Mortal Kombat 12 teaser hints at a possible timeline reset

A 30th anniversary video for the Mortal Kombat series has potentially hinted that the next game could reset the timeline.

The official Mortal Kombat Twitter account posted a video on Monday which thanked players for supporting the series for 30 years, but also notes: “We’re just getting started.”

The video is mainly a compilation of ‘thank you’ messages from developers who’ve worked on the series over the past three decades.

However, it then ends with a brief clip teasing that the upcoming Mortal Kombat 12 may wipe the storyline clear and start with a new universe.

In the video, series co-creator Ed Boon says: “Thank you Mortal Kombat fans for 30 years of amazing support.” He then adds: “We’re not quite done yet.”

The video then cuts to a sequence showing what appears to be sand falling from an hourglass. As the final grain of sand drops, it explodes, creating a Big Bang style effect.

A special hourglass, sometimes referred to as Kronika’s Hourglass, played a key role in the plot of Mortal Kombat 11.

Its Aftermath expansion in particular revolves around Liu Kang and his use of the Hourglass, which has the potential to rewind and rewrite time and history.

The image of the sand exploding and the tweet claiming that “we’re just getting started” has led some fans to believe that Mortal Kombat 12 will see some sort of reset of the game’s timeline.

In February, Warner Bros Discovery CEO David Zaslav stated during an earnings call that Mortal Kombat 12 – which until that point hadn’t been officially announced – will be released this year.

“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,” Zaslav stated. Suicide Squad was subsequently delayed to 2024.

Last year, the actor behind Johnny Cage appeared to tease that he was recording new material for the fighting game series.

In a now-deleted tweet, Andrew Bowen, who portrayed Cage in Mortal Kombat X and Mortal Kombat 11, posted a video revealing that he was at the Warner Bros. lot.