It’s been a truly miserable week for Warner Bros. and Rocksteady – during a time when they’d rather be basking in the glow of the many positive reviews Batman: Arkham Knight has received. The PC version of the game is an absolute mess, with a 30 FPS cap, terrible optimisation and a lot of work needed to fix things. It’s so bad in fact that Warner Bros. has done the only thing they can right now – stopped selling one of their biggest titles.
Following the wave of unimpressed Steam reviews, extremely negative feedback and a suspected rise in refunds, Warner Bros. has done the right thing and pulled Arkham Knight from Steam. You’ll no longer be able to purchase the title through the world’s biggest digital retailer, until such a time that they, and Rocksteady, deem the game suitable for sale once again. In a statement, Warner Bros. acknowledged their fault in the matter, and promised to deliver a working version of the action title soon.
Dear Batman: Arkham Knight PC owners,
We want to apologize to those of you who are experiencing performance issues with Batman: Arkham Knight on PC. We take these issues very seriously and have therefore decided to suspend future game sales of the PC version while we work to address these issues to satisfy our quality standards. We greatly value our customers and know that while there are a significant amount of players who are enjoying the game on PC, we want to do whatever we can to make the experience better for PC players overall.
Thank you to those players who have already given valuable feedback. We are continuously monitoring all threads posted in the Official Batman: Arkham Knight Community and Steam forums, as well as any issues logged with our Customer Support (http://support.wbgames.com/). If you purchased your copy of the game and are not satisfied with your experience, then we ask for your patience while these issues are resolved. If desired, you can request a refund at https://help.steampowered.com (Steam refund policies can be found here: http://store.steampowered.com/steam_refunds) or the retail location where you purchased the game.
The Batman: Arkham fans have continually supported the franchise to its current height of success, and we want to thank you for your patience as we work to deliver an updated version of Batman: Arkham Knight on PC so you can all enjoy the final chapter of the Batman: Arkham series as it was meant to be played.
A tough but required move from Warner’s part – especially with the Steam Refund system now in full, efficient effect. I do hope that Rocksteady are able to fix things in a timely manner, but considering the state the game is currently in, I wouldn’t hold my breath.
Last Updated: June 25, 2015
Lord Chaos
June 25, 2015 at 07:38
I do believe I see the problem…
MK X gets released on PC and has 2 15GB patches, Batman gets released and is clearly a mess.
What do they have in Common? Warner Bros…….
Hammersteyn
June 25, 2015 at 07:40
I’ll die laughing if High Voltage worked on the Batman port as well.
Captain JJ Browmehn
June 25, 2015 at 07:52
Either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain.
kuuu(UMAR)rrrr
June 25, 2015 at 07:52
They both outsourced PC dev.
Matthew Holliday
June 25, 2015 at 09:20
you know what else has that in common?
arkham asylum, arkham city, injustice gods among us and shadow of mordor.
you know what they dont have in common?
the actual developers and porting companies.
Captain JJ Browmehn
June 25, 2015 at 09:24
I still feel like it’s the responsibility of WB to ensure that the games released under their name is playable. Woolworths won’t go back and point fingers at their suppliers if their clothes are falling apart. They take the blame and they take the consequences because it’s their responsibility to do quality control.
Matthew Holliday
June 25, 2015 at 09:45
the publisher dropped the ball by not ensuring quality control, but producing something this bad, they arent the ones we should be pointing fingers at.
we all complain that EA are are an overbearing publisher with too much say in the developement of games, but here we are complaining that another publisher wasnt overbearing enough.
directing my hate at rocksteady and the iron whatsamacallit that ported the game. leaves me with images of Jacob Zuma running around in circles shouting “TENDER TENDER”
woolworths might claim responsibility for their suppliers mistake, but you can be sure that they will wreck the supplier in response.
Captain JJ Browmehn
June 25, 2015 at 09:54
Oh yes, they surely will. I agree. But the truth is people will hate on WB, because it’s their name stamped on that game and shown first when you start the game. We SHOULD be hating on the people whose fault it really is, you’re definitely right. But in the end everyone will blame WB, that’s just how it goes. WB should’ve known this too, which is their fault.
