Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

Mortal Kombat 12 is coming out this year, according to Warner Bros.

While Mortal Kombat and Injustice developer NetherRealm Studios has been secretive about what its next game is, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav spoiled the surprise during the company’s latest earnings call: it’s Mortal Kombat 12, and it’s coming out this year.

Speaking about WB Games’ upcoming lineup, Zaslav stated that the “highly anticipated Mortal Kombat 12” is in the works alongside Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, which was featured in a State of Play showcase that took place around the same time. Zaslav says Mortal Kombat 12 is “set for release this year” and that Warner Bros. Discovery has “ambitious launch projections” for this title.

Recommended Videos

Digital Trends contacted WB Games to confirm the statement and will update this article when we hear back.

Obviously, as this is the first time the game has been mentioned, we don’t know any specific details about the story, gameplay, or characters that will be featured in the new entry. Still, it’s quite an exciting confirmation for fighting game fans as NetherRealm Studios hasn’t released a new game since 2019’s Mortal Kombat 11, which itself has not received any new DLC since 2021. The Chicago-based developer had been flip-flopping between making Mortal Kombat and Injustice games throughout the 2010s, but its focus appears to be wholly on Mortal Kombat now. 

If Mortal Kombat 12 is truly coming out this year, we shouldn’t have to wait too much longer for an official reveal. Still, this is an unexpected way for such a game to be revealed. Mortal Kombat 12 is in development and intended for release sometime in 2023.

Tomas Franzese
As a Gaming Staff Writer at Digital Trends, Tomas Franzese reports on and reviews the latest releases and exciting…
Mortal Kombat 1’s Kameo system lets me get real bloody creative
Key art for Mortal Kombat 1 shows Liu Kang.

After over three decades, how many ways can you make the same game?

That’s a question NetherRealm Studios would need to ask itself when developing its follow-up to the ultrapopular Mortal Kombat 11. Its next installment would need to find a way to up the ante, both in terms of wild fatalities and its core fighting systems. It would require a lot of creativity, and that word is at the front of my mind while demoing Mortal Kombat 1.

Read more
10 crossover characters we’re dying to see in Mortal Kombat 1
The player confronts Ryu in Street Fighter 6 World Tour.

The tradition of adding guest characters to Mortal Kombat goes back to 2011’s MK reboot, which featured Freddy Krueger on all consoles and God of War’s Kratos as a PS3 exclusive. Subsequent games have included Jason Voorhees, Leatherface, an Alien Xenomorph, a Predator, RoboCop, Spawn, Joker, John Rambo, and the Terminator. That’s quite an impressive lineup!

Mortal Kombat 1, the latest reboot in the series, is coming later this year and it might follow that same tradition. Early reports and rumors indicate that the first Kombat Pack will include DC’s Peacemaker, Omni-Man from Invincible, and Homelander from The Boys. That's a great start, but far from the only cameo appearances we want to see in the fighting game. Ahead of its fall release, we’ve put together our picks for the 10 guest characters that we want to see in Mortal Kombat 1 -- from Superman to John Wick.
John Wick

Read more
Mortal Kombat 1 takes the series back to the start this September
Key art for Mortal Kombat 1 shows its logo and Liu Kang.

The next installment of the Mortal Kombat series is coming this year, but it's not Mortal Kombat 12. Instead, a debut trailer from NetherRealm Studios revealed Mortal Kombat 1, which launches on September 19 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC.

https://twitter.com/MortalKombat/status/1659182088954986496

Read more