How Characters Were Chosen for Inclusion in Injustice 2

Game Rant

By GR Staff

Published May 16, 2017

Game Rant goes one-on-one with the Creative Director behind Injustice 2, Ed Boon, to see how characters are chosen for inclusion in DC Comics' fighting game series.

As is the case for any fighting game, fans are always curious how it is that developers go about choosing characters for the final roster. This stands especially true when the game being developed has roots in an incredibly deep universe that's littered with potential fighters, which means that Injustice 2 is no stranger to a near-absurd amount of fan speculation and wish lists. As a result, consumers are likely eager to find out how NetherRealm Studios goes about making roster choices for Injustice 2.

Fortunately, I had the opportunity to speak with Ed Boon, Creative Director at NetherRealm Studios, during an Injustice 2 launch event in Toronto. Before refusing to rule out Watchmen characters in Injustice 2, Boon detailed the process in which DC Comics' heroes and villains are selected for inclusion in the fight title.

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What are some of the factors in choosing characters? Is it more based on plot or play style?

“There’s a bunch of factors that influence just a character. Let’s see. Where do we start. Probably where we start with Injustice 2 was “who did we leave out in the first game that everyone was clamoring for?” You know, a lot of them were yelling for Red Hood, Swamp Thing, Atrocitus, Starfire, Doctor Fate, and Super Girl. And then the second one would probably be the story. What’s good for the story, you know, working characters in."

And the third would be who [NetherRealm Studios] would want to see. Like, I always wanted to have Doctor Fate in the first game and he just didn’t make the cut for whatever reason and there were other characters that we had to get in there. So in this game I was like “We’re getting Doctor Fate in this game.” Those are probably the big three factors."

There are still a few fan-favorites that don't appear to have made the cut, although a few of Game Rant's 10 most wanted new characters in Injustice 2 ended up on the included roster or DLC. With a fighting game featuring a narrative as heavy as this though, it's understandable how a few others were included as pillars of the story. With that said, it is obvious that Boon and the other developers have been playing close attention to the desires of fans, and that's incredibly important for the future of the series.

Injustice 2 is now available on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.