Its becoming a routine of every couple of years: Ed Boon has updated his Twitter avatar and background -- signalling the ritual cycle of speculation for NetherRealm Studios' newest upcoming game project.
All rumors and reason point toward a follow-up to the franchise starter: Injustice: Gods Among Us. A presumed development back and forth begun with Warner Brothers' post-acqusition Mortal Kombat (2011), and the soon-to-be DC Comics fighting game series of 2013.
Not content to play it entirely safe, Boon's pushing ambiguity in the face of expectation. The "DAMN good question" being asked: Does his teasing image indicate the Roman numeral II (two) for Injustice, or the number 11 for a Mortal Kombat X sequel?
Et Tu? Ed Boon's newest Twitter avatar.
Bolstering broad expectations for more Injustice are rumors of growing connections to the 2017 Justice League feature film that would be out the same year [full story]. This isn't the first time Ed Boon has floated the prospect of an immediate Mortal Kombat follow-up, though. He polled fans for their preferred project last month, returning interest in more Mortal Kombat X downloadable content.
Fans have been steadily conditioned to expect routine from the Mortal Kombat developer for quite some time. The two year release cycle began with 2002's Deadly Alliance, continuing until 2008, when Midway Games published Mortal Kombat versus DC Universe. The crossover was the final installment before Midway declared bankruptcy and was purchased by Warner Brothers. The complicated handover accounts for a lost year.
A remote possibility is that the "II" in Boon's avatar represents two worlds, two games, or indeed a version of both proposed sequels.
The Creative Director knocked back prospects of another Mortal Kombat/DC Universe crossover in 2012 [full story], but with Mortal Kombat X reportedly selling in excess of five million copies, and nearly ten years between MKvsDC and a speculated 2017 mystery release - the pitch holds more water. Alternatively, DLC channels could conceivably create a new era for franchise crossovers - as discussed in a previous Mortal Kombat Online feature.
Many things Boon does is trolling, but usually changing his profile picture or banner doesn't mean that. With E3 days away, I'm sure they're about to drop something.
I'm pretty sure it's Injustice 2, but some think it could also be MKII. Interestingly it IS similar to MKX's typography and white-on-black style. As much as I think it might be too soon for their usual record to come out with another MK game, not saying I wouldn't mind it haha.
"Not the first to say it in this thread, but when Bo Rai Cho is the high point of the new character selection, they did something really wrong." -Gillbob316
Since the next numeral in the sequence they're using would be "XI" for the Mortal Kombat series, I'm going with my gut and saying that it's Injustice 2 that he's teasing. The Injustice dev team has been working on Injustice 2 since the end of 2014, when the MKX design team began wrapping up, and at this point in the dev cycle the game is likely 50% finished. I'm sure it'll be released April 2017. If I remember correctly, MKX was announced June 2014 with the eventual release date of April 2015, so I expect the same exact thing here. Then in June 2017 maybe we'll get the MKXI announcement, though I imagine it'll be June 2018 with an April 2019 release for XI.
As for MK v DC II....that remains a SLIGHT possibility, but I highly doubt it. Boon's twitter has been nothing but Injustice 2 teases for the past 3 weeks.
Well, you all got your Tremor now. Can we finally move on?
Ha! The MK vs DC hate is real! The hint is obviously ambiguous as all hell. It could be anything.
What if the two wasn't necessarily pertaining to a sequel, and was actually hinting at two of something? Two announcements? Two universes? The likelihood of DC v Marvel is enticing. With Disney more or less out of game production and WB having worked with Marvel on other titles(Lego series), the time could be right. All speculation of course
There are bigger sacrifices one might be asked to make than going a little mad.
Cyborgman Wrote: What if his profile picture is an 11. And his background is a drum roll. What if it means something is happening in the eleventh of this month?
Yeah...maybe he's announcing another season of competitive online MK. I'll shoot myself in the front lobby of NRS if that's what the big deal is.
Well, you all got your Tremor now. Can we finally move on?
MCPeePants Wrote: Frabn, has your source heard anything? I always enjoy reading your insight.
I haven't spoken to him in a while. We usually only talk when we're gaming and I haven't seen him online. As far as I know he doesn't have a facebook because I've never found him on it.
Last we spoke, he indicated that there was in fact more stuff going on for MKX, and that it would likely be a "last hurrah" for the game. He works specifically on the MKX design team, but I'm sure they share talent between teams. If he's working on Injustice II he hasn't mentioned it to me, but he only tells me about things when I ask him, otherwise he doesn't just come out and talk about what he or what NRS is working on.
Well, you all got your Tremor now. Can we finally move on?
Leading up to MKX, Boon first posted an Injustice related image in his Twitter avatar, then changed to a white circle, which soon became the new MKX dragon logo. Now, obviously Injustice 2 is happening before MK11. But with the leak of the poster, it shows that they're using "2" and not "II." With Pig of the Hut's recent bold predictions of an Injustice 2, Kombat Pack 3, and possibly Shaolin Monks II being all revealed by NRS, do people think Boon used the MK-font style "II" as a red herring and that's all there is to it, or that perhaps Shaolin Monks II will also be revealed within the week?
With Ed Boon, anything's possible. It could be 2, as in Injustice 2. It could mean 2 announcements, Injustice and KP3. Who knows. I'm assuming we'll all know by next week.
There are bigger sacrifices one might be asked to make than going a little mad.