By Sagar V. Mankar 
NetherRealm Studios, the powerhouse behind the Mortal Kombat franchise, has already mapped out its next major project, according to studio head Ed Boon.
This revelation came during a recent episode of The Fourth Curtain podcast, where Boon shared insights into the studio’s development approach. “It’s not like when we finish a game, we go, ‘What are we going to do next?’ We decided what we were going to do a long time ago,” he explained. While careful not to reveal specifics to avoid any potential issues, Boon confirmed that the team is already “planting seeds for the next game” while continuing to support Mortal Kombat 1. (Thanks Eventhubs)
Current Focus and Future Possibilities
The studio is currently preparing the T-1000 character, rumored to be the final DLC for Mortal Kombat 1’s Khaos Reigns pack. After that, the studio might be moving into full production to the next project, with many suggesting two main possibilities:
- A new Mortal Kombat entry (following the series’ recent reboot)
- A new Injustice game (the DC Universe fighting series hasn’t seen a new entry since 2017)
Given the studio’s history of alternating between Mortal Kombat and Injustice titles every 2 years [until Covid to break the cycle], this analysis seems plausible. However, until an official announcement is made, the exact nature of the project remains under wraps. Any announcement about NetherRealm’s next project will likely come around August, as Mortal Kombat 1 confirmed its presence at Evo 2025.
This timing aligns well with Warner Bros.’ shifted focus on only four key properties from now on, which are Mortal Kombat, Batman (DC), Game of Thrones, and Hogwarts Legacy.
The things also make sense, as Mortal Kombat 1, released in September 2023, will have been out for nearly two years by then. This follows NetherRealm’s typical development cycle while allowing them to properly support their current title with post-launch content.
Currently, the game remains strong in sales charts among other fighting games that released in recent times. By January 2025, it had sold over 5 million units, and Boon reassured fans that more content was in development. “We are excited to keep trucking forward with future DLC,” he stated during the sales announcement.
Will NetherRealm Studios continue to support MK1 even after their next big project? Let me know your thoughts.