Get hyped for the upcoming instalment of Injustice! Here’s everything you need to know about Injustice 3 before the game hits consoles worldwide.

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Released 5 years ago, Injustice 2 was a huge success and, arguably, one of the best fighting games. With Mortal Kombat 11’s cycle seemingly wrapped up and Mortal Kombat 12 probably in development, it’s high time to speculate on what DC Comics characters we could potentially see in Injustice 3.

The original Injustice games have been positively received by the fighting game community for their solid combo system and satisfying controls. DC fans have also expressed their love for the game, as it takes some of the comics’ most popular characters and places them in a sombre setting that’s similar to what we’ve seen in some other Mortal Kombat games.

Rumours abound about what to expect from the next entry in the series, so we decided that now would be the perfect time to take a look at the story so far in the WB Games’ Injustice universe, and also take a deep dive into some of the more plausible leaks that have emerged in recent months.

The Story of Injustice

The first Injustice game, subtitled Gods Among Us, was released in 2013. The story takes place mostly in an alternate universe within the DC Universe multiverse. In this reality, Batman’s biggest fears come true when Superman goes rogue.

Tricked by his universe’s Joker, Superman kills Lois Lane and nukes Metropolis, killing millions in the process. Superman, having had enough of the Joker’s twisted plans, breaks his most sacred rule and kills the clown in cold blood. Afterwards, Superman becomes a superpowered tyrant; some heroes are forced to join his ranks out of fear, desperation, or blind loyalty.

Five years after the incident, Superman is now the leader of the Regime, while Batman leads a group known as the Insurgency. Some of the heroes from the prime DC Universe are suddenly transported to the Injustice universe, where they witness the destruction that Superman has caused to the planet.

After a series of battles and uneasy alliances, the heroes from both universes manage to defeat the evil Superman, placing him in a prison that’s filled with red sun radiation and therefore eliminating his powers. A brief glow in Superman’s eyes is a sign that he isn’t as powerless as the heroes think he is…

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Injustice 2, the second game, begins with a glimpse of Krypton’s demise at the hands of Brainiac, while Supergirl and a baby Clark Kent escape the planet. There’s also the revelation that, sometime during the events of the first game, Robin left Batman and broke their strict moral code by killing Victor Zsasz.

Now, two years have passed since the defeat of the Regime. Batman works together with what’s left of the Justice League to undo the damages done by the Man of Steel and his lackeys.

However, just as it seems like things might go back to the way they were before, Brainiac attacks the Earth, shrinking some of the planet’s cities to add to his miniature collection.

A new alliance of villains assembles, called the Society. Overwhelmed by Brainiac and his brainwashed minions, Batman forms a reluctant alliance with Superman and other members of the Regime, under the condition that they kill no one during the battle.

Unlike its predecessor, Injustice 2 features two different endings, depending on whether the player chooses to ally with Batman or Superman. While Superman wants nothing more than to kill Brainiac, Supergirl, Batman, Aquaman and the rest of the Insurgents want to find a way to reverse the damage the alien has caused to their planet.

If Superman wins, he becomes a tyrant once again, forcing people under his command using Brainiac’s brainwashing technology. Batman’s ending is a bit more uplifting, as it sees the evil Superman depowered using Gold Kryptonite and trapped in the Phantom Zone, followed by Super Girl joining the reformed Justice League.

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What Could The Story In Injustice 3 Be?

Although there’s some discrepancy among fans, it’s safe to say that Batman’s ending seems like the most logical (and therefore canon) choice between the two. Superman’s ending leaves very little space to manoeuvre around in terms of plot, as there’s no one left who could oppose the might of the Regime.

The next Injustice game might have to deal with evil Superman’s escape from the Phantom Zone. After all, not only Batman might be looking to use the powers of the mighty Kryptonian. Even if he’s been depowered, there’s no reason to believe that there’s no way for Superman to restore his powers – worse things have happened to him before, after all.

Another storyline that Injustice 3 could revisit lies with Doomsday. The character’s fate is uncertain in the Injustice universe, as the last we saw of him was that he was sent to the Phantom Zone. Perhaps a duo of Doomsday and Superman could be strong enough to break free of the pocket dimension and establish a new version of the Regime.

So far, there has been precious little info about what the next Injustice game could be about, as even the comics haven’t been able to provide us any leads into what the future might hold for the series.

