The Injustice series is beloved by DC and fighting game fans alike for its great use of DC Comics superheroes to create not only a unique and interesting story within the universe, but solid fighting games as well. The Injustice games let players step into the shoes of some of the biggest heroes in the DC universe, featuring a wide and varied cast from Teen Titans' Raven to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The first Injustice game was well received and a bit of a surprise, but the second entry expanded on the successes of the first to make it a titan in the genre that is still played to this day.
The Injustice games are developed by NetherRealm Studios, the team behind popular Mortal Kombat series. As such, both series play similarly with 2D fights that focus on combos, footwork, and meter management. Injustice also features the same detailed and creative super moves that the Mortal Kombat series is known for, although with much less blood and gore. However, it has been a few years since Injustice 2 was released, leading many fans to wonder when a third entry could be coming.
The Likelihood of an Injustice 3
Injustice 3 has not been confirmed yet, but it does seem very likely to happen. The first two games in the series were both critical and commercial success, and a third game undoubtedly would be as well. The lead designer of the previous two games, Ed Boon, also spoke at DC Fandome on the game. While he did not confirm that it was in development, he thanked the community for expressing their interest in the game, and it is hard to see why he would say anything at all if the game wasn't in the pipeline.
It also would make sense for Injustice 3 to come soon, possibly even in 2022. One major reason for this is that NetherRealm Studios recently wrapped up its support for Mortal Kombat 11, and the studio could be moving onto Injustice 3 next. DC's Joker was even a DLC character featured in Mortal Kombat 11, so the relationship between the two companies is definitely still a positive one. The timing would also make sense for the owners of DC Comics, Warner Bros., which are making a concerted effort to make a splash in the games industry alongside DC's cinematic universe in 2022 with games like Gotham Knights and Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League.
Injustice 3 Could Lead DC Video Games In 2022
With those two massive titles both aiming for release in 2022, Injustice 3 would be perfect to spearhead a strong year. This stems primarily from fans' familiarity with the series. DC fans already love both previous Injustice games, and would likely be more than interested in a new entry. This would help fans get excited for the other upcoming titles that haven't proven themselves to fans already. Doing so could be very important as well, as the launch issues experienced by Batman: Arkham Knight and Marvel's Avengers could very well make superhero fans wary of getting any similar titles right away. Injustice 3 being a success could help mitigate those fears, which could be particularly good for Gotham Knights as it is so closely related to Arkham Knight.
Injustice 3 could also be a great opportunity to introduce players to the characters that will play a big role in the other two titles. Allowing players to become fans of characters like Nightwing or Lobo by fighting as them in Injustice 3 would increase the chances of being interested in the other games with those characters. This is especially true for some of the characters that have been confirmed for Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League. The game will feature the newest appearance of Harley Quinn, but other playable characters in the game are much less known than her. Being able to check some of them out ahead of time in Injustice 3 could be a huge opportunity to get fans interested in both games.
What Injustice 3 Could Look Like
Injustice 3 will most likely expand its roster of core characters like Batman, Flash, Wonder Woman, and Superman with some new characters and fan favorites. There have been rumors that Injustice 3 will feature characters from the popular Watchmen series, which would be exciting. If Mortal Kombat 11 is anything to go on, the game will also likely get a healthy number of creative crossover characters. The two previous games have also featured a Mortal Kombat character, so there would very likely be a third one introduced to the DC Universe as well. The characters are usually the stand-out feature of the series, and Injustice 3 will likely be no different, with players being able to check out entirely new move sets and combos for their favorite characters.
As for what else will be included in the game, it should feature a new explosive campaign that would continue the Injustice storyline. This would be great to see as NetherRealm Studios also invests heavily in its single-player campaigns, and there is a lot of potential avenues for the story to explore. It will be interesting to see if Injustice 3 also features a gear system similar to Injustice 2, or what changes it would make to it.
There is no way to know whether or not Injustice 3 is coming in the future, but it seems likely. Mortal Kombat 11 set a very high bar for Injustice 3 to meet, and it will be very interesting to see whether or not the game can best its predecessors. Regardless, NetherRealm Studios will doubtlessly innovate on its systems and improve many of them for the release of Injustice 3, which will make it an exciting release for the community. Hopefully, players will get some more news on the future of Injustice and other DC games soon.
Injustice 3 is rumored to be in development.