Warner Bros. has announced the next title in the Batman: Arkham franchise will be Batman: Arkham Origins, currently in development for the PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Wii U.

It's currently slated for release on October 25 this year, but there's no mention of the game appearing on next-gen consoles.

The game, which is the subject of Game Informer's latest cover, will not be developed by Rocksteady Studios this time around, instead being worked on in-house at Warner Bros. Games Montreal.

The new development team will be using many of the assets that Rocksteady has used in the past, including its customised Unreal engine so as to try and avoid any discrepancies in the aesthetic of the franchise. Eric Holmes, lead designer of games including The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction and Prototype, is heading up the project.

The game will apparently take place long before both of the existing Arkham titles, when a young and inexperienced Batman will encounter many familiar villains for the first time. As can be seen in the Game Informer imagery, the assassin Deathstroke will be one such foe, making his core Arkham game debut.

Alongside the console game though, Warner Bros. has also announced a handheld title, Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate. The game, which will be released on PS Vita and 3DS again on October 25, is set after the events of Arkham Origins and is being developed by Armature Studio, the company that was founded by several of the brains behind the Metroid Prime trilogy. With this in mind, it's not too surprising to find it described as a "2.5-D Metroid-style exploration action game".

It can e bad because there's no Rocksteady involvement
It's not exactly a death sentence but it has me worried

Another one? They should give it a rest

I don't think you understand how successful franchises work.

Another one? They should give it a rest

Arkham World was confirmed to be a joke, though.

...but there's no mention of the game appearing on next-gen consoles....

Mob boss Black Mask has offered a fortune for Batman's head, and top assassins and super-villains spanning the entire DC Comics universe swarm Gotham cash in on the kill. Cops on the take from the mob join the manhunt as well to exterminate this mysterious hero who has cost everyone on the wrong side of the law both money and pride. By Christmas morning, Batman must outsmart the highly motivated assassins, solve the mystery of why Black Mask wants him dead, and prove to what good cops are left on the GCPD that he's on their side. To quote Year One, "He's out to clean up a city that likes being dirty."