Injustice 3 is a fever dream right now, and we have to accept that

Mortal Kombat 1 reached 8 million copies sold last month, and the Mortal Kombat 2 movie that has now hit theaters is once again expanding its franchise beyond video games. One more follow up Mortal Kombat 1 felt inevitable, and now that it's officially happening, it might have to make some NetherRealm fans accept a harsh truth: Injustice 3 doesn't seem to be anywhere in sight, and it may stay that way for a while. Anything is possible, but another entry in the DC Comics fighting series feels a little less likely now.

As Mortal Kombat continues to receive love, Injustice 3 feels like it's destined to remain in limbo

There has been Injustice 3 rumors for years at this point. Even before Mortal Kombat 1 was revealed, some expected it Injustice 3 would be the next project from developer NetherRealm Studios. Injustice 2 was released back in 2017, and the studio has been pretty quiet about any potential third chapter for nearly a decade now. All fans really have to go off of is speculation, fan theories, and rumors, and it's far from any concrete confirmation.

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Years of leaks leave Injustice fans hopeful

After Mortal Kombat 1's release and success, hope for a new one Injustice the game resumed. To fuel the fire, Mortal Kombat 1 added superheroes like The boys' Homelander and Invincible's Omni-Man to the game via DLC packs. Homelander and Omni-Man may be from different superhero universes than DC characters, but the two looked like teasers for what was playing Injustice 3 could feel like.

Some leaks have also convinced many fans about it Injustice 3 is on its way. Last year, voice actors Phil LaMarr and George Newbern talked about what it was like to work with Injustice 3 during fan meetings and greetings at conventions. As recently as April this year, a new one Injustice 3 the leak made its rounds on the internet after a Warner Bros. Games artist mentioned the project on his resume and convinced fans that the game was imminent.

Despite no word on Injustice 3, all hope must not be lost

I don't want to be too pessimistic. The thought of getting another one Injustice the game is really exciting, but it just might be a longer wait than fans have hoped for. Ed Boon's recent interview with Collider where he confirmed the next Mortal Kombat the game was quite focused on NetherRealm's base series. With a new movie adaptation coming out, it only makes sense. However, this could have been a great opportunity to really build extra hype about what the studio's other project might be, and it just didn't happen.

If Boon wanted to be teased Injustice 3you'd think he would have clearly sprinkled some extra information about the game into the interview. Of course, he said NetherRealm “definitely does more” beyond Mortal Kombatbut there is no way of knowing what it is right now. Yes, it absolutely can be Injustice 3and maybe it will even come out before the next Mortal Kombat, but the opposite feels just as likely at the moment. There is also a very real chance that NetherRealm could introduce a new IP instead of continuing Injustice. Only time will tell, but to get answers on who will be included Injustice 3 cast feels incredibly far away, as we don't even know for sure that it will actually happen. Sure, leaks indicate it was in development at some point, but leaks should always be taken with a grain of salt, and plans could have changed.

This year will hopefully prove me wrong, but my gut tells me to keep my expectations in check

I'm not just a fight fan. DC Comics has been a great love of mine since I was a kid, and that Injustice game deserves to become a more significant franchise. The series has spawned some of the best superhero games out there, and there's plenty more material for NetherRealm to work with. Even though the year is already almost halfway over, there are some big events going on. Being skeptical is really important when it comes to Injustice 3but I can't help but hope for a few surprises along the way.

If Injustice 3 is happening, a summer announcement would be ideal

One of the biggest events coming up is the Summer Game Fest. It is planned for June 5and it would be one of the most obvious times for NetherRealm to announce Injustice 3. The other event most likely would be The Game Awards at the end of the year, but a summer reveal would be quite exciting and unexpected. But as cool as it would be, there's no reason to believe such a reveal will happen. Even I'm speculating at this point.

In the end, everyone Injustice fans can do right now is play the waiting game. There are already some big superhero games planned for the year, and some of them have already launched. Invincible VS recently came out, and later this year another fighting game is coming Marvel Token: Fighting Souls as well as Insomniacs Marvel's Wolverine. Throwing a brand new DC game into the mix would be a huge thrill for superhero and comics lovers, but it could also risk flooding the space with way too much at once. Hope for Injustice 3 shouldn't be gone for good, but expectations should definitely be tempered until NetherRealm actually teases the game in a significant way. Overall, the situation feels like history repeating itself, like when Mortal Kombat 1 was announced when so many had expected the NetherRealm to return to Injustice first. So while Mortal Kombat fans party, Injustice fans are left staring at an empty plate — at least for now.