After months of speculation surrounding the next game coming from NetherRealm Studios, Mortal Kombat 12 was rather unceremoniously announced during Warner Bros. Discovery's earnings call by president and chief executive officer David Zaslav, who also referenced the massively successful launch of Hogwarts Legacy and the upcoming release of Suicide Squad - Kill the Justice League. According to the CEO, MK 12 is coming later this year.

　　We're also thrilled by what we're seeing coming out of our games business, which represents a core part of our overall strategy. As the only studio scaled in gaming, we see it as a meaningful differentiator with substantial opportunity. With the successful launch of Hogwarts Legacy two weeks ago, we reimagined 1 of the biggest global franchises in the world. The game was 1 of the most highly anticipated of 2023. And consistent with our overall commitment to great storytelling, we delayed the launch to get it right. And the response from consumers has been overwhelmingly positive. We've already seen more than $850 million in retail sales, and we still have more platforms launching over the next few months.

　　And there's lots more to come, including the highly anticipated Mortal Kombat 12 and Suicide Squad - Kill The Justice League, games also set for release this year with ambitious launch projections. [via Seeking Alpha]

　　In early October, NetherRealm Chief Creative Officer Ed Boon told fans the studio's new game wouldn't be announced at the Mortal Kombat 30th anniversary. It's hard to imagine NetherRealm wanted to unveil it this way, though.

　　Mortal Kombat 11 launched on April 23rd, 2019. The latest installment in the historic fighting game franchise received an 8.5 out of 10 score here on Wccftech from reviewer Nathan Birch.

　　Mortal Kombat 11 is a first-class fighting game experience, featuring rock-solid core mechanics, impressive production values, and a story that wouldn’t be out of place alongside the summer’s biggest blockbusters. Of course, the game also suffers from some of the drawbacks of big-budget game development, including grindy customization and tacked-on microtransactions, but that stuff is largely superfluous. Beneath the triple-A fat, Mortal Kombat’s bloody heart still beats as strong as ever.

　　The Aftermath DLC didn't fare nearly as well, getting a 6.5 out of 10 score.

　　Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath lets its villains strut their stuff in a fun epilogue, and the new fighters are all welcome additions, but an overall lack of content makes it tough to wholly recommend this expansion at its full $40 price tag. Those new to Mortal Kombat 11 can get a much better deal, but if you’ve already bought the game, this Aftermath may not add up.

　　Still, the game went on to sell over 15 million copies globally.