Warner Bros. and TT Games have been examining DC Comics heroes — particularly Batman — in their games for years, but it looks like we’ll be getting to know the baddies a little better this time. Lego DC Super-Villains is on the way, and it promises to be a dark and twisted take on everyone’s favorite plastic children’s toys.
A teaser video posted on YouTube shows a Superman statue in Metropolis — apparently the same one seen in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice — defaced with spray paint to look like the Joker. We hear the dastardly villain laugh as several clockwork teeth run across the ground, and the tagline, “chaos is coming” is shown on-screen.
The actor behind the Joker is likely Christopher Corey Smith, who previously voiced the character in Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham. It’s slightly confusing to keep track of the voice actors in the Lego Batman series, as Troy Baker — who voices Batman in the games — previously voiced the Joker in Batman: Arkham Origins. Some characters are paired with their actors from the Arkham games, including Tara Strong as Harley Quinn, and the late Adam West even played himself in Beyond Gotham.
“Set in an expansive open-world experience within the DC Universe, the Justice League has disappeared, leaving Earth’s protection to their counterparts from a parallel universe, who have proclaimed themselves as the ‘Justice Syndicate,'” Warner Bros. said alongside the full announcement trailer.
You won’t really be playing a villain in Lego DC Super-Villains, however, as the Joker, Harley Quinn, Deathstroke, and many more baddies must work together to uncover the truth about the Justice Syndicate. You appear to be a former prisoner who breaks out of jail as the city goes into chaos, and you’re capable of customizing your character with new powers as you progress. A second player can join in at any time for boss fights, as well.
Your bag of tricks includes the ability to use the Scarecrow’s famous “fear toxin” to scare residents of Gotham City. Other “menacing pranks and tactics” will also be at your disposal, and if Lego DC Super-Villains is anything like previous Lego games, you’ll have the option to play as other villains like Gorilla Grodd and Reverse-Flash.
What’s most interesting is what the announcement could mean for other rumored games. Lego DC Super-Villains previously popped up on Walmart Canada in a listing that also included the then-unannounced Rage 2. The same leak included a new Splinter Cell, Just Cause 4, Borderlands 3, Gears of War 5, and several others, along with previously revealed games. We’d still take the leak with a grain of salt at this point, but it does have us excited for E3 in June.
Lego DC Super-Villains is out October 16 for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and PC. A “deluxe edition” containing the season pass and early access to a “TV Series DLC Character Pack” is available to pre-order now.
Updated on May 30: Added full trailer and gameplay details.
