Will Injustice 3 Ever Happen With Recent DC Changes?

Fans of Netherrealm Studios have been eagerly awaiting any news regarding Injustice 3, a sequel to the popular DC fighting game set in a much different world than comic continuity. Originally, it was rumored that Injustice 3 was already in the works, but that later turned out to be Mortal Kombat 1. With that game’s development having concluded recently, it is unclear how changes to both DC and Netherrealm’s priorities may affect this game from ever being made.

The biggest concerns regarding Injustice 3 come from how Warner Bros. and DC as a whole have shifted their goals in the last four or five years. The launch of a new DC universe with 2025’s Superman marks the first projects under James Gunn, DC Studios’ appointed Co-Chairman and CEO. Similarly, the merging of Warner Bros. with both Discovery in 2022 and Netflix last year casts some doubt, as Warner Bros. has cancelled many projects already in its gaming sphere.

Injustice 3 Seems Unlikely With Overhaul Of DC Properties Under New Creative Control

One of the biggest claims made by James Gunn was a promise that games featuring new DCU characters would be a big priority for the studio at varying points. He claimed that while games would take time, he wanted to keep an interconnected thread between all DCU properties, including any playable titles. This means that live action actors would reprise their roles voice acting their characters, with events in games perhaps being somewhat “canon” to events in the larger films and media produced by DC.

This bodes poorly for Injustice 3, as its universe is set in a different world than the DCU, taking place on a version of Earth where Superman establishes a imperial Regime across the planet. The rise, fall, and aftermath of the Regime defined the stories of Injustice: Gods Among Us and Injustice 2, showcasing a variety of DC characters the larger DCU hasn’t touched yet. Although the DCU is open to “Elseworld” stories meant to take place in alternate worlds, the beginnings of its synergy would likely lower the priority of those tales.

The partnership between DC Studios and Netherrealm Studios comes from the latter’s publisher — Warner Brothers. The gaming division of WB has discussed with DC on what characters and stories they are interested in making games out of, but so far there hasn’t been any news regarding if the Injustice series was among them. With the amount of plans for certain DC characters, it would be hard to create a game featuring so many of them that haven’t been included in recent DC Studios projects for a theoretical Injustice 3.

Netherrealm Studios Almost Made Injustice 3 Before Mortal Kombat 1

One of the biggest speculations surrounding Mortal Kombat 1 was that it was originally intended to be Injustice 3 before a change of plans. Coming out only a few years after the last DLC expansion to Mortal Kombat 11, Netherrealm Studios’ usual approach to their game releases was to swap between Mortal Kombat and Injustice games ever since the early 2010’s. After MK11, fans expected a new DC fighting game, especially after the many criticisms that Mortal Kombat game received for its lackluster gameplay.

Elements of Mortal Kombat 1 seem to evoke Injustice mechanics, including the clash between characters after their selection. Before a match in MK1 starts, characters face off in a clash that looks eerily similar to the Injustice 2 mechanic of the same name. While this is only used for intro dialogue in MK1, it may have been the basis for Injustice 3‘s clashes.

Furthermore, the Kameo tag system in MK1 is rather odd for a Mortal Kombat game, but not something alien to fighting games with comic characters. Injustice 3 may have wanted to go in a direction similar to the iconic Marvel vs. Capcom series, which is defined by teams of characters assisting each other in battle. Assists make more sense in a fighting game with superheroes and villains, pointing another sign to how MK1‘s core features may have been intended for Injustice 3 first.

Warner Brothers’ Focus On Mortal Kombat Might Prevent Injustice 3 From Being Made Any Time Soon

Fans have long theorized that Mortal Kombat 1‘s sudden appearance over a potential Injustice 3 was due to Warner Bros. preference over Netherrealm’s flagship franchise. With the Mortal Kombat 2 live action movie in development, the existence of a new game within the series does follow some logic. However, the rushed release of MK1 and the break in Netherrealm’s usual game patterns only strengthen this possibility, especially when you see much of the DNA of Injustice within Mortal Kombat 1.

To put it simply, Mortal Kombat games sell far more than Injustice titles have throughout either series’ releases. Even with all its faults, Mortal Kombat 1 had impressive sales, far more than Injustice 2 made even during its prime. Warner Bros. could be reluctant to invest in a new project, even more so now with the circulating concerns of continuity coming from the larger DC Studios. The “safer” move would be for Netherrealm to keep making Mortal Kombat games rather than branching out to their other IPs.

Hopefully, rumors and news surrounding Netherrealm’s next game does eventually give way to Injustice 3. The unique features of the DC fighting game stand out greatly from the developer’s other projects, crafting something fresh in the genre that deserves another chance with DC being more exciting to follow than ever.

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