Remi St Clair Abrahams
June 25, 2015 at 10:25
AGREED. I have stopped playing MKX as a result and I will definitely give this a miss.
Hammersteyn
June 25, 2015 at 07:43
I bet refunds swayed them into pulling the game.
Lord Chaos
June 25, 2015 at 07:53
I just want to see the figures relating to how many refunds were requested
Hammersteyn
June 25, 2015 at 07:55
I still remember how Warner Brothers said that they weren’t going to fix Batman Origins but rather concentrate on DLC. Oh how their tune has changed
Admiral Chief's Adventure
June 25, 2015 at 07:56
Indeed, you cannot make money if you are refunding the whole time haha
Blood Emperor Trevor
June 25, 2015 at 08:11
Yip. This is the 1st major AAA release since the new refund policy was implemented too. Before refunds they’d just tell you to be “patient” because they’re “working on it”. That’s if they didn’t tell people they’re working on DLC first again.
I’d love to see how many refunds were requested by the people who obviously preordered the game – clearly they wanted it, then they got it, then they didn’t want it anymore.
Lord Chaos
June 25, 2015 at 08:13
Problem is they didn’t get it. 😛
Captain JJ Browmehn
June 25, 2015 at 08:13
$89.99 on Steam for a Special Edition is a fuckload of money to throw at something that doesn’t work.
Blood Emperor Trevor
June 25, 2015 at 08:17
Makes you wonder just how bad the Batmobile was from that super special collectors edition. They cancelled that because of QA issues, but this made it through.
Lord Chaos
June 25, 2015 at 08:19
My guess is more than one person died.
Lord Chaos
June 25, 2015 at 08:19
My guess is more than one person died.
Captain JJ Browmehn
June 25, 2015 at 08:23
Probably because they actually bothered to test the batmobile
Hammersteyn
June 25, 2015 at 08:21
Imagine the follow was active when Evolve was launched O_o
Dutch Matrix
June 25, 2015 at 08:40
I have to wonder: To how many people sex lives’ (and the poop filled diaper consequences) would this apply to: “…clearly they wanted it, then they got it, then they didn’t want it anymore.”
Captain JJ Browmehn
June 25, 2015 at 07:50
They forgot to say: “Thank you for Beta testing it for us.”
Hammersteyn
June 25, 2015 at 07:57
rofl
Martin du preez (D4RKL1NGza)
June 25, 2015 at 07:50
“Thank you for participating in our Batmobile: Arkham Knight beta”
Hammersteyn
June 25, 2015 at 07:57
hahahaha
justlikemo
June 25, 2015 at 07:51
batmans sad now
justlikemo
June 25, 2015 at 07:51
superman mocks him
Martin du preez (D4RKL1NGza)
June 25, 2015 at 07:53
:'(
Admiral Chief's Adventure
June 25, 2015 at 07:55
Big up on them manning up about this
Captain JJ Browmehn
June 25, 2015 at 07:57
A bit hard to pretend otherwise with a metascore of under 2 and a Steam rating around 30%. 😀
Lord Chaos
June 25, 2015 at 08:02
Now people should stop making their voices heard with scores and start doing it with their wallets.
Captain JJ Browmehn
June 25, 2015 at 08:06
The problem is the younger generations that don’t buy with their own money. I’ve stopped buying EA and Ubi on release a long time ago (stopped buying Ubi entirely actually). I bought Shadow of Mordor on release, which was good but not amazing. But that’s the last WB game I’ve bought on release. Not again.
Lord Chaos
June 25, 2015 at 08:08
Wasn’t this batman given a 18 rating?
Hammersteyn
June 25, 2015 at 08:09
The rating system is like mens volleyball, it doesn’t matter
Captain JJ Browmehn
June 25, 2015 at 08:11
Most parents have no clue that games even have ratings, I’m sure.
