With rumors and teasers mounting, it seems thatMortal Kombat 12is 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 ifMortal Kombat 12will have something to do with multiple dimensions or a harder reset of the setting than anticipated.MK11initiated another soft reboot, butMK12could go as far as becoming a secondMortal 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, asMortal Kombat’s traditional CGI teaser will allegedlypremier at Sony’s next PlayStation Showcase, while gameplay and other details will probably surface within the next couple of months. The broad contents ofMortal Kombat 12’s reveal trailer could be guessed at by fans, butMK12has the potential to defy expectations.
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Previous Mortal Kombat Teasers Established A Formula
AcrossMortal Kombat Xand11, NetherRealm Studios established a pattern for how it introduced new entries in its premiere fighting game series.MKXdemonstrated a fight between Scorpion and Sub-Zero in the game’s Dead Woods stage, while Raiden and Scorpion duel in front ofShang Tsung’s Island Ruins inMortal Kombat 11’strailer. 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 fromInjusticeandMK11’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 thatMK12will 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 12is 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 whatMK12is going for if it intends to be a newMK1. If fan speculation proves true and thefirst historical Mortal Kombat tournamentis 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 theMortal Kombat 9andInjustice’s reveal trailers, and would quickly demonstrate some of the roster and mechanics. Fans have had to wait an extra two years forMortal 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 ifMortal Kombat 12takes a multiversal approach. The possibilities forMortal Kombat 12’s first trailer are endless, and NetherRealm should take full advantage of this to get fans hyped up right away.
