Former Batman Arkham Devs Work Their Magic on a New G.I. Joe Game

Former Rocksteady devs who worked on the Batman Arkham games are now bringing some of that magic to the G.I. Joe universe. The patriotic IP hasn’t had much luck in video games, but a development team like this could mean we’ll get something special.

Dan Ayoub, the head of digital product development at Hasbro's Wizards of the Coast, spoke with GamesIndustry.biz (via GamesRadar) about Hasbro’s video game development. Ayoub says that Hasbro has invested $1 billion on video game development, making titles based on D&D and Skeleton Key.

What really got everyone’s attention was a new G.I. Joe game developed by new studio Atomic Arcade. This new studio is headed by Ames Kirshen, who was the creative director behind Rocksteady’s Batman Arkham games, so this new title is in good hands.

Before fans start singing the game’s iconic theme song, Ayoub has said that this new game “isn’t your daddy’s G.I. Joe,” teasing a grittier take. This game is also mostly focused on the iconic Snake Eyes, one of the franchise’s most compelling characters. If everything goes well, this should make fans forget the poorly-received Snake Eyes film from 2021.

Hardcore fans of the franchise know that these characters haven’t been in the best video games, which is unfortunate given how cool they look. G.I. Joe: Operation Blackout was the most recent game that came out and it got butchered by critics for being a bland action game. There is an upcoming beat-em-up called G.I. Joe Wrath of Cobra and it looks pretty quality, but it’s not what most would consider a AAA game.

It will be interesting to see if Atomic Arcade can bring some of that Arkham magic with this game, especially since Rocksteady’s been lacking in that. As everyone knows, their Suicide Squad game hasn’t exactly lit the world on fire, with the first Season disappointing fans. While there are clues to something exciting, most can agree that this is a downgrade when compared to the Batman: Arkham games.

No release date for this G.I. Joe game has been announced, so fans shouldn’t expect it anytime soon.