Published Aug 28, 2026, 6:00 PM EDT
Jared is a writer, editor, and Communications Studies graduate who loves popular nerd culture (almost anything to do with Marvel, DC, Star Wars, or The Lord of the Rings) and the interactive storytelling medium. Jared's first console was the PS1, wherein he fell for Spider-Man, Spyro the Dragon, and Crash Bandicoot.
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As one era ends for Mortal Kombat, another is beginning. Indeed, it’s been a while now since post-launch development and major updates had ceased for Mortal Kombat 1, and, assuming that NetherRealm isn’t throwing any curveballs with its next game, there are only two hypothetical doors the studio could feasibly be choosing between: a new Mortal Kombat game or a new Injustice game.
It’d be far more unprecedented if NetherRealm was working on an entirely separate or original IP, as we know now that NetherRealm might be leashed to Mortal Kombat and DC exclusively. Warner Bros. Discovery’s video game plans have made it quite clear that this is the case, ensuring that Mortal Kombat fans have a lot to look forward to, even following Mortal Kombat 11 and Mortal Kombat 1’s back-to-back releases.
Like how Bethesda recently announced plans to stick to the most high-profile and lucrative IPs in its catalog (fans of The Elder Scrolls and Fallout will be elated), Warner Bros. announced half a year ago that it was pivoting to its biggest and best brands, as per Warner Bros. Discovery CEO and president of global streaming and games JB Perrette. These IPs include Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, Mortal Kombat, and DC, with a particular focus on Batman.
Due to Mortal Kombat being name-dropped like this, there isn’t a world where we don’t see more Mortal Kombat games in the near future. There’s no telling if that’s what NetherRealm has cooking in the oven at the moment, though we may find out as soon as The Game Awards 2026.
Plus, with A-list talent like Karl Urban and Tati Gabrielle added to Mortal Kombat’s movie franchise, it wouldn’t be surprising for there to eventually be sequels to Mortal Kombat II, which was beloved by many fans of the games and hailed as considered to be better than its predecessor. New games being released alongside new movies in the same franchise would be a boon that not every IP has the luxury of.
There’s also a lot more worldbuilding and lore for the IP to explore, now that NetherRealm’s Mortal Kombat games have entered into a new era themselves in-universe. This reboot resulted in the latest entry being titled Mortal Kombat 1, rather than Mortal Kombat 12, and a reboot of this magnitude likely played a large role in helping it reach as wide an audience as it must have. That said, even if the games’ stories don’t appeal much to some fans, it’s thrilling to learn what Mortal Kombat DLC guest characters will be featured.
Are NetherRealm And Warner Bros. 86ing Injustice 3?
Of course, this doesn’t rule out NetherRealm ever developing another Injustice game. DC is listed as one of the key properties that Warner Bros. Discovery wishes to leverage, which is incredibly fortuitous for NetherRealm in terms of having two IPs it can hopefully bounce back and forth between for the foreseeable future.
DCKO is a curious wrinkle because it doesn’t necessarily suggest that there are no plans for a new Injustice game, but it does seem like a more futile pursuit to have a free-to-play DC fighting game if we’re going to be receiving a more conventional, current-gen DC fighting game sometime in the next couple of years. In fact, all DCKO might hope to contest is Marvel Contest of Champions in the mobile landscape, and Warner Bros. investing in it at all may actually demonstrate its willingness to pursue yet another Injustice installment or brand-new DC fighting game proper.
There are more than enough Bat-Family supporting characters and rogues’ gallery villains to fill a DC fighting game centered exclusively around the Batman mythos, assuming Warner Bros. is being so strict about its DC video game content that it’s unwilling to pursue another DC ensemble fighting game on a scale that is comparable to the Injustice franchise. Either way, fans of Mortal Kombat can rest assured, knowing that NetherRealm’s spine-snapping and blood-bursting franchise is going nowhere.
Mortal Kombat is a multimedia franchise conceived by Ed Boon and John Tobias and began with the release of the original Mortal Kombat fighting game in arcades in 1992. The story centers around the eternal battle between Earthrealm and Outworld. To determine the fate of the realms, a deadly tournament is held between the best warriors of each world, with Earthrealm fighting solely to protect their freedom. The series has expanded to include various films, television series, and a long list of mainline and spin-off games that all revolve around the core of the Mortal Kombat tournament premise.
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