It's already been one of the worst kept secrets in gaming, but now it's official: a Mortal Kombat sequel is coming in 2023. Confirmation comes courtesy of Warner Bros Discovery CEO David Zaslav, who addressed a fourth quarter earnings call with a slate of upcoming projects from the corporate giant. Listen to a full excerpt:

A twelfth installment of the Mortal Kombat video game franchise was part of a broader presentation of IP driven strategies for tackling the heavy debt accrued by the recently merged corp in multiple mediums.

MK was confirmed for an unspecified 2023 release, along with the upcoming DC Comics Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League video game. An MK sequel was already all-but confirmed by head developer Ed Boon late last December, but there was notably no mention of a third Injustice. Listen to the full call embedded below, or use navigation links to skip to relevant sections:

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We're also thrilled by what we're seeing coming out of our games business, which represents a core part of our overall strategy. As the only studio scaled in gaming, we see it as a meaningful differentiator, with substantial opportunity. With the successful launch of Hogwarts Legacy two weeks ago, we reimagined one of the biggest global franchises in the world. The game was one of the most highly anticipated of 2023, and consistent with our overall commitment to great storytelling, we delayed the launch to get it right - and the response from consumers has been overwhelmingly positive. We've already seen more than $850 million dollars in retail sales, and we still have more platforms launching over the next few months -- and there's lots more to come. Including the highly anticipated Mortal Kombat 12 - and Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. Games also set for release this year with ambitious launch projections.

Mortal Kombat was notable in its absence from the company's movie brands during the call, drawing into question the value of its much touted streaming success. Although losses were dramatically cut from previous counts, HBO Max reportedly posted a $217 million dollar loss, leading to restructuring, and much publicised tax breaks that controversially led to the deletion of finished projects, such as DC's Batgirl.

Although a sequel is in development with director Simon McQuoid, it may still be a ways off as it undergoes creative retooling amidst mixed reactions to the 2021 film's original concepts, and the company's new emphasis on 'getting it right' with storytelling under Zaslav. Ed Boon recently commented: "Each iteration of the script is better than the previous!"

[Related Article: Ed Boon Talks Game Announcement, DLC & Characters in Q&A]

Are you hyped to see Mortal Kombat 12 in the coming months? Share your response and hopes in the comments below and keep the speculation coming in the Upcoming MK Games forum!