It's been well over three years since the blockbuster Batman: Arkham franchise concluded with Batman: Arkham Knight, having spawned a main trilogy of video games, a controversial prequel, numerous comic book tie-ins, an animated movie, and various merchandising. The game was met with lukewarm reception, with many praising its characterisations, mechanics, graphics and voice acting, while other elements such as the story and use of the batmobile were subject to criticism. Still, it stands that much of the content that was planned for the game ended up getting scrapped, despite it having been pushed back a full year. Thanks to the recent efforts of game modder MrJAG, who unearthed some of the game's unused files, we now know which Bat-villain was close to getting a side mission but came just short of making the cut... Victor Zsasz, a staple of both Arkham Asylum and Arkham City. Oddly, the removal of the side mission must have been last minute, given the fully recorded audio. Perhaps the developer Rocksteady felt that a Zsasz tank battle was a step too far?
Zsasz's near-inclusion in
Arkham Knight shouldn't come as much of a surprise. A few Easter Eggs related to the character did make it in the game, and in 2016, an unused character thumbnail for Zsasz was also discovered with a full redesign:
Batman™: Arkham Knight brings the award-winning Arkham trilogy from Rocksteady Studios to its epic conclusion. Developed exclusively for New-Gen platforms, Batman: Arkham Knight introduces Rocksteady's uniquely designed version of the Batmobile.