Mortal Kombat co-creator Ed Boon has officially confirmed that NetherRealm Studios is actively pursuing a new Mortal Kombat game, alongside other unannounced projects. With QA testers being hired and MK1 support ended, the next entry appears closer than many expected.
NetherRealm Studios is officially working on a new Mortal Kombat game. Series co-creator Ed Boon confirmed the news in a Collider interview published on 5 May 2026, timed around the theatrical release of the Mortal Kombat II film. The last mainline entry, Mortal Kombat 1, launched in September 2023 and has since sold over 8 million copies worldwide.
What Exactly Did Ed Boon Say?
Boon was directly asked whether NetherRealm’s next project would be another Mortal Kombat, an Injustice 3, or something entirely different. His response, while measured, left little room for ambiguity:
“I wish I could tease something. I think if I teased and gave it away, I would probably get in trouble. But we’re definitely pursuing another Mortal Kombat game, and we’re definitely doing more, as well, so there are a lot of pots on the stove: not just with games, though, with other forms of media and whatnot. So we’ve got a lot of great announcements that are coming.”
The phrase “actively pursuing” signals that a new MK title is not merely a theoretical plan but a project with real development momentum. Video Games Chronicle, Nintendo Life, and other major outlets interpreted this as official confirmation that the next Mortal Kombat is underway.
What Happened to the Injustice 3 Rumours?
Boon’s statement arrived in the middle of strong speculation that Injustice 3 would be NetherRealm’s next release. In May 2025, a credible MultiVersus dataminer known as MultiverSusie hinted that Injustice 3 was in development. A Warner Bros. Games employee’s resume referencing the Injustice franchise further fuelled those rumours.
However, Boon’s repeated “pots on the stove” metaphor suggests the studio is juggling multiple projects simultaneously. Back in 2023, Boon told The Jeff Gertsmann Show that “the plan is to go back to Injustice,” though he clarified at the time that a new Mortal Kombat took priority because the studio did not want a seven-year gap between MK releases. Both a new MK and Injustice 3 could feasibly be in different stages of production at the same time.
How Did Mortal Kombat 1 Support Wind Down?
NetherRealm officially ended DLC support for Mortal Kombat 1 in May 2025, following the release of the Definitive Edition. The studio’s statement was clear:
“We are hearing players’ requests for continued game support of Mortal Kombat 1, and, while we will continue to support Mortal Kombat 1 through balance adjustments and fixes, there will not be additional DLC characters or story chapters released from this point on. We understand this will be disappointing for fans, but our team at NetherRealm needs to shift focus to the next project in order to make it as great as we possibly can.”
The final DLC character, the T-1000 from Terminator 2: Judgment Day, was released in March 2025. MK1’s active content lifecycle lasted roughly 20 months, shorter than Mortal Kombat 11’s support window but consistent with NetherRealm’s pattern of releasing a “complete edition” before pivoting entirely to the next title. MK11, for reference, sold over 15 million copies during its lifespan.
NetherRealm Is Hiring QA Testers: How Far Along Is the Game?
In April 2026, NetherRealm posted a LinkedIn job listing for temporary QA testers to work on an upcoming AAA game at its Chicago studio. The listing was first spotted by members of the Mortal Kombat subreddit and later corroborated by The Gamer. A senior NetherRealm employee, sound design lead George Huffnogle, appeared to confirm the hiring push.
Hiring external QA testers is a significant development milestone. It typically means the game has passed its alpha phase: core mechanics are functional, and the studio needs additional hands to identify smaller bugs and edge cases before a broader reveal. This strongly suggests the next game is further along in development than many fans had assumed.
When Could the New Game Be Announced?
No official reveal date has been set, but community analysis points to Summer Game Fest 2026 as the most likely venue. NetherRealm has a history of high-profile reveals: Mortal Kombat 11 was announced at The Game Awards in December 2018 and shipped in April 2019, while Mortal Kombat 1 was unveiled in May 2023 and released in September of the same year.
In a September 2024 interview with ComicBook, Boon stated that NetherRealm had decided on its next title three years prior, meaning the decision was made around 2021, before MK1 even launched. With full team resources shifted away from MK1 since mid-2025 and QA testers now being brought in externally, a late 2026 or early 2027 release window appears increasingly plausible. Some community analysts believe an announcement could drop within months, with a full launch following in 2027.
Guest Characters Boon Wants to See
During the same Collider interview, Boon discussed which guest characters he would love to include in the next Mortal Kombat. After listing previous additions like Rambo, the Terminator, RoboCop, and Ghostface, he shifted to more ambitious crossover territory:
“I would love to see a Street Fighter character in Mortal Kombat. I think that would be cool. I’m a huge fan of Street Fighter as well. We’ve had Joker, who was a really dark character, but DC and Marvel would be a lot of fun to see those characters as well.”
The timing is notable. Both Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter have major films releasing in 2026 (Mortal Kombat II on 8 May and the Street Fighter film later in the year), which has reignited fan discussions about a potential crossover. Boon characterised the decades-long rivalry between the two franchises as “just fun” and said he would love to see both films succeed.
The Mortal Kombat II Film and Franchise Expansion
Boon’s remark about “other forms of media” aligns with the broader expansion of the Mortal Kombat franchise beyond games. Mortal Kombat II, directed by Simon McQuoid, premiered at TCL Chinese Theater on 27 April 2026 and hit wide theatrical release on 8 May 2026. The film stars Karl Urban as Johnny Cage alongside Hiroyuki Sanada, Tadanobu Asano, Joe Taslim, and Lewis Tan.
In a separate interview with Game Informer UK, Boon hinted at the possibility of more than ten films being in various stages of development across the franchise. Warner Bros. restructured its gaming division in 2025 to focus on four core IP pillars, with Mortal Kombat among them, signalling long-term corporate commitment to the brand across both interactive and cinematic media.
What Does This Mean for the Fighting Game Landscape?
The confirmation of a new Mortal Kombat game arrives at a competitive moment for fighting games. Street Fighter 6, launched in 2023, continues to receive active support from Capcom. Tekken 8 has built a strong competitive scene since its January 2024 release. Riot Games’ 2XKO (a 2v2 tag-team fighter featuring League of Legends champions) is also on the horizon.
NetherRealm entering this landscape with a fresh MK title, potentially featuring next-generation graphics and crossover guest characters, could reshape the competitive balance significantly. Whether the studio labels it Mortal Kombat 2 (as a sequel to MK1’s rebooted timeline), Mortal Kombat 13, or an entirely new branding remains one of the biggest unanswered questions.
Everything We Know So Far
- Confirmed by Ed Boon: NetherRealm is “actively pursuing” a new Mortal Kombat game.
- Multiple projects: The studio has “a lot of pots on the stove,” including non-game media.
- MK1 support ended: No further DLC characters or story chapters after May 2025.
- QA testers hired: External beta testing is underway at the Chicago studio as of April 2026.
- Decision made years ago: Boon stated in 2024 that the next game was decided three years earlier.
- Injustice 3 not ruled out: May coexist as a parallel project at a different development stage.
- Likely reveal window: Summer Game Fest 2026 or a standalone NetherRealm event.
- Possible release: Late 2026 at the earliest; 2027 is the more widely expected target.
For fans tracking every development in the fighting game space, the months ahead promise major announcements. NetherRealm’s track record of cinematic reveals and aggressive post-announcement trailer cycles means that once the curtain lifts, information will flow fast. The only certainty right now: another Mortal Kombat is coming, and the studio wants it to be its best work yet.
