Yes, Batman is "really dead" in Gotham Knights
And remains dead at the end of the game.
Gotham Knights really does kill off Batman, its developer has told fans at San Diego Comic-Con.
Some fans had suspected the game - which sees you playing as Bat sidekicks Robin, Red Hood, Nightwing and Batgirl following the apparent demise of the Dark Knight - would somehow fake Bat's death so he could return later.
But that won't be the case, creative director Patrick Redding said during a Q&A attended by IGN. And when Gotham Knights rolls its credits, Batman is... still dead. Huh!
Fans hoping to see Batman will get a glimpse of him during the game's opening sequence, Redding said, where he meets his (apparently permanent) demise. After that, it's up to his quartet of sidekicks to carry on saving the day.
Elsewhere in the panel, Redding also confirmed the game will not feature iconic Batman villain Joker, though refused to rule out an appearance by fan-favourite Harley Quinn.
As for the Riddler, Redding teased there would be "exactly one" Riddler question mark in the game - which is about 10,000 fewer than in the Arkham trilogy.
Gotham Knights is due to release on 25th October for PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, following the recent cancellation of its PS4 and Xbox One versions.
Canonically it is separate from the Arkham series, though is developed by Batman Arkham Oranges studio Warner Bros Montreal.