🚨 BREAKING: NETHERREALM 2026 BOMBSHELL LEAK – Injustice 3 FULL GAMEPLAY + Mortal Kombat 13 TEASED?! 😱⚔️🦸
MK1 fans starving since 2023… Ed Boon dropping “balance patches” crumbs… but NOW a ROGUE NETHERREALM DEV DUMPS 4K FOOTAGE: Superman LASERING Batman in ULTIMATE EDITION combat! Tag-team trinity system! 50+ DC roster leaks – Homelander GUEST?!
And the KILLER: End slate flashes “INJUSTICE 3: 2026” + shadowy MK13 ninja silhouette. WB scrambling DMCA – but it’s TOO LATE, 20M views!
Injustice OR MK next? Both?! Fans at WAR – “DC deserves it after MK1 flop!” vs “Scorpion where?!” Click for side-by-sides, roster breakdown, and why this could SAVE NetherRealm… BEFORE IT’S NUKED! 👇🤯
A purported leak of early Injustice 3 gameplay footage has sent shockwaves through the fighting game community, just as anticipation builds for major 2026 showcases like Xbox Developer Direct and Summer Game Fest. Uploaded by an anonymous former NetherRealm Studios animator to Vimeo on January 2, 2026, the 45-second clip was swiftly removed amid DMCA claims from Warner Bros. Games — but not before mirrors exploded across Reddit, X, YouTube, and TikTok, racking up over 20 million views in under 48 hours.
The raw development build showcases a revamped Gotham City arena with dynamic destruction, fluid 60FPS animations of Superman clashing with Batman in mid-air, and a new “Trinity Clash” tag-team system allowing seamless swaps mid-combo — echoing fan demands since Injustice 2‘s 2017 release. A brief roster select screen flashes icons for returning staples like Wonder Woman, Flash, and Harley Quinn, alongside rumored newcomers: Green Lantern (voiced by Phil LaMarr), Beast Boy, and a controversial Homelander guest from The Boys. The clip culminates in a loading screen emblazoned “Injustice 3: Gods Among Us – 2026,” followed by a shadowy teaser of a cloaked ninja — widely interpreted as a nod to an impending Mortal Kombat 13 (or “MK2” post-reboot).
NetherRealm Studios and Warner Bros. have issued no official comment, maintaining their trademark silence since Mortal Kombat 1‘s rocky 2023 launch. Ed Boon, the studio’s chief creative officer and co-creator of both franchises, has fueled speculation with cryptic X posts about “balance patches incoming” for MK1, but nothing on new projects. Insiders whisper the leak stems from a Toronto-based animator’s demo reel, similar to recent GTA 6 and Fallout 3 breaches, highlighting ongoing NDA tensions at the Chicago studio.
The footage’s authenticity appears high: Unreal Engine 5 watermarks, placeholder UI matching MK1’s evolution, and motion-captured finishers with environmental kills align with NetherRealm’s pipeline. Frame-by-frame breakdowns on r/MortalKombat and r/Injustice reveal enhanced netcode for cross-play, a gear system overhaul, and destructible stages with DC lore tie-ins — potentially syncing with the DCU reboot under James Gunn.
Fan reactions are feverish and divided. #Injustice3 trended worldwide on X, with over 500,000 posts since January 3, blending hype (“Finally, Superman mains rise!”) and skepticism (“AI fake until Boon tweets”). MK loyalists cried foul, petitioning for Mortal Kombat 13 priority amid MK1’s criticized Kameo system and microtransactions. A Change.org petition for “NetherRealm Transparency” hit 100,000 signatures, echoing post-MK1 backlash that saw review-bombing drop its Metacritic to 75.
This leak fits a pattern of NetherRealm rumors. Since Injustice 2, the studio has alternated titles every three years, but MK1’s expansion troubles delayed the cycle. Leaks from 2025 — including voice actor sightings at Nostalgia Con and datamined files — pointed to Injustice 3 as the frontrunner. Microsoft court docs from 2023 listed a “Fallout 3 remaster” but hinted at WB projects; recent VGC reports confirmed outsourcing for remasters while NetherRealm focuses on a “DC fighter.”
A 2026 release aligns with industry shifts: Fighting games boom post-Street Fighter 6 and Tekken 8, with Marvel vs. Capcom and Invincible VS crowding shelves. Analysts at Newzoo project $2.5 billion in genre revenue, boosted by esports. For NetherRealm, Injustice 3 could reclaim DC dominance amid Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League’s flop.
History favors the hype. Injustice: Gods Among Us (2013) sold 4 million; its sequel doubled that with story mode acclaim. NetherRealm’s motion-capture tech — Scorpion’s spear perfected over decades — promises spectacle. Yet, risks loom: MK1’s $160 Ultimate Edition backlash and Boon’s teasing style have eroded trust.
Broader context: Warner Bros. Discovery’s 2025 layoffs slashed 1,000 jobs, pressuring IPs. Ed Boon joked at TGA 2025 about “superheroes vs. ninjas,” but no reveal — fans boycotted, per Reddit polls. The leak’s ninja tease suggests dual development: Injustice 3 launches 2026, MK13 follows 2028, breaking the biennial curse.
Critics like IGN and GameSpot dissected the clip: “If real, Trinity Clash revolutionizes 2.5D fighters.” YouTube breakdowns by Maximilian Dood hit 2 million views, speculating roster bloat to 60+ via DLC.
Take-Two and WB stock dipped 0.5% initially but rebounded on hype. Esports orgs like Panda Global eye Injustice leagues; FGC veterans predict EVO 2027 dominance.
As DMCA strikes proliferate, the leak endures via torrents. NetherRealm’s silence amplifies drama — will they shadow-drop at Developer Direct? Or sue into oblivion?
For NetherRealm, 2026 could redefine legacies: DC gods clash, Mortal Kombat endures. Injustice 2 streams on PS5/Xbox/PC; MK1 expansions continue. The realms await.
