A recent Warner Bros. Discovery earnings call leaked the existence of Mortal Kombat 12, and franchise creator Ed Boon had the perfect reaction. The Mortal Kombat franchise is one of the longest-running franchises in all of video gaming, with consistently positive reviews and strong sales. Mortal Kombat 12 has really always been an inevitability, but now it seems fans have confirmation that it's NetherRealm's next game.Previously, series creator Ed Boon narrowed down the studio's next project to being either Mortal Kombat 12 or Injustice 3, though stopped short of confirming which game was coming first. In the meantime, rumors have persisted that NetherRealm is working on a Marvel fighting game, but nothing official has been announced about that supposed project to date. Regardless, the recent Warner Bros. Discovery earnings call has seemingly confirmed Mortal Kombat 12 as the studio's next project, with fans potentially learning more or even playing the game some time later this year.Boon is known to troll fans on Twitter, teasing them about NetherRealm's new projects or characters that could be coming to his games. In response to the Mortal Kombat 12 leak, Boon took to Twitter to say, "So who has heard the news about Injustice 3?" Boon's tweet amassed over 37,000 likes, though it seems not everyone understood the joke.
Both the Mortal Kombat and Injustice franchises are massively successful, so while NetherRealm's next game seems to be Mortal Kombat 12, that doesn't mean Injustice 3 isn't a possibility down the line. In fact, Injustice 3 seems like a virtual guarantee, it's just a matter of when. Perhaps Injustice 3 will even be the project that NetherRealm tackles after Mortal Kombat 12, assuming the rumors about the studio's potential Marvel game don't materialize into anything of substance.
As far as Mortal Kombat 12 goes, it's anyone's guess as to what the new game will entail. Boon previously hinted that Mortal Kombat 12 will have more 3D-era characters, but otherwise fans will have to wait for an official revel to learn more about the project.
There aren't any major gaming events happening in the near future where a Mortal Kombat 12 reveal would make sense, but perhaps the game will get a proper unveiling at EV0 2023 in August. EVO 2023 will take place August 4 to 6 in Las Vegas, and while the event is primarily focused on hosting tournaments, it's also been known for game reveals and announcements. Alternatively, perhaps the game will be featured at E3 or some other equivalent event earlier in the summer. It's also possible fans will have to wait much longer to see Mortal Kombat 12, so they should keep their expectations in check for now.
Mortal Kombat 12 is in development.