UPDATE: Warner Bros. has since issued a statement to VG247 calling the Arkham World comment a joke. Not exactly a surprise, but it shouldn't have been shocked that people took them seriously, either.

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Rocksteady Studios is no stranger to teasing.

The basic plot for Batman: Arkham City was hidden away inside Batman: Arkham Asylum, and the first news about Arkham City was dropped just months after Arkham Asylum was released.

Is Batman: Arkham World next?

While “accepting” a Character of the Year award at the Spike TV Video Game Awards this weekend, a Mark Hamill-voiced Joker was holding onto a script with Batman: Arkham World listed at the top. He joked about “spoilers” before hiding the script, and quickly moved on.

Arkham World doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, but the blockbuster success of both Arkham Asylum and Arkham City means Rocksteady and Warner Bros. would want to stick with the Arkham name in some capacity.

UPDATE: Warner Bros. has since issued a statement to VG247 calling the Arkham World comment a joke. Not exactly a surprise, but it shouldn't have been shocked that people took them seriously, either.

--

Rocksteady Studios is no stranger to teasing.

The basic plot for Batman: Arkham City was hidden away inside Batman: Arkham Asylum, and the first news about Arkham City was dropped just months after Arkham Asylum was released.

Is Batman: Arkham World next?

While “accepting” a Character of the Year award at the Spike TV Video Game Awards this weekend, a Mark Hamill-voiced Joker was holding onto a script with Batman: Arkham World listed at the top. He joked about “spoilers” before hiding the script, and quickly moved on.

Arkham World doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, but the blockbuster success of both Arkham Asylum and Arkham City means Rocksteady and Warner Bros. would want to stick with the Arkham name in some capacity.

cool

First, Yippee.

You mean Arkham City in the last paragraph, right? ("success of both Arkham Asylum and Arkham World")

Wow, Arkham World! Can't wait!

People already felt tired with City, they'd have to change quite a few things.

And then the next game after that is going to be an MMO called Arkham Universe, right?

That was bad, I apologize. But everyone was thinking it.

Patrick I think you mean Arkham City. Unless you know some secret stuff?!?!?!?!?!

Arkham Asylum, Arkham City, Arkham World, Arkham Solar System, Arkham Universe

"We had more trouble containing all the criminals in Arkham City, so we decided to just seal off all of planet Earth."

Turning part of a major city into a prison wasn't enough, now they're gonna turn part of the world into a prison?

I am waiting for Arkham Universe.

@sagesebas said:

Arkham Asylum, Arkham City, Arkham World, Arkham Solar System, Arkham Universe

Super Mario Arkham Galaxy.

Now there's a game I would play the shit out of.

@Apollo87: Arkham Asylum was a better game in my opinion, making the game bigger didn't help last time

Is it out yet? Is it out yet? Is it out yet?

Also, as terrible a name as "Arkham World" would be, they can call it Hamburger Puppy 3D Tooth Wax for all I care, as long as they keep up the quality. I haven't been this in love with a franchise in YEARS.

Batman Asylum world....right....RIGHT?!

No, no, no... Like any truly excellent franchise, first you go to the 'hood, then you go to SPACE!

Planet Arkham! It practically writes itself!

Patriiiiick, don't read into a joke. I don't care if it's a slow news day either.

Yeah, obviously the next logical step is to turn the entire world into a prison. Regular folk can just live on the moon or something.

"Arkham Word". They decide to take all the criminals and transport them into 1991.

Word.

There are two big hints about the next game in Arkham City..one is given by Azreal. The other is found in the Steel mill next to Harley's outfit.

@bonbolapti said:

Patriiiiick, don't read into a joke. I don't care if it's a slow news day either.

I seriously expect better than this from Giant Bomb & Patrick. I do not doubt a new Batman is next but it will not be called Arkham World. It was a silly joke and it is pathetic that you are trying to make it into a news story.

@The_Ruiner said:

There are two big hints about the next game in Arkham City..one is given by Azreal. The other is found in the Steel mill next to Harley's outfit.

Don't forget the hidden Scarecrow Boat.

NEWS!

Probably a kart racer.

@sagesebas said:

Arkham Asylum, Arkham City, Arkham World, Arkham Solar System, Arkham Universe

Super Arkham Galaxy

@bonbolapti said:

Patriiiiick, don't read into a joke. I don't care if it's a slow news day either.

Yeah seriously. I was bummed that other news outlets picked this up and ran with it the other day, but happy that Giant Bomb didn't fall for it. Now I'm less happy.

Batman: Arkham: Batman

Everyone on earth decided it was good idea to turn the planet into a giant prison and everyone else lives on the Moon and Mars.

this is stupid.

Does that mean we'll see Batman riding Yoshi? I mean, he already has the cape and everything.

Just got done reading David Jaffee's very long reply to 1up's Matt Leone about Games Journalists http://criminalcrackdown.blogspot.com/2011/12/matt-leone-left-note-on-door.htmland how hard it is to manage comments, then I see this headline and it just made me shake my head.

If Rocksteady really goes down this road of naming their games, it will turn into Mario. What's next, Batman Universe, Dimensions, Galaxy? But it's all a joke. But a good name would be Batman: Gotham City.

Several of the sidequests in Arkham City set up a sequel bigtime so one is obviously coming. But this? Most likely just a joke.

Arkham Mars

I'm not one to complain about this kind of stuff, but how is this news? Wasn't Patrick complaining about these kind of articles akin to what Kotaku produces on his first Bombcast? And yet...

Plus, I just saw it as a simple joke.

I see it as more of an homage to the supposed Escape from Earth John Carpenter was supposed to direct with Kurt Russel.

It came to my mind, but it's almost surely a joke. Surely someone wouldn't name a game Batman Arkham World.

Mario: Arkham Galaxy

@xobballox said:

It came to my mind, but it's almost surely a joke. Surely someone wouldn't name a game Batman Arkham World.

It sounds just as dumb as naming a game Arkham City.

Arkham Trackmania, obviously. Arkhamania.

Yeah, that just seems like an in-joke to me.

It takes place on a space station run by Dr. Jonathan Crane.

But it can't be world, he doesn't own Metropolis, Star City, or Atlantis!

Patrick, I really expect a much higher standard of Journalism from you and, I have to say, this article was the last thing I expected to see on GB. It was clearly a joke as it's even mentioned in ambient NPC dialogue in a non-too serious way within the game itself.

For someone who complained so readily about the Link-bait MGS5 fiasco, I really don't see this article as much better and is pretty misleading in of itself. Now, it's nowhere near as bad as what the official Playstation mag did, and I don't want to equate the two in any real way but, come on, this was clearly a gag and I don't understand why so many sites have run with it.

Don't get your hopes up. Arkham World is actually just an amusement park manned by convicts.

This isn't news. Come on Giant Bomb...

Oh God Patrick.

It was a joke. Don't be one of those journalists.

You got me, Patrick. I clicked on your Batman story. Is this seriously supposed to be news? :(

"Evidence suggests next Batman game may feature Arkham in the title"

Seriously? What would Arkham World even be? An entire planet turned into an Arkham Prison? Now you're just being silly.

I am waiting for Arkham Universe.