DC Universe Online has been active for over ten years now, allowing gamers to create their own heroes and villains within an expansive version of the DC Universe. With the new Flashpoint episode set to bring players into a radical variant of the superhero universe, Jack Emmert, CEO of Dimensional Ink, spoke with CBR about bringing the unique reality to life and the decision behind making it free-to-play for all players.
In the original Flashpoint storyline by Geoff Johns and Andy Kubert, Barry Allen's attempts to change the past and save his mother results in a domino effect that changes the entire face of the DC Universe. This new twisted world is protected by an increasingly desperate Cyborg, with a ruthless Batman protecting the streets of Gotham while the world watches with wary eyes as the war between Wonder Woman and Aquaman escalates. "I'm super excited for Flashpoint," Emmert explained. "For me personally, it's one of my favorite crossover events of all time. And in fact, I believe it's the 10th anniversary of it. Flashpoint was an amazing accomplishment because it presented a story in a world so unlike anything DC Comics had ever done, being able to bring those characters [into the spotlight]."
Emmert reflected on these new takes on classic characters, noting that from his perspective, "Thomas Wayne is fantastic. They brought him into the mainstream universe a bit. But what a great character, because there's a Batman who's more driven by rage and grief than even Bruce is. And like the doctor, as a surgeon, he approaches being Batman differently. And the costume is just amazing... It's really great to be able to bring Flashpoint Gotham alive, be able to see the skyline, traverse, and fight against the foes, go in all the locations of Flashpoint that we touched on with Flashpoint Aquaman and Wonder Woman previously."
His enthusiasm for the story and the world it created palpable throughout the interview, Emmert also cited the joys of "seeing Cyborg, really in a role where he was a primary hero, that was really, really good. The growing horror, to Flash's dismay, that he had caused all of this, that the world had been brought to destruction due to the butterfly effect of changing the past. And of course, seeing Wonder Woman and Aquaman, seeing the Atlanteans and Amazons fight is not something that anybody would imagine, and yet, it's the battle that just about every comic fan probably had hoped to see one day." The developers of the new episode even the chance to leave their own mark on this reality in their episode, with the notable addition of a corrupted Nightmare Central City and its Rogues Museum.
"Actually," Emmert revealed, "I can accredit 100% of that to our narrative designer. This was really her idea that she cooked up, and playing it was just fantastic because you're in this surreal environment. We do some effects to make it feel like you're walking through a nightmare, and you face off against the Rogues. And really, it's a process of getting down to the bottom of what the heck is going on in Flashpoint." One of the distinct bosses teased by Daybreak ahead of the episode release was Heatwave. "Heat Wave is written so interestingly in Flashpoint that he really stands out. I don't think anybody can read Flashpoint without really remarking how cool he is."
For Emmert, one of the best elements of the Flashpoint universe is the focus it places on Barry Allen. "It starred Flash, and that isn't very typical. Usually, the stars of the show are Superman, or Wonder Woman, or Batman. They really get a lot of the focus, but here, Flash has one of the integral parts of the DC multiverse. And ever since Flashpoint, he's always been associated with this sort of stuff... It's such an epic tale with tremendous characters, but all in a new light, in a way different than what they might expect. And so, free players who have been playing the game, who are accustomed to Flash, and Heat Wave, and other characters, either from the game world or from the Arrowverse, they're going to see something completely different."
Notably, the Flashpoint episode will be free-to-play for all players as opposed to being only available to those with Membership. "This seemed like a great time to do it... Let's all have fun. Let's get in and play. Everyone. Let's remove all barriers, and let's jump into Flashpoint together and save the world." Emmert also revealed that "We're really contemplating doing a different structure. We're trying out and seeing if this free episode really works, but we're also looking at membership, and substantially revamping it, and making it more current to the needs of today's players, with new benefits. That's another area of major focus.
"I mention this only because it's been a question on the forums. Previously, episodes had been reserved only for members. Otherwise, you'd have to purchase it. But what we're trying to do is broaden the reach of the content and allow a greater community to be able to enjoy it."
Check out the trailer for "World Of Flashpoint" below.