Ed Boon Reveals How Long NetherRealm's Next Game Has Been in Development

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Key Takeaways

The next NetherRealm Studios game has been in development for three years, though its details are still being kept under wraps.
Fans speculate that it is a new Mortal Kombat game, but some speculate that NetherRealm may be working on new IP or Injustice 3.

NetherRealm Studios boss Ed Boon recently addressed the Mortal Kombat 1 developer’s next game and revealed how long the project has been in development. Rumors surrounding NetherRealm Studios’ next project have been discussed since MK1’s release in 2023, with fans predicting a new Mortal Kombat game but keeping their fingers crossed for the Injustice series to return.

Mortal Kombat 1 served as the 12th main installment in the fighting IP and the second reboot in the franchise. The narrative takes place in a new timeline created by Liu Kang, where the Fire God assembles a team of fighters to participate in the titular Outworld tournament. NetherRealm has plenty of fresh content for the fighting game, including the recent addition of Mortal Kombat 1’s new Animality Finisher for Peacemaker, which turns the DC antihero into a bald eagle.

In an interview with ComicBook, Boon confirmed NetherRealm decided on the next project three years ago, saying, “We’ve known what our next game was going to be three years ago and we’ve been working on it in some capacity ever since.” Boon also explained, “There’s a lot of people who need to be working on something,” justifying the studio’s method of working on two games at once. Furthermore, the studio head provided more details on the developer’s timeline when making a new game and the preparation involved.

NetherRealm Studios’ Ed Boon Discusses Its Next Game

Back in August, rumors suggested NetherRealm was developing a new Mortal Kombat story mode after job listings appeared from Warner Bros. Games. However, there’s every chance the studio is working on a new IP or perhaps returning to the Injustice series. Boon didn’t provide further details on the project in question, and it seems likely that NetherRealm will not reveal the nature of its next game until 2025 or 2026.

I’ve said this before but we start planning the next game long before we’re done with the previous game. There is so much prep work, research, and planning. It is absolutely not the case that when we finish the game we go, ‘Okay, what’re we going to do next?’

While discussing NetherRealm’s secret successor, Boon assured MK1 fans that the studio was “still fully committed to supporting Mortal Kombat 1 for a long time to come,” alongside developing the next project. Mortal Kombat fans should be excited about the content in the pipeline for MK1, including the recent arrival of Year 2’s Khaos Reigns expansion. Additionally, the studio plans to add new DLC fighters to the game, such as the T-1000 Terminator and Conan the Barbarian. Furthermore, Mortal Kombat 1’s new Ghostface fatality is a brutal addition and a fitting homage to the 1996 slasher horror classic Scream.

Gamers and superhero fans hope NetherRealm’s next project is Injustice 3, and Boon previously teased the continuation of the DC fighting series, saying he hoped to “get back to the Injustice games.” If a third installment is planned, the title may revive the popular Injustice comic book series that was based on the game’s events, and its return would be a real crowd-pleaser.