LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight (2026) is positioning itself as one of the most ambitious Batman games in years.
What Is Legacy of the Dark Knight?
Developed by TT Games and published by Warner Bros. Games, Legacy of the Dark Knight is an upcoming third-person open-world title that pulls together multiple eras of Batman history into a single open-world experience, combining influences from films, animation, comics, and previous video game adaptations.
Players will explore a sprawling Gotham City featuring locations like Arkham Asylum and Ace Chemicals while controlling a large lineup of playable characters that includes Batman, Robin, Nightwing, Batgirl, Jim Gordon, Catwoman, and Talia al Ghul.
The game’s open-world approach has already drawn comparisons to the Arkham series, though Legacy of the Dark Knight leans heavily into celebration and nostalgia rather than grounded realism alone.
That philosophy is even more clear in the newly released launch trailer, which arrives just weeks before the game’s May 22 release date. Watch it below:
The New Trailer Celebrates Batman Forever
The trailer’s biggest surprise is the inclusion of “Kiss From a Rose by Seal”, the legendary track most famously associated with Batman Forever (1995).
Directed by Joel Schumacher and starring Val Kilmer as Batman, the film has developed a cult following over the decades despite its divisive critical reception at the time of release.
Much of that reputation comes from its villain performances, particularly Jim Carrey’s hyperactive interpretation of The Riddler and Tommy Lee Jones’ larger-than-life Two-Face.
But while Jones’ version of Two-Face appears in Legacy of the Dark Knight, along with Tom Hardy’s Bane, Heath Ledger’s Joker, Michelle Pfeiffer’s Catwoman, Danny DeVito’s Penguin, Uma Thurman’s Poison Ivy, and even Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Mr. Freeze, it's unclear whether it's Jim Carrey’s specific version of The Riddler who appears in the game.
Legacy of the Dark Knight Is a Batman Melting Pot
The game also incorporates visual and tonal inspiration from Burton’s Batman films, Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy, Matt Reeves’ The Batman (2022), and recent comic material like DC’s Absolute Batman.
For many fans, the use of “Kiss From a Rose” in the trailer also carries emotional significance following the death of Val Kilmer in 2025. While Warner Bros. Games has not commented on the connection directly, the song’s inclusion feels like both a major Easter egg and a quiet tribute to Kilmer’s legacy as Batman.
The official synopsis for the game reads:
“Step into the cowl of the Dark Knight and unite Gotham’s greatest heroes in LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight. Explore a vast open-world Gotham City, battle iconic villains, and experience a celebration of Batman’s legendary history across film, comics, and animation.”
LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight launches May 22, 2026, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. A Nintendo Switch 2 version is scheduled for a later release.
Will you be playing Legacy of the Dark Knight? Who's your favorite Batman? Let us know in the comments below!
