshas benefited from being available onsubscription services like Xbox Game Passand PlayStation Plus, which both allow players to access a large library of games at a fraction of the price of a single one at retail. Perhaps this renewed interest inGotham Knightscould lead to the once-controversial superhero action title being seen in a more positive light, especially with rumors of it being ported to the Nintendo Switch at some point in the near future.
Gotham Knights
WHERE TO PLAY
Batman is dead. A new expansive, criminal underworld has swept the streets of Gotham City. It is now up to the Batman Family - Batgirl, Nightwing, Red Hood, and Robin - to protect Gotham, bring hope to its citizens, discipline to its cops, and fear to its criminals.From solving mysteries that connect the darkest chapters in the city’s history to defeating notorious villains in epic confrontations.Gotham Knights is an open-world, action RPG set in the most dynamic and interactive Gotham City yet. Patrol Gotham’s five distinct boroughs in solo or in co-op and drop in on criminal activity wherever you find it.Your legacy begins now. Step into the Knight.
