Very soon, Mortal Kombat 12 should be revealed. Having been announced prematurely during an investment call, fans are anxious to see what the title is actually like. NetherRealm Studios choosing to skip its typical two-year release cycle in favor of a four-year one hasn't helped matters. Neither has the status quo-shattering ending of Mortal Kombat 11, which had fans guessing about the story and setting of Mortal Kombat 12 ever since.
If recent rumors are correct, Mortal Kombat 12 should be shown in May or June, with a recent teaser making this all the more likely. NetherRealm Studios released a Mortal Kombat 30th Anniversary celebration video on social media, and it ended with a message from series creator Ed Boon that the festivities weren't over. This segwayed into an animation of sand falling from an hourglass before the final grain explodes. It's hinting at something, and the Mortal Kombat 11-related time imagery is apparent. What fans are puzzling over is whether that's the only narrative connection, and if there's something else to be gleaned about MK12 itself.
Examining the Mortal Kombat 30th Anniversary Teaser For Clues
On one hand, an hourglass reaching the end of its sand could be taken literally. It's almost time for Mortal Kombat 12 to be revealed, and the revelation should usher the game in with a bang. However, thanks to Mortal Kombat 11's plot revolving around Kronika's hourglass, that's not the only way to read this teaser. It could simply be interpreted as the previous universe's time running out, with the explosion at the end representing a Big Bang as Liu Kang forges a new timeline. But once again, there may be a more subtle meaning here.
Fans have been discussing what else this teaser could indicate about Mortal Kombat 12, and one of the more likely ideas involves some sort of multiverse. The last grain of sand exploding could be seen as one world becoming many, which already fits with Mortal Kombat's Realm system. MK11 was about Mortal Kombat's past and present converging, so it would make sense to go even further in the following game. There's a case to be made that MK12 would be better served by establishing its new universe, but after Mortal Kombat 9 and 10 just did that, another soft reboot is the perfect time to mix things up.
How Mortal Kombat 12 Can Work A Multiverse Into Its Story
Mortal Kombat 12 has several ways to tackle a multiverse. The first is building off of what it already has, that being the two previous timelines from older MK titles, as well as numerous time loops implied in MK11. Characters could be portrayed with the same tone that they had in a given title, differentiating this somewhat from MK11’s past and present selves. Still, this is derivative of MK11’s plot, so MK12 may instead pick up after both endings of Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath. The bad ending where Shang Tsung takes over could serve as an antagonistic force, and the story would expand into other worlds later on.
One other direction that Mortal Kombat is uniquely suited to taking is a direct crossover with guest properties like Injustice. With both the Injustice games and Mortal Kombat 11 being predicated on different versions of characters fighting, it's not out of the question to have them merge into another Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe game. Even NetherRealm’s rumored Marvel fighting game could get in on the action with a couple Marvel guests popping in. Whether a multiverse is truly in the cards for Mortal Kombat 12 or not, instituting one down the line would be a great way to expand the classic fighting game franchise's scope even further.
Mortal Kombat 12 is scheduled to release in 2023.