I think we can all agree that Injustice: Gods Among Us was absolutely bonkers (in the best way possible). The combination of smooth mechanics, robust DC characters roster, and engaging narrative made the first one a standout title in the fighting game genre. Luckily, it looks like most of what made the first game so great is going carry over in the sequel, Injustice 2—albeit with a few improvements. Here’s everything we know so far.

UPDATE 05/28/17

Now that Injustice 2 has finally launched and proven itself to be one of the best brawlers to hit consoles in a while (read our bat-tastic review here), it’s time to get stoked about upcoming downloadable characters. First up is fan favorite and former Boy Wonder, Red Hood. NetherRealm dropped a new clip showcasing Hood’s brutal combat techniques.

What you’ll notice is that Red Hood uses a mix of ranged attacks with his dual pistols and ninja stars. He also doesn’t appear to be much of a slouch when it comes to melee attacks. Deadshot players could now have another gun-slinging fighter to choose. Let’s also take a second to appreciate the fact that NetherRealm chose to pit a former Robin against the current one in this clip. Bravo.

The first fighter pack that includes the above brawler will launch in June.

UPDATE 05/09/17

Admittedly, Injustice 2 has a lot of moving parts that make it difficult to understand what’s new to the sequel and how it will change the way you play, so NetherRealm has dropped a handy new Everything You Need to Know clip showcasing every aspect of the game (of course, you can just read the rest of this article as well). Since this is a direct sequel, the clip gives you an overlook of the ongoing battle between Batman and Superman, which has lead to the shattered alliances. There’s even an overlook of the factions that are battling for supremacy, including Superman’s badass team: Robin, Wonder Woman, Cyborg, and Black Adam.

Furthermore, there’s a quick explanation of what the Multiverse mode and Guilds will add to your gameplay experience by constantly rewarding you with rare gear for simply completing challenges. And if you want to take the fun on the go, Injustice 2 Mobile will also give you a chance to unlock gear for its console counterpart. The plethora of content included in the package appears to be quite expansive. If the quality is on-par with the original, this has the possibility of being a real winner. Inhale the video above.

UPDATE 04/29/17

Multiverse Gameplay Revealed

Injustice 2 is already looking like a jam-packed experience with more than enough characters and content to keep most fighting fans pleased. Now we have a 13-minute look at the Multiverse mode. This mode is similar to the Tower seen in Mortal Kombat X, but this time you’ll be choosing a parallel planet that throws you into a gauntlet where you’ll have to face off against a certain number of foes. Upon completion you’ll be rewarded handsomely. To get a better look, consume the clip below.

For many, the Mortal Kombat Tower added a lot of value, and I believe that the Multiverse mode will have the same result here. It’s a great way of reimagining a mode that worked in another series.

New Challenger Clips

The Joker

Surprise, surprise, Batman’s greatest nemesis is back for more trouble. Despite basically being obliterated in the first game’s narrative, it looks like the clown is back, but this time with a new look and some new moves. The look is obviously kind of strange, especially when you compare it to the first game in which he looks more like the comic book version. This time around he actually looks like a combination of some of the Joker incarnations from recent films. I’m not a huge fan of this choice, but his attacks look pretty silly and I’m all about that. He uses an array of demented clown tools like laughing gas, the hand-shake shocker, and even has a huge intimidating knife for close combat. He also brings out an electric chair rigged with dynamite, because why not? Take a gander at the clip above.

Darkseid

Since Batman gets to see his nemesis make a comeback, so does Superman. We already knew the ruler of planet Apokolips would be a pre-order bonus character, but now we get to see the brutal being in all his glorious ass-kicking action. He’s got powerful melee attacks to go along with his Omega Beams shooting out of his eyes, to keep the foe at a distance when need be. Chaining his kicks with jabs and Omega Beams appear to do a whole lot of damage. His special is also freaking nuts as he launches the enemy into space with his Omega Beams. Feast your eyes on the clip above.

