Chief Creative Officer of NetherRealm Studios, Ed Boon, has been fairly open about the possibility of a third entry in theInjusticeseries. Back in June 2023, Boon mentioned to IGN that the door wasn’t closed onInjustice, and in July of this year, Boon told The Direct that he’d be surprised if NetherRealm never returned to the DC fighting series.
Though it might take some time, it seems very likely that athirdInjusticegamewill happen, and when it does eventually release, there are a few key things it should learn from the twoMortal Kombatentries that have preceded it. One such lesson revolves around post-launch plans, withMortal Kombathaving adopted a new strategy in the last few years that would perfectly suit theInjusticeseries.
Injustice 3 Should Follow in Mortal Kombat’s Post-Launch Footsteps
Story Expansions Are Becoming The Norm for Mortal Kombat
Since 2011’sMortal Kombat, DLC has been a staple feature of the fighting game franchise. InMortal Kombat2011 andMortal Kombat X, this DLC consisted of a handful of additional fighters, including the first wave of guest characters fromhorror franchises likeNightmare on Elm Street,Alien,Predator, andFriday the 13th.
Mortal Kombat 11continued this trend with its own post-launch support, adding series staples like Nightwolf and Shang Tsung, as well as guest fighters like The Joker, Spawn, and The Terminator. But about two months afterMortal Kombat 11’s final Kombat Pack fighter released, NetherRealm dropped a new type of DLC fortheMortal Kombatfranchise.
Titled “Aftermath,“Mortal Kombat 11’s paid story expansion added three new fighters and a new 3-hour campaign. This short but sweet story acted as an epilogue toMK11’s main campaign, following the battle betweenFire God Liu Kang and Shang Tsungfor Kronika’s Hourglass.Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermathreviewed fairly well, and all evidence suggests it also sold quite well, with NetherRealm having just repeated this post-launch plan forMortal Kombat 1.
Mortal Kombat 1’s Khaos Reigns expansionis just a day away from launch at the time of writing, and it seems to be following in its predecessor’s footsteps closely. Khaos Reigns will add a short epilogue campaign that follows Titan Havik’s attempt to disrupt the peace of Fire God Liu Kang’s new timeline. This expansion will also bring three new fighters at launch (Sektor, Cyrax, and Noob Saibot) and a further three guest fighters (T-1000, Conan, Ghostface) at a later date.
Generally speaking, this story expansion approach seems to be working out fairly well for NetherRealm, with it offering fans a brief continuation of the series' story, some new fighters, and a tease of things to come. Though, the $50 asking price for Khaos Reigns might be a bit too steep for some fans.
Injustice 3 Could Benefit From a Post-Launch Story Expansion
Just like every version of the DC universe before it,theInjusticetimelineis sprawling.Injusticeincludes characters from across the entire DC canon, from Earth-based heroes like Batman, to Greek gods like Ares, to aliens like Martian Manhunter, to magicians like Doctor Fate. This reverence for the wider DC universe is a core reason why fans loveInjustice, but even a full-length fighting game and all its extra modes aren’t enough to give fans everything they want.
While theInjusticecomic series has done a great job of exploring the wider universe and filling in some major gaps between entries, a story expansion in a similar vein to Aftermath and Khaos Reigns would be the best way to expand on the series' story and character arcs, letting players directly control the action.
Injustice 2
WHERE TO PLAY
Power up and build the ultimate version of your favourite DC legends in INJUSTICE 2.EVERY BATTLE DEFINES YOU: With every match you’ll earn gear to equip, customise and evolve your roster.A NEW THREAT RISES: Picking up where Injustice left off, Batman struggles against Superman’s regime, as a new threat appears that will put Earth’s very existence at risk.THE BEST OF DC: Choose from the biggest DC Universe roster ever and battle across iconic locations in epic-scale battles.BUILT BY NETHERREALM: Developers of the best-selling and critically acclaimed MORTAL KOMBAT franchise.
