Ed Boon, one of the lead developers of Mortal Kombat, asked his audience a simple question: what should the next installment of the series be called. He ran a poll among users of the X platform, offering the options Mortal Kombat 13, Mortal Kombat 12, and Mortal Kombat 2. The name Mortal Kombat 2 received the most support, with about 43% of the votes.
Separately, Boon launched a second poll in which fans had to choose between Marvel Tokon 2 and Marvel vs. Capcom 4. Marvel vs. Capcom 4 mostly came out ahead in this vote. According to the developer, the Marvel vs. Capcom series had been stagnant for a long time after the release of Infinite, and its revival is effectively linked to a fan-made mod that once again drew attention to fighting games featuring Marvel and Capcom characters.
The poll comes as Mortal Kombat 1 stopped receiving content updates in May 2025. This means active support for the previous game has ended, and the community's attention is gradually shifting to the future sequel. In May 2026, Boon confirmed that the next Mortal Kombat is already in development. This was a key message for fans awaiting a new installment of the franchise, and it opened the way for the discussion about the name.
Earlier, in September, rumors appeared online that Boon was working on Injustice 3 or testing a new Mortal Kombat. He denied these assumptions. Rumors about Injustice 3 were fueled, among other things, by a stunt performer's resume listing credits that, in the opinion of some community members, could point to the project. However, there were no official confirmations at the time, and Boon himself did not explain the origin of these versions.
Fan discussions often rely on how previous installments of the series were named, so the option with the number 2 in the poll has historical context for franchise enthusiasts. At the same time, the poll results are not an official decision by the studio, and the final name will be determined by the developers together with the publisher once more detailed information about the game is available.