Ed Boon has once again given NetherRealm fans just enough to start arguing over what comes next. The Mortal Kombat co-creator says the studio is “definitely pursuing another Mortal Kombat game,” which should calm anyone worried that the series is going away. It does not, however, answer the question many fans keep asking: is Injustice 3 finally next?
That is where the excitement and frustration meet. Boon confirmed that Mortal Kombat still has a future, but he avoided naming NetherRealm’s next project. For a studio with two huge fighting game audiences watching every hint, that silence matters almost as much as the confirmation.
Boon did not say NetherRealm’s next game is another Mortal Kombat. He said the team is pursuing one, while also suggesting there is more happening beyond that.
That leaves the door open. NetherRealm could be working on a new mainline Mortal Kombat, a side project, a larger expansion-style release, or something else entirely before the next full sequel arrives.
For now, fans know the franchise is safe. What they do not know is where it sits in the studio’s immediate schedule.
The reason this comment has sparked so much discussion is simple: Injustice fans have been waiting nearly a decade. Injustice 2 launched in 2017, and NetherRealm has released multiple Mortal Kombat projects since then.
That long gap has made every small hint feel bigger. Recent rumor chatter around Injustice 3 has only added to the mood, even though NetherRealm has not officially announced a new DC fighting game.
For years, fans expected NetherRealm to move between Mortal Kombat and Injustice. That rhythm broke, so nobody can safely guess what the studio will reveal next.
The studio is in a tricky spot because both answers would make sense. Another Mortal Kombat keeps NetherRealm’s biggest brand moving, especially after debate around Mortal Kombat 1’s post-launch support and long-term plan.
An Injustice return would feel just as important for a different reason. DC fans want to see what NetherRealm can do with those characters on modern hardware, especially after years of silence and a superhero landscape that has changed a lot since 2017.
That is why Boon’s comment landed so strongly. It gave one fanbase reassurance while leaving the other one with just enough hope to keep speculating.
NetherRealm does not need to reveal everything at once, but its next major announcement has to be clear. If the next project is Mortal Kombat, fans need to know what kind of game it is and how it fits after Mortal Kombat 1. If it is Injustice 3, the studio can finally stop years of rumor cycles with one trailer.
Until then, Boon’s message is both simple and carefully incomplete. More Mortal Kombat is coming, but NetherRealm’s next move is still hidden.
