The Dark Knight and Turbine go free-to-play mobile with Batman: Arkham Underworld

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC are taking Batman into the free-to-play mobile game market.

Mobile is expected to hit $36 billion in revenue this year, an amount that is eclipsing all other game markets. So it’s no surprise to see the announcement of Batman: Arkham Underworld, developed by Warner Bros.’ Turbine studio, which has long focused on massively multiplayer online PC games.

The app is now available worldwide for download on the App Store for iPhone and iPad. It draws on the lore and supervillians of the critically acclaimed Batman: Arkham franchise. It puts players in control of Batman’s greatest enemies in player-versus-player action as they work their way up the criminal underbelly of Gotham City to build a powerful army of thugs and vie for control of the city.

It will be interesting to see how the DC heroes stack up against Marvel, which has been more aggressive in getting superhero games into the mobile market. While Marvel works with partners such as Kabam (Marvel Contest of Champions) and Netmarble (Marvel Future Fight), Warner Bros. turned to its own internal studio, Boston-based Turbine, which recently laid off some staff as it transitioned to mobile. Turbine is known of The Lord of the Rings Online and Dungeons & Dragons Online.

In Batman: Arkham Underworld, fans get their chance to rule Gotham City by becoming the city’s next criminal mastermind. Players can take command of iconic Super Villains such as The Riddler, Harley Quinn and Killer Croc as they fight their way to the top by building their ultimate hideout, recruiting and training an army of henchmen, and battling through intense story-missions within Gotham City’s neighborhoods. They also have to defend their turf by facing off against Batman.

Batman: Arkham Underworld is set before the events of Batman: Arkham Asylum and features all of the characters and locations from the award-winning franchise from Rocksteady Studios. Voice actors include Kevin Conroy, the voice of Batman in the Arkham games.

This isn’t the first time the Dark Knight has gone mobile. Batman: Arkham City Lockdown, developed by Mortal Kombat studio NetherRealm, was released in 2011. But that was a paid app, not free-to-play.