Ed Boon confirms another Mortal Kombat game is in development, teases Street Fighter crossover dreams

Mortal Kombat co-creator Ed Boon has confirmed that NetherRealm Studios is working on a new entry in the long-running fighting game franchise. Speaking to Collider, Boon acknowledged he would "probably get in trouble" giving specifics, but still made the studio's direction clear: "We're definitely pursuing another Mortal Kombat game."

The comment is notable given the ongoing speculation about what NetherRealm has in the pipeline. Injustice 3 has been rumored for some time, and fans have been wondering whether the studio would return to its DC Comics brawler or double down on its flagship franchise first. Boon's phrasing doesn't rule out Injustice 3 eventually happening, but it does suggest MK is the priority.

A Street Fighter character in Mortal Kombat?

The more eyebrow-raising part of the Collider interview was Boon expressing interest in bringing a Street Fighter character into the Mortal Kombat universe. He didn't name a specific fighter, but the sentiment alone is worth unpacking - these two franchises have historically been rivals, representing very different design philosophies in the fighting game genre.

MK has leaned heavily into high-profile guest characters in recent years, pulling from franchises like Terminator, The Boys, and Homelander most recently in MK1. Crossing into Capcom's territory would be a significant escalation of that strategy, and something that would require cooperation between two of the genre's biggest publishers.

Whether that kind of deal is realistic is another question entirely - Street Fighter 6 is still going strong with its own roster updates and season content, and Capcom tends to be selective about where its characters appear. But Boon floating the idea publicly is at least a sign that conversations at some level aren't out of the question.

What to expect from the next Mortal Kombat

MK1 launched in 2023 and introduced the Kameo Fighter system alongside a full timeline reset for the series' lore. The game received consistent post-launch support, but NetherRealm's development cycles typically run around three to four years between mainline entries. If a new MK is already in active development, a reveal could still be a year or more away.

For now, Boon's comments to Collider are the clearest signal yet that the studio isn't pivoting away from Mortal Kombat anytime soon - and that the guest character pipeline might have some genuinely wild cards still to come.