Let’s be real for a second. If you grew up in the late nineties, the opening riff of the Batman Beyond theme song is basically hardwired into your brain. That industrial, gritty techno-punk vibe promised a future that looked nothing like the gothic Art Deco of Bruce Wayne’s prime. We wanted to fly through those neon-soaked skyscrapers. We wanted the rocket boots. Yet, when you look at the actual history of the Batman Beyond video game landscape, it’s mostly a graveyard of "what-ifs" and one very mediocre tie-in from the year 2000.
It's weird, right? You have a character—Terry McGinnis—who is literally built for a modern triple-A gaming experience. He has a high-tech suit with active camouflage, internal servos for super-strength, and those iconic red wings. He's basically Spider-Man mixed with Iron Man, set in a Blade Runner version of Gotham. Why are we still waiting for a definitive standalone title?
The Return of the Joker Disaster
We have to talk about the elephant in the room: Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker for the PlayStation 1, Nintendo 64, and Game Boy Color. Released around the turn of the millennium, this was technically the first—and only—major Batman Beyond video game dedicated entirely to the show’s continuity.
Honestly, it wasn’t great.
Ubisoft handled the publishing, and the result was a side-scrolling beat 'em up that felt dated even by the standards of 2000. While the world was moving toward 3D masterpieces like Metal Gear Solid or Ocarina of Time, Terry McGinnis was stuck in a stiff, clunky fighter that lacked the fluidity of the animation. You could swap suits—standard, defense, and strength—which was a cool nod to the gadgetry of the show, but the level design was bland. It felt like a cash-in. Fans didn't want a generic brawler; they wanted to feel the verticality of Neo-Gotham. They wanted to dive off the Wayne-Powers building and engage the thrusters at the last second.
The Game Boy Color version was arguably the most "playable" simply because expectations for handhelds were lower back then. But for the home consoles? It was a swing and a miss that seemingly cooled DC's interest in a solo Terry McGinnis project for decades.
🔗 Read more: First Name in Country Crossword: Why These Clues Trip You Up
The Arkham Knight Connection and the Canceled Project
Fast forward to the 2010s. Rocksteady Studios had changed everything with the Arkham series. When Batman: Arkham City dropped, they included a Batman Beyond video game skin as DLC. It looked incredible. Seeing that sleek, mouthless mask in a high-fidelity engine gave everyone hope. If you’ve played Arkham Knight, you know that the "Beyond" suit in that game is even more detailed, looking like a tactical military prototype.
But here is where it gets frustrating.
For years, rumors swirled about "Project Sabbath." This was reportedly a long-in-development title from WB Games Montréal, the studio behind Arkham Origins. Concept art leaked online showing an older, bearded Bruce Wayne in a high-tech wheelchair and a much older Terry McGinnis navigating a flooded, dystopian Gotham. This wasn't just a rumor; industry insiders like James Sigfield have corroborated that the game was in early development before being scrapped in favor of what eventually became Gotham Knights.
Imagine that. We almost had a true, open-world Batman Beyond video game that explored the mentorship between a broken Bruce and a rebellious Terry. Instead, the project was cannibalized. Some of the flight mechanics and neon aesthetics likely bled into other WB projects, but the soul of the Neo-Gotham story was shelved.
Why a Modern Batman Beyond Game is a Developer's Dream
Think about the gameplay loops. A modern Batman Beyond video game doesn't need to copy the Arkham formula exactly, but it has a massive head start because of it.
💡 You might also like: The Dawn of the Brave Story Most Players Miss
The suit is the key. In the show, Terry uses a "cloaking" feature constantly. A stealth-heavy game where you have to manage your suit's power levels while infiltrating the high-security labs of Wayne-Powers or the Jokerz’ hideouts would be intense. Then there's the traversal. We’ve seen how well Marvel’s Spider-Man handles web-swinging. Now imagine that with jet-assisted gliding and a Batmobile that actually flies.
The villains are also refreshing. We’ve fought the Penguin and Two-Face a thousand times. A Batman Beyond video game would give us:
- Inque: A shapeshifting corporate saboteur who could provide some of the most creative boss fights in gaming history.
- Shriek: A master of sound who could mess with the player's actual audio cues.
- Blight: The radioactive corporate overlord who serves as Terry’s true arch-nemesis.
- The Royal Flush Gang: A family-based crime syndicate that adds a weird, personal dynamic to the fights.
It’s a neon goldmine.
The "Beyond" Presence in Other Titles
Since we don't have a standalone title, fans have had to hunt for Terry in other places. He’s become a bit of a ghost in the machine.
In LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham, there is a dedicated DLC pack. It’s actually quite charming. You get to play as Terry, old Bruce, Ace the Bat-Hound, and even villains like Blight and Mr. Freeze (in his futuristic containment suit). It’s probably the most "complete" Batman Beyond video game experience we’ve had in twenty years, which is both a compliment to the LEGO games and a sad indictment of the industry.
📖 Related: Why the Clash of Clans Archer Queen is Still the Most Important Hero in the Game
Then there is Injustice. While Terry isn't a primary fighter on the roster, his influence is everywhere through gear sets and shaders. In Injustice 2, you can essentially build a Batman that looks exactly like the futuristic Terry McGinnis. But again, it’s just a skin. It’s a cosmetic band-aid on a gaping wound of missing potential.
What Needs to Happen Now
The demand is there. Every time a major gaming showcase happens—whether it's State of Play or Summer Game Fest—"Batman Beyond" starts trending on X (formerly Twitter). People are tired of the "early years" of Bruce Wayne. We’ve seen the origin story a dozen times.
A successful Batman Beyond video game would need to lean into the "Cyberpunk" of it all. It needs the rainy streets, the flying cars, and the feeling of being an underdog in a city owned by corporations. It needs to be a story about legacy.
If WB Games is looking for their next big hit after the mixed reception of recent live-service attempts, the answer is staring them in the face. They don't need to reinvent the wheel. They just need to put the kid in the suit and let us fly.
Next Steps for Fans and Collectors
- Play the Arkham Knight DLC: If you haven't, grab the Arkham Knight Season Pass. The Batman Beyond skin is the closest you’ll get to seeing Terry in a modern engine, and the gliding mechanics still hold up beautifully.
- Track down the LEGO Batman 3 DLC: It’s cheap, often on sale for under five dollars, and features the original voice cast in some versions.
- Support the Comics: DC has been running Batman Beyond: Neo-Year and Neo-Gothic limited series. Strong sales in the comics often signal to the parent company that the IP is still "hot" enough for a multi-million dollar game investment.
- Watch the Concept Art Leaks: Search for "Project Sabbath concept art." Looking at what could have been is heartbreaking, but it helps you understand the vision developers actually have for this world.