As we are already in March of 2018, with the purported final content for I2 being released in February, we are now in a "dark period" with NRS. In other words, no more major news is coming out of the studio, other than the fact that the I2 "Complete" Edition (but not really complete) is coming out at the end of the month.
We know, typically, that a complete edition release signifies the end of a game's lifecycle...all of the expected DLC is out, the game has been mostly fine-tuned and the greater majority of any major updates have been released and patched into the game. Save for a few hotfixes here and there, and maybe some occasional small-scale content, Injustice 2's development cycle is over.
Now...what does that mean? What exactly is a "dark period"?
There's different terms for it, but when a studio goes "dark" it generally means, as explained above, that no major news is coming out. When this occurs at the end of a major product's life cycle, it typically means that information about the next major project will be forthcoming. Boon began teasing MKX in April and May of 2014, with the official announcement on June 2nd, 2014. As we are once again approaching this time frame, and NRS tends to adhere to scheduled time frames, it is highly likely that teasing for the next MK game will begin soon.
I expect an announcement no later than June of this year with an anticipated release date of April 2019. With the development cycle typically being 4 years between games in a franchise, 2 years from game to game, we are looking at the 3rd year cycle dry spell, where nothing other than DLC content for I2 will be released.
Boon, in recent weeks, has begun tweeting MK-related tidbits at a much more frequent rate. None of them are of any particular note, but the MK tweets have increased, which is usually an attempt to start generating hype.
And before anyone asks - no. I am not in contact with my source, and have not heard from him in quite some time. I do not believe I will hear from him again, and I do not know if he even still works for NRS. Again, all I know is that he was a former coworker at another major gaming company that left said company after his dev internship for a role as a junior dev at NRS, so he says. Since much of his information has been wrong I believe he either did not directly work on the MK franchise, or at least was not privy to confirmed info...or he did not actually work there at all.
Just based on past history dating back to MK 2011 reboot (can you believe it's been almost 7 years already?), I fully expect the teasing to begin around April, and the official announcement/first footage and image by early June.
What do you think?
