The Gotham Knights development team has responded to recent criticisms surrounding the depiction Barbara Gordon by Gotham Knights.
A recent Q&A was held where fans were able to ask questions about Barbara, aka Batgirl. This was in response to a backlash against her biography, which stated that she was training to “recover her wounds” so she could “return on active duty as Batgirl”.
Barbara Gordon is shot in her spine by Joker in comic books. She uses a wheelchair. Warner Bros. stated that Barbara was in a wheelchair after a “face-off”, even though she doesn’t have the same backstory as Gotham Knights.
Warner Bros. was criticised by some fans for using this description. They claimed it was an overused trope that allowed a character to ‘overcome their disability’ through heroic training and gritty determination.
It seems that the developers are listening to the feedback. Patrick Redding, creative director, revealed that the team had “worked with AbleGamers to learn more about spinal injuries and how they can help someone regain mobility.”
Redding acknowledged the criticisms of Barbara’s character and stated that the team had changed the wording of her description to reflect the feedback.
He stated that Barbara’s injuries are different from the stories in comics because of the differences in their circumstances. “Barbara went through many surgeries, followed by extensive physical therapy and pain management [in Gotham Knights].
Players will see Barbara performing various exercises in the Belfry as part of her ongoing rehabilitation.
Redding also revealed that her Batgirl outfit will have “back bracing” integrated into it.
In the Q&A, developers provided more information about the designs of Nightwing’s glider as well as Red Hood’s mystic leap.
Gotham Knights will be available for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S on October 25th.