NetherRealm Studios

NetherRealm Studios is an American AAA game-development studio based in Chicago, Illinois. Operating as an internal development studio of WB Games Inc., it is best known for building fighting games that combine combat systems, high-fidelity character work and cinematic storytelling.

The team’s roots trace to Midway Games’ Chicago studio, where the original Mortal Kombat games were developed. Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment acquired the Chicago studio and Mortal Kombat intellectual property following Midway’s 2009 bankruptcy. After a brief period as WB Games Chicago, the studio was reorganized as NetherRealm Studios in 2010.

Franchise development

NetherRealm has continued the modern Mortal Kombat series with Mortal Kombat (2011), Mortal Kombat X, Mortal Kombat 11 and Mortal Kombat 1. It also collaborated with DC Comics on the Injustice series, including Injustice: Gods Among Us and Injustice 2.

Its work spans full-cycle AAA development, including:

• Fighting-game design, combat systems and gameplay balancing
• 3D character art, environment modelling, rigging, animation and visual effects
• Motion-capture production and performance direction
• Narrative and cinematic scene production
• Unreal Engine development and optimisation
• Quality assurance, playtesting and balance tuning

Production focus

The Chicago team works across console and PC development, supported by motion-capture, audio, narrative, engineering and QA capabilities. Its games are designed around competitive fighting mechanics while also delivering story-driven cinematic campaigns.

NetherRealm previously maintained an internal mobile-development unit responsible for projects including Mortal Kombat Mobile, Injustice 2 Mobile and Mortal Kombat: Onslaught. Warner Bros. restructured that mobile operation in July 2024 and sunset Mortal Kombat: Onslaught; the studio continues as an active AAA console and PC developer.

As part of Warner Bros. Games, NetherRealm remains focused on interactive entertainment and competitive fighting-game development, carrying forward a Chicago-based creative lineage that began with the original Mortal Kombat team.