Gotham on Fire: My 200-Millisecond Dance with Firefly in Arkham Knight

I’ve chased Firefly across three islands in Batman: Arkham Knight more times than I care to admit, and every single run comes down to the same brutal truth: the Batmobile’s weapons go dark the moment he takes flight. No turrets, no missiles, no shortcuts. The only win condition is draining his fuel meter and landing the eject takedown. Yet most players—myself included, for way too long—stall on the double-tap prompt and eat fire trails on Founders’ Island while wondering why nothing dies. This is a timing check, not a DPS race, and the gap between failure and clean completion is about 200 milliseconds. Let me walk you through it. 🔥

Starting the Chase at Bristol Fire Station

The mission won’t auto-trigger from main-story progression. You have to drive manually to Bristol Fire Station in the Bristol District on Miagani Island. Deploy the Power Winch (L2+R2 / LT+RT) onto the suppression-system anchor point on the building’s exterior. Once attached, rev the Batmobile engine and hold the needle inside the orange zone on the HUD. Stray outside it and the sprinklers lose pressure. Keep it steady until the flames die, and Firefly emerges to start chase one. Power Winch access is the only hard mechanical requirement to enter the mission at all.

The Three-Station Gauntlet

The three-station order is fixed and island-gated:

Bleake and Founders’ only unlock as main-story progress opens each island, so Gotham on Fire naturally pauses mid-run. If Firefly escapes a chase before the fuel meter empties, scan the skyline for thick black smoke—it marks his active fire station and resets your approach window.

Batmobile Chase Tips: Don't Tailgate a Pyromaniac

Tailgating Firefly is the fastest way to lose the chase. His fire trails deal continuous damage to the Batmobile and bleed your speed, so weave side-to-side rather than tracking his exact line. Those flames dance mockingly across the asphalt, but you can't let them hypnotize you. Close the gap with pursuit-mode afterburners (Triangle on PS / Y on Xbox), but don’t burn your thruster budget recklessly—save directional thrusters (Square+Direction / X+Direction) for red ground-warning indicators that signal incoming fireballs. The Batmobile’s weapons are disabled for this entire mission; proximity to drain the fuel meter is the only objective. I’m not gonna lie, the first few times I tried to shoot him, I felt like a rookie. The Batmobile just growled in frustration. 🚗💨

The Double-Tap That Breaks Most Runs

When the fuel meter at the top of the screen hits zero, Firefly slows to a hover and the prompt appears. This is where most runs die. Execute the eject takedown immediately:

1. Double-tap jump/interact: X, X (PlayStation) / A, A (Xbox) / Space, Space (PC).

2. Batman ejects at high velocity and tackles Firefly mid-air.

3. Enter the beatdown sequence—mash Square / X / Left Click until Firefly deploys a flashbang and escapes.

Repeat this sequence at all three stations. After the third takedown on Founders’ Island, Batman locks him down and automatically transports him to GCPD Lockup—no additional input needed. The Founders’ Island chase is also where Switch players running firmware below v1.0.3 hit frame-rate drops that corrupt the double-tap window; update before attempting Part 3. Trust me, that double-tap window is tighter than a Bat-suit seam, and if you’re even a frame late, you’re eating a fireball. ⏱️💥

Rewards, Patch Notes, and 2026 Price Check

Completion awards WayneTech upgrade points, locks Firefly permanently in GCPD, and contributes to Most Wanted completion—required for the 240% Knightfall Protocol unlock. Every station cleared also advances the villain counter visible in the main menu.

For platform-specific patch history and support tickets, check the official WB Games page for Batman: Arkham Knight directly. Xbox Play Anywhere cross-save and cross-buy support arrived on May 18, 2026, so PC and Xbox Series X|S progress now syncs natively. Before buying or upgrading editions—the Switch Arkham Trilogy bundle at $59.99 versus PC keys currently as low as $2.46 during the WB Games Autumn Sale—run a quick check on PriceRadar for current seasonal discounts across storefronts. The DC Universe Bundle on Green Man Gaming stacks Arkham Knight Premium Edition with seven other DC titles for a $12.00 minimum, though bundle windows close fast.

So there you have it. A mission that looks like a chase, plays like a rhythm game, and punishes you for every millisecond you hesitate. Get the timing down, and Firefly’s going away for good. 🎮🔥