Over the past few weeks, rumors about Injustice 3 have been heating up in a big way – but if even those reports are true, the DC fighting game isn't the only thing in the works at NetherRealm. Studio boss Ed Boon says the team is already making plans for the next Mortal Kombat.
"I wish I could tease something," Boon tells Collider when asked about the next Mortal Kombat, moments before giving a tease anyway. "I think if I teased and gave it away, I would probably get in trouble. But we are actively pursuing – we're definitely pursuing another Mortal Kombat game, and we're definitely doing more as well. There's a lot of pots on the stove. Not just with games, though, with other forms of media and whatnot. We've got a lot of great announcements that are coming."
It's little surprise to hear that NetherRealm is making more MK, since that's the game that's built the studio's legacy, but it's always been a question of timing. Since the launch of Mortal Kombat: Armageddon in 2006, the studio had alternated its traditional, gory MK titles with T-rated comic book fighters, first with the Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe and then with the Injustice series.
That streak broke in 2023, when the studio followed up Mortal Kombat 11 with the reboot(ish) Mortal Kombat 1, and nary a caped crusader to break up the release rhythm. MP1st reported last week that Injustice 3 is already in the works – at least, according to the resume of one artist who claims to have worked on the game – but whether it or the next MK comes first is anyone's guess.
For now, at least, fans have the film Mortal Kombat 2 to look forward to, and the early reactions have been pretty positive so far. For my money, the last film was a dreadfully dull exercise in missing the point of the campy games, so I'm hoping the sequel has learned the right lessons – even if I care a whole lot more about MK's next video game appearance.
