- June 14, 2021
DC vs Mortal Kombat 2?!
So it’s been over 2 years since Mortal Kombat 11 came out, 4 years since Injustice 2, and over ten since Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe came out. Yeah, time flies, but that can only mean one thing… more theorizing on what the next NetherRealm game will be.
There have been a ton of rumors about what NetherRealm might be doing next. There is the rumored Marvel fighting game, a DC vs Marvel crossover, a new fighting game IP, a new non-fighting game IP, and of course, Injustice 3.
But could a Mortal Kombat vs DC 2 be in the cards? Is that even a good idea?
Silence on the DC Front
There aren’t rumors talking about a possible Mortal Kombat vs DC sequel, let me be clear. There haven’t even been many rumors about an Injustice 3. At most we’ve have Ed Boon appearing at cons, such DC Fandome, which have sparked rumors, but nothing substantial. Ed Boon has even said before that the studio would like to do more than just fighting games, but that’s not confirmed.
The only real leaks and rumors we’ve been seeing are for a Marvel game which have been rumored for years. Ed Boon in particular has regularly tweeted about working with Marvel characters as hypotheticals, sarcastics answers, and best wishes for years. These rumors have been in reference to a Marvel only fighting game and a DC vs Marvel game. I’ve made a video about that before.
So let me be clear, nothing is confirmed, but at the same time, there isn’t much that isn’t possible. Why not Mortal Kombat vs DC 2?
Why Mortal Kombat vs DC?
I bring this up this idea not because of quality rumors, but because of fan outcry. For some reason I’ve seen some fan outcry for a Mortal Kombat vs DC 2 from publications like CBR, TV Overmind, and a bit over Youtube.
Crossovers always gain attention. My most popular videos are an excellent example of it. Seeing characters who have never interacted before or so rarely do is almost always a selling point. We want to see creative interactions between characters we love and hate, see them compared to each other as they stand side-by-side.
And most importantly, we love to see them fight.
Mortal Kombat isn’t as popular a universe as DC, but it’s popularity in the gaming space puts it on well-enough footing to contend with characters from any universe, in a video game at least. It’s also one of the few universes where characters range in power like DC’s. This is one of the few crossovers outside of DC vs Marvel, where DC characters don’t stomp across the board.
It also helps that characters from Mortal Kombat have appeared in the Injustice series and the Joker in Mortal Kombat. The brands still have a strong link to each other that NetherRealm likes to play up for its DC characters. It’s logical for there to be people who want to see NetherRealm give Mortal Kombat vs DC another try.
The Good of a Mortal Kombat vs DC 2
As I said before, crossovers are fun, but a second shot at something cool is always awesome. Because of DC’s popularity, this was probably the first Mortal Kombat game for a lot of people. It was mine, though I did go back to play older ones.
It brought in people who were fans of classic characters like Batman and Superman, and made them aware of Skorpion, Raiden, and Sub-Zero. A sequel could do that again, and do it better.
Speaking of doing it better, Mortal Kombat vs DC could use a redemption story. The original game wasn’t terribly well received in 2008 by critics and most fans. The gameplay wasn’t terribly balanced or intuitive, leaving a rather unexciting mess of a fighting game. It doesn’t help that this was also during the era of 3D Mortal Kombat games. Those entries have never truly been the best of the franchise, so Mortal Kombat vs DC started off on the wrong foot immediately.
Getting a sequel in the 2D fighting game space would be an amazing comeback story. Let’s not forget, the studio has gotten exceptionally better at crafting fighting game stories as well.
Nowadays they make story modes as good as some action adventure games, if not most.
The Bad of Mortal Kombat vs DC 2
For the same reason this might be a good idea, it’s also a bad one. It didn’t work out last time for a myriad of reasons. While the gameplay issues can conceivably be fixed out, this game would essentially be Mortal Kombat vs Injustice.
Casual fans of the franchise and outsiders think they’re just reskins of each other, but they’re really not. Injustice is a faster, more nimble fighter, with characters hosting a wider and more bombastic array of powers. Mortal Kombat is a ground game, where the camera hungs way closer to the characters.
How does NetherRealm get around this? I’m not saying they can’t, they’re one of the most capable fighting game developers in the industry. I just have to ask, is this a hill really worth overcoming?
How do they even decide how violent this game can be? Are we going to do fatalities with DC heroes, or are we going to hold back the violence of Mortal Kombat?
Now that you have two fanbases from the two fighting games, you have two groups of people to appease. Odds are high that NetherRealm makes a great game, but not that they make a game that pleases both fans. Fans have grown rather toxic, and honestly, that can include fighting game fans especially. NetherRealm runs the risk of disappointing more fans than they did when they tried making this game the first time.
Ultimately, I feel as if they’re much better off making a DC vs Marvel game, or a new game that maybe isn’t a fighting game at all.
We’ve Moved On
There are a lot of crossovers to consider, especially at NetherRealm studios, but maybe not this one. To me, this is a potential sequel we can leave alone.
But maybe you disagree. Would you want a Mortal Kombat vs DC sequel, a DC vs Marvel game, or something else entirely from NetherRealm studios?
They’re the masters of fighting games, I’d have a hard time believing that they wouldn’t make a banger of a game.