With rumors and teasers mounting, it seems that Mortal Kombat 12 is just around the corner. Multiple short animations have been released, all of them involving some kind of countdown being subverted at its climax. Now, fans are wondering if Mortal Kombat 12 will have something to do with multiple dimensions or a harder reset of the setting than anticipated. MK11 initiated another soft reboot, but MK12 could go as far as becoming a second Mortal Kombat 1.
The remaining questions at this point are when the reveal trailer will drop and what it will show. Rumors provide a credible answer to the former, as Mortal Kombat's traditional CGI teaser will allegedly premier at Sony's next PlayStation Showcase, while gameplay and other details will probably surface within the next couple of months. The broad contents of Mortal Kombat 12's reveal trailer could be guessed at by fans, but MK12 has the potential to defy expectations.
Previous Mortal Kombat Teasers Established A Formula
Across Mortal Kombat X and 11, NetherRealm Studios established a pattern for how it introduced new entries in its premiere fighting game series. MKX demonstrated a fight between Scorpion and Sub-Zero in the game's Dead Woods stage, while Raiden and Scorpion duel in front of Shang Tsung's Island Ruins in Mortal Kombat 11's trailer. Both trailers are entirely CGI, but there's more to them than that implies, as they provided much insight into their respective titles for NetherRealm fighting game veterans.
These trailers work to demonstrate the general appearance of each game's fights, as well as tease several new mechanics. Environmental interactions from Injustice and MK11's return to weapon-based fighting were first revealed by these trailers. Fatal Blows and Fatalities are seamlessly worked into the action, as well as strings and special moves that the characters have in gameplay. Finally, MK11's trailer closes by revealing a retro Scorpion, before showing Kronika and her hourglass to implicate time's relevance in the story. It stands to reason that MK12 will debut with a similar teaser, though there could be some wrinkles thrown into the mix.
How Mortal Kombat 12's Reveal Could Subvert Expectations
Mortal Kombat 12 is being set up as a reset point for the franchise, so Scorpion and Sub-Zero demonstrating the mechanics before a plot-relevant character walks in would make for a good enough trailer. However, even with recognizably old-school designs, the colored ninjas wouldn't sell what MK12 is going for if it intends to be a new MK1. If fan speculation proves true and the first historical Mortal Kombat tournament is featured, the characters used might be very different from the norm. Fire God Liu Kang could be shown training the Great Kung Lao, or one of them could be fighting against an Outworld representative. It's hard to pick out characters for sure without knowing what the game's story will be.
Mortal Kombat 12's reveal trailer may need to break tradition to prove its point. Some gameplay without any HUD elements would be in line with the Mortal Kombat 9 and Injustice's reveal trailers, and would quickly demonstrate some of the roster and mechanics. Fans have had to wait an extra two years for Mortal Kombat 12, so they would appreciate an extra-large burst of initial details in spite of a lack of context. Even a crossover character could appear if Mortal Kombat 12 takes a multiversal approach. The possibilities for Mortal Kombat 12's first trailer are endless, and NetherRealm should take full advantage of this to get fans hyped up right away.
Mortal Kombat 12 is slated to release in 2023.