Mortal Kombat 12 was announced a bit earlier than intended, thanks to a premature reveal from Warner Bros. After a few months of nothing, NetherRealm Studios have finally started dropping teaser trailers. Though they are short, the implications are massive. Everyone is wondering if Mortal Kombat 12 will be a reboot, a remaster, or if the game will have a totally new plot and story we have never seen before.
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The first was a 10-second clip at the end of a video celebrating the franchise’s 30th anniversary. It suggested that the upcoming game would follow Mortal Kombat 11 and its expansion, Aftermath. The second teaser gave us a bit more insight.
The Second Teaser and What It Could Mean
On 10 May, NetherRealm Studios posted the new teaser trailer to several social media accounts captioned, “It is almost time.” Viewers are shown a closeup shot of a clock’s second hand as it ominously ticks from 9 to 11. A line of faint flecks of colour, possibly meant to represent the sand from the hourglass, is slowly flowing in the opposite direction. As the hand reaches 11, it begins shaking, almost as if something won’t allow it to land on the 12 before landing at 1.
Of course, as soon as their trailer hit the internet, fans began theorising about what this could mean for the next game. They already knew Mortal Kombat 12 would be a reboot, as every victorious character in Mortal Kombat 11 and Aftermath recreates the world.
Liu Kang is canonically victorious in Aftermath and manages to erase Shang Tsung and recover the Crown of Souls. Once he reforges his New Era, he visits the Shaolin temple, where he meets and trains the Great Kung Lao, an ancestor of Kung Lao, to be his champion in Mortal Kombat.
These teaser trailers have further confirmed what many fans had come to suspect. The question is, will it be a reboot/remaster of several beloved games or the start of an entirely new universe? Unfortunately, fans will just have to wait until more details drop.
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Fan Response
Fans went wild over the trailer and either started discussing it or screaming at NetherRealm Studios to release the next trailer. A few calmer ones began talking about the set-up of the upcoming game and which characters they wanted to see. @Brule_64 was particularly interested in Kabal’s return, insisting they would flip “if he ain’t in the next game”. Those who think the next game will be a reboot of the originals hope that the developers use 3D fighting instead of 2D fighting.
Others were more interested in the story that would follow, with fans like @Waheath saying, “I hope it’s not a reboot but a prequel. As seen in MK11 ending, Liu Kang turn into Fire God and went back in time to see The Great Kung Lao. Hopefully we can see some characters’ ancestors, like founder of Shirai Ryu/ Lin Kuei or younger Raiden/Fujin.”
Fans expect to hear more from NetherRealm Studios quite soon, as several industry insiders have hinted there will be a massive reveal later this month, possibly during a rumoured PlayStation Showcase.
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TL;DR
- A new teaser trailer dropped.
- It features a close-up of a ticking clock that skips over 12, hinting at a reboot.
- While some fans just want to see the return of their favourite characters, others want to see a new story.