Gamers who have been following Batman: Arkham Origins news for the last few months will remember that Warner Bros. Interactive did, as mentioned, share box artwork concepts last week; however, fans that remember the pre-release buzz for Batman: Arkham City will also recall that that the publisher has, in the past, made drastic last minute changes to their cover designs.
For example, the image below was reported by numerous outlets as the final Arkham City artwork, only to be replaced shortly after by a significantly different design for retail (click to enlarge):
In the case of Batman: Arkham Origins, all the console version listings still feature generic artwork, where as selecting the PC Download version reveals the previously discussed box art.
Similarly, the artwork for Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate appears in search results - but reverts to the template image when potential customers click-over to the order page. Unlike the console titles, this is our first look at the Blackgate cover design.
Regardless of the reason, given that the artwork is appearing in search results for non-marketplace listings and neither image is “user uploaded,” it’s pretty clear that regardless of whatever is happening behind the scenes at the retailer this is the final design for the two game boxes.
While Deadshot, Deathstroke, Penguin, and Black Mask are all clearly visible on the cover of the console version, it’s harder to make out the other assassins featured in the artwork (though, we know Joker will appear). Unfortunately, the Blackgate design isn’t much help in uncovering more of the villains that Batman will face; though, that’s not entirely a surprise given that the handheld version is telling a separate (but related) story.
Batman: Arkham Origins will be available on Wii U, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC October 25, 2013.
Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate will be available on Vita and 3DS October 25, 2013.
Follow me on Twitter @benkendrick for more on Batman: Arkham Origins as well as future movie, TV, and gaming news.