There was a while after the Warner Bros. Discovery merger that fans were worried that there wouldn’t be a new Injustice game. NetherRealm was worried that they wouldn’t make it as part of the company, so working on something that didn’t use the company’s IP made the most sense. Grubb (@JeffGrubb) on Twitter shared, “I hope Injustice 3 still happens. What I heard is that they wanted to focus on MK12 due to uncertainties about WB’s future.”

Luckily for us, the latest news suggests that there will be a new MK or Injustice game.

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8 DC Characters We Would Like to See In Injustice 3

NetherRealm did a pretty solid job with the previous titles’ rosters by including a lot of fan favourites in the video games. For the next game, Injustice 3, we’d like to see a few more off-the-wall and crazier DC heroes and villains added to the mix.

8. Batman Beyond

Over the last two games, the Injustice world has featured 5 different members of the Bat Family. And while each one added a unique skill set and was fun to play with, we can’t help but think that Batman Beyond / Terry McGinnis would be a lot more fun than some of the other additions.

Not only is he great at hand-to-hand combat, but his use of tech during a fight would make him one of the more interesting characters to choose. He is the Dark Knight with even more advanced tech.

7. Kitana

Injustice 2’s Robin proved that sword-based fighters both work and are tons of fun. Adding a character who purely relies on her sword would be a great way to expand on that design. There’s a lot of possibility for Kitana to be added in Injustice 3, given in the comics she’s said to be very much alive.

6. Plastic Man

The addition of Blue Beetle in Injustice 2 was a great step in the right direction for incorporating a more lighthearted character into the dark world of Injustice. Plastic Man would not only make for a great counterpart to MvC3’s Deadpool but could also introduce an interesting long-ranged playstyle to the game.

5. Booster Gold

A jerk with a heart of gold, Booster would make a great Injustice 3 counterpart to Mortal Kombat’s Johnny Cage. Even though he’s considered dead in the Injustice series universe, he could potentially be brought back to add a playstyle that combines Batman’s gadgets with The Flash’s super speed.

4. Beast Boy

Shapeshifter-type characters always make for interesting playstyles in fighting games and Injustice has sorely been lacking a representative of it. Beast Boy’s ability to transform into any animal he wants could make for a cool stance-based design where he can vary up his move set and change his gameplan on the fly.

3. Thomas Wayne

He may be donning the Dark Knight’s cowl but Thomas Wayne has been a huge fan-favourite from the Flashpoint event. He’s clearly always had a completely different set of skills to Bruce’s and his more brutal nature could make for an interesting alternative to Batman in Injustice 3. As Batman is more reliant on a mid-ranged gameplan, Thomas Wayne could have a more in-your-face martial arts fighting style.

2. Killer Croc

Previous games are sorely lacking in the grappler department. Especially with the absence of Grundy in Injustice 2, developer Netherrealm Studios would be remiss not to add another one in Injustice 3. Killer Croc absolutely fits the bill for the throw-based archetype and could make for a more traditional one because of his more straightforward approach to combat in the DC universe.

1. The Riddler

This is as off-the-wall as it gets with fighters that we’d like to see in Injustice 3. The Riddler isn’t a fighter on his own but does rely on his wit and silly gadgets to conduct his villainry. We believe that in Injustice 3, The Riddler could be a trap-based archetype fighter who controls space by placing objects on the ground and in the air to deter foes from approaching. It could also be possible to have him be the first character who interacts differently with stage hazards.

Of course, we’d also like to see Constantine finally show up too.

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The Matrix’s Neo Might Be the Best DLC Character Ever

Everyone loves a fresh rumour, especially if it involves Injustice 3, The Matrix and Keanu Reeves’ Neo. While neither NetherRealm Studios nor Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment has confirmed the video game is in development for next-gen consoles, it’s more than likely.

In recent years, Injustice has surprised us with unexpected characters such as Hellboy and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, so it isn’t outside of the realm of possibility to expect The Matrix‘s Neo, who’s rumoured to be one of the major day-one DLC characters.

It would be second time lucky as NetherRealms’ Ed Boon confirmed to Game Informer that the famous Chosen One almost appeared in Injustice 2.

Undoubtedly, all these DLC characters add some spice to the already awesome fighting game series, but it’ll be interesting to see how the developers outdo themselves with each new release. Including someone like Neo would automatically pique the curiosity of non-players.

