Mortal Kombat creator Ed Boon says NetherRealm’s next game “will make a lot more sense”

The fighting game community is eagerly awaiting the next game from Mortal Kombat and Injustice developer NetherRealm. There was a lot of speculation about which franchise the developer would return to, but studio head Ed Boon might have just thrown us a curveball.

While speaking with GameInformer about his Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame induction, Boon was asked point-blank about what’s next for NetherRealm. “I can say that for 10 years, we were releasing Mortal Kombat and Injustice, Mortal Kombat and Injustice,” he began. “When we broke that pattern, there was a lot of speculation of what we would be doing next.” Boon is referring to the Mortal Kombat 12 confirmation that “leaked” about a month ago. This represents a break from the pattern: Mortal Kombat 11 was the studio’s previous release, leading many to believe a new Injustice title was next.

“I can tell you there was a reason for it,” he continued. “When we announce our next game, it’ll make a lot more sense. At this point, I’ll get in a lot of trouble if I say anything more.” This bit of his response is quite interesting, as he seems to be implying that there’s more to MK 12 than ‘just another’ Mortal Kombat game. That game’s sly announcement included new art for Wonder Woman and an Injustice 2 rendering of Darkseid, but fans are also predicting a possible Marvel crossover.

While you wait for an official announcement, you can always play NetherRealm’s previous game. Mortal Kombat 11 is available on Game Pass for Xbox and PC for any subscriber who wants to give it a go.