LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight swings onto Switch 2

LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight arrives on Nintendo Switch 2 on 18 September, four months after the open-world brick-em-up launched on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC. Warner Bros. Games marked the date with a new launch trailer showing Bruce Wayne’s journey through Gotham running in docked, handheld and tabletop modes.

The Switch 2 version is not arriving alone. An enhanced Absolute difficulty setting lands the same day as a free update for everyone who already owns the game on any platform, sitting a step above the existing Caped Crusader and Dark Knight options and demanding sharper combat timing. The Mayhem Collection DLC — The Joker and Harley Quinn as playable characters, a new Arkham Asylum breakout story mission, the street-level Mayhem Mode and a Sinister Pack of villain outfits, Batcave items and a vehicle — also unlocks on 18 September for Deluxe Edition owners across Switch 2, PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC.

What Switch 2 buyers get

Deluxe Edition buyers on Switch 2 get the Mayhem Collection DLC in the box, plus the Legacy Collection DLC’s suits, vehicles and Batcave decorations drawn from the Batman: Arkham games and the Batman Beyond television series. Physical Deluxe copies add a LEGO Retro Videogame Batman minifigure while stocks hold out, and Standard Edition owners can buy an upgrade that folds in both collections.

Pre-orders are open for both editions, and every Switch 2 pre-order receives the in-game The Dark Knight Returns Batsuit at launch, a nod to Frank Miller’s 1986 comic run. Then there is the usual pile of account-linked extras: the Golden Age Batsuit from Detective Comics #27 for linking a Warner Bros. Games account, the Black Lantern and Dark Knights of Steel suits for linking an active HBO Max subscription, and a Comics Rack Batcave item through DC Universe Infinite.

Our opinion

A late port is usually an apology. This one reads more like a victory lap: the game has already banked an 84 on Metacritic, and the Switch 2 build arrives with the Mayhem Collection and a free difficulty setting on day one rather than trickling in over the following months. That is the right way to treat a platform turning up four months behind the others, and handheld play suits a collectible-stuffed LEGO game better than any 4K console does. Less lovable is the reward architecture, where three separate streaming and comics subscriptions buy you a handful of in-game suits — admin dressed up as generosity. Buy the game for the game, and let the loyalty programme collect dust.