Valenlord
June 25, 2015 at 08:29
Thats true , when I bought my witcher 3 copy there was a mom with I reckon a 12year old kid, that bought the game for the lad… When she was prompted on the age restriction she was all like nah it isn’t that bad…
Captain JJ Browmehn
June 25, 2015 at 09:24
Wow. This is the problem.
Blood Emperor Trevor
June 25, 2015 at 08:00
Good. If there’s anything anyone should’ve learnt from last year it’s that people are sick & tired of broken games being released, and that patching it to decent working order later isn’t the best solution. EA & Ubi seemed to get the message, now it looks like WB have.
It sucks that it has to happen, it sucks for all those excited for the game, but WB & RS deserve no sympathy because they did this deliberately.
Captain JJ Browmehn
June 25, 2015 at 08:00
Hear hear
Valenlord
June 25, 2015 at 08:30
‘The problem is people don’t fight for their rights anymore, everyone is just live with it and carry on…
Matthew Holliday
June 25, 2015 at 09:23
yet we’re essentially seeing a recall on a game, interesting isnt it?
Matthew Holliday
June 25, 2015 at 09:23
balls.
Greylingad[CNFRMD]
June 25, 2015 at 08:39
Well now… How much time did they spend creating dlc? And during that time, did it ever occur to them that they might want to just see how the pc version runs? Nope, didn’t, because you know what, we’d rather invest time and man hours on something we can rake in after we’ve sold the complete mess of a game than actually just checking if our contractors are actually doing what they should… I mean, did it never occur to them? Did they not see that mortal wombat eggs was a complete mess on pc? Bloody useless…
AnimeAfrica
June 25, 2015 at 08:41
Anyone see the Irony?
Dutch Matrix
June 25, 2015 at 08:44
Heehheeehhheeeehheeeeeee Haaaaahaaaaaaaaahahahahahahaaaaaaaa!!! Hohohohohohohohohohoh!!!!!
I have finally defeated you Caped Crusader!
http://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20130904201016/marvel_dc/images/4/41/Batman_Vol_2_23.1_The_Joker_Textless.jpg
Allykhat
June 25, 2015 at 08:49
Im too LAZY (see what I did thar?? :P) to check if this has been said already… but:
“satisfy our quality standards”
So tell me… where were these “quality standards” in the first place?
Disclaimer: I BAT (see what I did again??? Jeez I crack me up XD) for neither the PC nor Console crowds, but rather for both at the same time. So please, no fanboyism here. Kthnx!
luca capriati
June 25, 2015 at 09:11
“master race” hahaha
Matthew Holliday
June 25, 2015 at 09:16
drew carry show, where its all made up and the ports dont matter.
this entire game felt like a big “fuck you”
still havent finished installing this thing. because, assuming that you can get the full game on the disks is unreasonable, right?
http://media.giphy.com/media/x1kS7NRIcIigU/giphy.gif
HvR
June 25, 2015 at 09:36
Do refunds still work after a game is pulled; is Bugs Bunny making a run for it with the rest of the PC sales?
Sageville
June 25, 2015 at 09:38
Do QA people still keep their jobs when this shite happens, or are they overrode by publisher demands to release on time?
Matthew Holliday
June 25, 2015 at 09:50
depends, after releasing games like arkham asylum, arkham city, injustice gods among us and shadow of mordor, all of which performed perfectly, and even met release dates, im more liable to place blame on an underperforming dev team, rather than overbearing publisher.
Zander Boshoff
June 25, 2015 at 09:59
I think they already lost too many customers that are just going to wait for the goty edition now, including me
Ghost In The Rift
June 25, 2015 at 10:12
So everybody goes on and on and on about Batman Vs Superman, no one considers Batman Vs Poor PC Port?!?!?
Deceased
June 25, 2015 at 10:23
Everyone’s moaning that the game doesn’t work and trying to figure out where to point fingers … and I’m just sitting here, thinking that without consoles this never would have happened :/
Also, without consoles, if The Last of Us was ever made, I could cry once a month because of how great a game was made, not because I cannot play it 🙁
Nikola
June 25, 2015 at 10:25
What a mess….