Brainiac

Finally, we get a better look at the villainous genius doing his thing–I can’t imagine Superman is all too happy to see him again. The Injustice 2 version emphasizes tentacle attacks that have good reach and work well when trying to chain combos. For his special, he recruits the help of his ship and mechanical friends to do some heavy damage. Check it out above.

UPDATE 04/17/17

The Injustice 2 roster is finally rounding out, and as a result, we’re getting more gameplay footage. Today we get to see one of Bat’s most iconic foes, Poison Ivy, on display. Dr. Pamela looks rad in action as she mixes in a nice combo of close range combat with some ranged attacks utilizing plant life. There’s a nice balance there, and potential for a very powerful fighter in the right hands. Feast your eyes on the clip below to witness a nightmare-inducing plant.

Her ranged attacks are almost reminiscent of Scorpion– that is until her giant plant friend comes out to eat the unfortunate adversary.

Characters

To go along with the roster list below, there are four additional DC characters (including one brand new reveal), some of which are more recognizable than others, to join the fight. Here’s a list of the brawlers along with their official descriptions from NetherRealm.

Dr. Fate

“Powerful sorcerer Kent Nelson wears the Helm of Fate and sees the fate of all mankind, for better or worse. He knows the world will end — either by Brainiac’s hand, or in a war between Batman and Superman. Though the Helm compels Kent to preserve this grim fate for the sake of Order, Kent’s humanity compels him to intervene on behalf of his heroic friends — and risk the unforeseeable consequences.”

Cyborg

“Victor Stone lost more than his friends at the tragedy of Metropolis, he lost his hope. His anger tempered his loyalty for Superman and he has remained eager to serve the Regime. With the world left unprepared for the looming threat, Cyborg may be the only one who can combat the technological might of Brainiac.”

Catwoman

“Consistently walking the line between hero and villain, Selina Kyle’s pilfering past as Catwoman prevents Batman from ever placing his full trust in her. As the ashes of the Regime give rise to the sinister Society, the Caped Crusader must once again speculate where this thieving feline’s loyalties lie.”

Cheetah

“When archaeologist Barbara Ann Minerva betrayed Wonder Woman to claim the powers of a god, she was unaware that she would be cursed to live a life transformed as the Cheetah. She now uses her primal powers to take revenge against Wonder Woman, drawing her out of hiding in hopes of bringing about her doom.”

Deadshot

Big news was announced today regarding some of the talent attached to this highly anticipated fighter. The talented Matthew Mercer will be voicing Deadshot. You may know his work from other popular video games like Overwatch and Final Fantasy XV. His work is impeccable, so this is great news for those who want an even better narrative than the one seen in the first game. Here’s a Tweet from the actor announcing the big news:

Just got the go ahead that I can proudly announce I am voicing Deadshot in the upcoming #injustice2 video game! 'Tis an honor to be a part.

— Matthew Mercer (@matthewmercer) February 22, 2017

Congrats to Matthew Mercer. But that’s not all, NetherRealm dropped a brand new trailer highlighting some of the major plot points that’ll be unwravelling in the narrative. We got a great look at some of the cutscenes and even get a glimpse at the beef stewing between Batman and Superman. The action looks as good as it has ever been, and the animations on the characters looks bloody fantastic. Even the characters’ faces look great. Rather impressive, NetherRealm. Take a gander at the clip below.

Black Canary

NetherRealm has released a new gameplay video today, highlighting one of the new Injustice 2 brawlers, Black Canary. Her fighting technique focuses on close combat, and if used correctly, is capable of quickly overwhelming an opponent. She’s also equipped with the sonic Canary Cry to really screech fear into her foes. Check out the clip below.

Swamp Thing

The announcements just keep coming. Today, IGN exclusively revealed that Swamp Thing would be making his way Injustice 2. Check out his character trailer below:

His official bio reads:

“The living elemental, Swamp Thing is the protector of all plant life, what he refers to as “the Green.” As the violent affairs of humanity threaten to impact fauna worldwide, Swamp Thing prepares his return to the fray to defend “the Green” from destruction.”

