NetherRealm Could Make 2026 the Year of the Superhero Fighting Game

Between PlayStation’s State of Play and the Xbox Games Showcase, the reveals for Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls and Invincible VS have already made 2026 an exciting year for fighting game fans, but a contribution from NetherRealm Studios is noticeably missing. As one of the “Big Three” developers in the fighting game space, the lack of an announcement for NetherRealm Studios’ next major title is peculiar.

It’s been almost two years since the release of Mortal Kombat 1, with very little word of NetherRealm’s next projects. Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection was shown off during the State of Play presentation, but it was confirmed to be developed by Digital Eclipse, calling into question what NetherRealm’s plans are moving forward. With confirmation that Mortal Kombat 1 will no longer be supported with new characters or story chapters, this opens opportunities for the developer to come back next year in a major way. Marvel Tokon and Invincible VS are set to release in 2026, and if a new Injustice for NetherRealm were to release, it could become the year of the superhero fighting game.

Injustice 3 Should Be Released in 2026

Injustice’s Gameplay Style Would Stand Out

Marvel Tokon and Invincible VS are competing for the top spot of 2026’s best tag fighter. Invincible VS is playing it safe by using the tried and true 3v3 format, but Marvel Tokon is reinventing the formula with 4v4 battles. If the next Injustice title takes inspiration from Mortal Kombat 1’s Kameo system, it could introduce a support or tag mechanic to the series for the first time, differentiating itself from the year’s other superhero fighting games with a 2v2 approach. Even if Injustice 3 keeps the tradition of being a standard 1v1 fighting game, it can still stand out from the other tag fighters available in 2026.

NetherRealm also succeeds at adding guest characters to their games, including the fighting game debut of Omni-Man in Mortal Kombat 1, predating Invincible VS by 3 years. It’s very likely that Marvel Tokon and Invincible VS will stick to their respective universes for their playable characters, but the Injustice roster is no stranger to guest characters. From Hellboy to all four of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, players can rely on a DC-centered story that isn’t afraid to include characters from other universes for added crossover potential.

Competition for Marvel Tokon and Invincible VS

Little is currently known about both Marvel Tokon and Invincible VS, which could give an Injustice 3 reveal a slight advantage. Rather than having to establish itself amongst the competition, Injustice already has a bright future because of the quality of its past titles. The reputation of Arc System Works is carrying Marvel Tokon, but its IP and gameplay style leave it susceptible to comparisons with the Marvel vs. Capcom franchise. With Injustice, the only expectations it needs to surpass are previous games in the series, and judging by the increasing quality in the Mortal Kombat series, Injustice 3 is in safe hands.

Another unique selling point of the Injustice franchise is that it values its narrative as much as its gameplay. Marvel Tokon is using brand and developer recognition to stand out, and the brutal battles of Invincible VS fill the void left by Mortal Kombat, but the story of Injustice makes the game appealing to even casual fighting game players. It’s not yet known if Marvel Tokon or Invincible VS will include a story mode, but from the trailers, it is clear that the main appeal of these titles is their gameplay. If Injustice 3 pushes the importance of its campaign in its marketing, it could garner the interest of comic book fans who are new to the genre.

Injustice 3 Needs to Avoid One Trope

The endings of Injustice 2 give a very clear indication of where the series could go next. The game’s bad ending shows Superman becoming more tyrannical than before, whereas the good ending seeks to repair the damage caused throughout both stories, with a depowered Superman imprisoned in the Phantom Zone. NetherRealm has yet to confirm which of these is canon, but if the game were to release next year, there is one decision that could be crucial to make.

At the time of Injustice: Gods Among Us, the concept of an evil Superman was fairly novel. Now, it is a common trope used in a lot of superhero media. This includes Invincible, as Omni-Man is intended to allude to Superman. Regardless of which ending Injustice 3 follows on from, the story should subvert the evil Superman premise by introducing the good Superman fans are accustomed to.

Injustice 3 fans could have the best of both worlds with its Superman while still standing out from its fighting game competitors. From the initial trailers, it seems as though Marvel Tokon and Invincible VS may be straying away from a multiversal storyline that many superhero stories have adopted, so Injustice 3 could make use of this. Injustice 2 included a Multiverse game mode as a way of unlocking new content, but it did not factor into the game’s story. Injustice 3 could embrace the multiverse by maintaining its established characters while also introducing different variants with opposing morals.

Marvel Tokon and Invincble VS both look like incredible superhero fighting games to look forward to next year, and NetherRealm could keep this trend going by announcing the release of the next Injustice title. Whether it joins its other two competitors with a tag fighting system or stays true to the traditional 1v1 fighter formula, a 2026 release would be great for fans of these superhero series. A recent datamine revealed Injustice 3 could currently be in development, and if this holds true, then a release date next year might not be out of the question. Until it hopefully gets an announcement, though, players will have time to catch up on the previous games in the series.