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NetherRealm development chief Ed Boon has confirmed another Mortal Kombat video game is in the works, as rumors continue to point to Injustice 3 being the studio’s next game.
The fighting game developer is heavily rumored to be preparing an announcement for Injustice 3, which would be another sequel in NetherRealm’s DC fighting game franchise. In September 2024, Boon, who is currently on the road promoting the release of Mortal Kombat 2 in theaters, revealed that the studio had decided its next game back in 2021. At the time, Boon said NetherRealm was “still fully committed to supporting Mortal Kombat 1 for a long time to come.” But just eight months later, Warner Bros. Games confirmed no new DLC characters or story chapters would be released for the game — a decision that sparked significant backlash within the community.
Since then, we’ve heard basically nothing from NetherRealm about what’s next. But speaking to Collider, Boon offered a tease.
“We’re definitely pursuing another Mortal Kombat game, and we’re definitely doing more, as well, so there are a lot of parts on the stove, not just with games, though, with other forms of media and whatnot,” he said. “So, we’ve got a lot of great announcements that are coming.”
Confirmation of another Mortal Kombat game comes after 2023’s Mortal Kombat 1 sold 8 million copies, just over half Mortal Kombat 11’s total of 15 million copies sold, as of 2022. Perhaps this new Mortal Kombat game will be released after Injustice 3. The first game in the series, Injustice: Gods Among Us, launched in 2013, with its sequel, Injustice 2, coming out in 2017. NetherRealm released Mortal Kombat 11 in 2019 and for a time it seemed like the studio would alternate between Mortal Kombat and Injustice games, but it went on to release another Mortal Kombat, the soft reboot that is Mortal Kombat 1, in 2023 instead. We’re due a new Injustice, then, if not this year, then perhaps next year.
The question for Mortal Kombat fans will be how NetherRealm will shake things up after the divisive Mortal Kombat 1. Will it stick with the Kameo Fighters gameplay mechanic introduced with Mortal Kombat 1, or ditch it and move on? Will it continue with the story as set out by Mortal Kombat 1, or start over (again)? And will it be called Mortal Kombat 2, adding further confusion to an already confusing series?
Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