Since Warner Bros. owns the distribution rights for The Matrix, the company is able to use its other owned stages, i.e. Injustice, to cross-promote its various properties. For the fans, it’ll look like a cool addition to the game, but it’s also a clever marketing ploy on Warner Bros.’ part.

Marketing potential aside, a character like Neo would fit into Injustice 3 like a glove. His unique fighting style is highly visual and something that players would get a kick out of performing. His combos would be next level and you can only imagine how his super move would be out of this world. Plus, wouldn’t it be incredible if Keanu Reeves voiced the character in the game as well?

Before we get too ahead of ourselves, let’s be cognisant that Neo’s presence in Injustice 3 is strictly a rumour and completely unconfirmed. The thing is, this is far more plausible than some of the other crackpot theories on the forums. It feels like it’s something that has more than a 50% chance of being true.

A title like Injustice 3 is an easy sell, especially if you’re able to play as everyone’s favourite bullet-dodger, Neo. We should hear more news about any developments soon, though it might be a long wait if the rumoured 2021 release date is true.

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Injustice 3 News, Theories & Leaks

Most theories and “leaks” about Injustice 3 centre around which new fighters we’ll get to see in the upcoming game. A brief look into the state of the DCEU could give us hints about who will join the fighter’s roster in the next Injustice.

King Shark

The rise in popularity that the Suicide Squad has experienced in recent years can’t be ignored by future Injustice games. King Shark would be an obvious choice as a newcomer to the roster, seeing as he’s also set to appear in the Rocksteady game Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League.

Ra’s al Ghul

One of Batman’s most prominent villains, Ra’s al Ghul as appeared in some of Injustice’s complementary media, but never in one of the games as a playable character. That could change with Injustice 3.

Other characters that we’re sure will make a comeback in Injustice 3 include Batman and the rest of the new Justice League (including Wonder Woman, Green Arrow, Green Lantern, Black Canary, Red Tornado, etc.). There’s also the possibility of Shazam making a return, seeing as how the Black Adam movie is set to release very soon. And don’t be surprised to see Lex Luthor, Harley Quinn, Martian Manhunter and Ocean Master too.

As is the tradition by now, there’s a very high likelihood that guest characters from Mortal Kombat make their way into the Injustice roster. The first game had Scorpion, while the second one had Sub-Zero and Raiden. Following that trend, it would seem like the next characters to join the superpowered fray could be Johnny Cage and Sonya Blade, or even Liu Kang.

Supposedly, leaks about the development of Injustice 3 have confirmed that Beast Boy, Raven, Starfire, Robin, Etrigan, Nightwing, Poison Ivy, John Stewart, Guy Gardner, Artemis, Metallo and Cyborg would all be part of the roster, giving us the chance to play as every member of the Teen Titans. If those rumours are true, then it’s very likely that we’ll also see the return of Deathstroke to the main roster.

Jonathan Andersen, a producer and senior production manager at NetherRealm Studios, might have leaked some drawings of the next Mortal Kombat game, so do we think that we will be getting an Injustice game, or another MK? The image was shared on Twitter in January, and the news was a giant bomb to the internet, raising a lot of questions about what the next one of the platformers will be.

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When is the Release Date for Injustice 3?

So far, there’s been no official word by NetherRealm studios about the development of Injustice 3 (not even during DC Fandome), but 2021 was a great year for DC fans, so it makes sense to think that the studio will have something to announce throughout 2022. Besides, Creative Director Ed Boon has been teasing the title for a while now, especially with little “AMA”s he has been running.

When pushed for a release date, Boon simply stated: “It’s hard to tell the timing because we don’t have a launch date that we’ve picked for our next game, and there are so many factors involved with the transition to the next consoles, et cetera.”

Is there an Injustice 3 coming? What is the release date for Injustice 3? What is Injustice 3 called? Is NetherRealm making Injustice 3? Who will be in Injustice 3? What characters are gonna be in Injustice 3?

The truth is nobody knows just yet. NetherRealm is definitely hard at work on something big, but no one really knows if it will be one of the two franchises we know or a new IP. It could be soon. It could be next year. But it’s definitely coming. The game is usually one that works well on a console, but we will have to see if it will release on the Nintendo Switch or even the PC.

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Tell us, are you excited about Injustice 3?

Details About Injustice 3 You Don’t Want To Miss Written by Staff Writer for Fortress of Solitude