For more on the reveal, head to our full report.

Launch

Waiting for a game to launch, especially one with this much hype surrounding it, is extremely brutal. But fret not my good friends, we only have to wait a few months to get our hands on this bad boy (unless you get into the betas):

It’s official! The release date for the Americas is here! pic.twitter.com/caoFzF613B

— Injustice2 (@InjusticeGame) January 7, 2017

There will be three purchasable versions: Standard, Digital Deluxe (which comes with three DLC characters), and the Ultimate Edition— which is set to include nine DLC characters, three premiere skins, and two gear-shader packs. Although there wasn’t an official announcement, the Ultimate Edition inadvertently revealed that Green Lantern will be playable.

We also know that Darkseid will be a pre-order bonus character. At the time of writing, there’s no word on whether you’ll be able to get him later on down the line if you don’t fork over the money before the game launches.

Story

Since it is a direct sequel to Gods Among Us, Injustice 2 will be continuing the same plot. In short: our favorite DC heroes are still reeling from the catastrophic events from the first game while trying to piece society back together.

The Lines Are Redrawn.
Find out more 01.17.2017 #Injustice2 pic.twitter.com/bG4DX2wtye

— Injustice2 (@InjusticeGame) January 13, 2017

In the first entry, the not-so-nice version of Superman was defeated and put into a cell that could suppress his powers. But the very end of the game shows his eyes lighting up red, suggesting he still has some of his abilities. So the sequel will focus on the heroes facing those who want to restore Superman’s Regime.

Gameplay

Don’t expect an overhaul when it comes to the fighting mechanics in the sequel. You’ll still be able to use the environment to pound foes, pull off some over-the-top specials, and manage your special meter, but there are some fixes to make the experience that much better. IGN got the scoop on the new mechanics; according to their report, most environmental attacks can now be blocked, which is a big deal since these moves were such an important factor in the first game. Now your opponent really has to catch you off-guard to pull off one of these attacks.

Staying in line with the defensive upgrades, every character now has a forward evasive-roll that will give you certain frames of invincibility for the price of one meter segment. This will make battles with opponents who zone a lot a bit more manageable if used properly. There will also be a way to evade some juggle combos for a brief second in mid-air, but it will cost you two meter segments, and will only give you a short period of invincibility. Using this evasion maneuver will be tricky, but a match-saver if done correctly.

And to make the matches feel faster, the walking speed was also increased. It may not be apparent right away, but the change was made deliberately to speed the game up.

iZombie Rahul Kohli Plays Through Injustice 2

Some more gameplay footage has hit the internet, but this one is a bit more special. This time around, NetherRealm recruited iZombie‘s Rahul Kohli to play the game with the studios’ Tyler Lansdown providing important commentary. There’s a good amount of information about the new character, Black Canary, including some of the tactics you can take advantage of when choosing her as a brawler. Enjoy the informative and entertaining clip below. For more on the clip, read this.

The Flash Gameplay

Since the very first trailer for Injustice 2, we’ve been wanting to see individual gameplay for the Flash, and it’s taken quite a long time to get it. Luckily, we waited for something awesome, and now we get to see just how the Scarlet Speedster puts his physics-breaking powers to good use while fighting the likes of Gorilla Grodd. Take a look!

Man, the Flash does not mess around. Not only is he punching so fast he changes position on the screen–and punching so fast that Grodd’s body doesn’t even react until well after he’s finished–but he also, as a sweet special move, drags his opponent through time, throwing them into the nose of the Egyptian Sphinx, then back to prehistoric times to toss them at the face of a Tyrannosaurus Rex, and then finally returning to five seconds before he left in the first place and throw the opponent AT THEMSELVES! Holy cats, the Flash might be the most powerful hero we’ve ever seen!

Special Moves

We’ve already seen plenty of Injustice 2‘s new fighters broken down in gameplay videos, but a brand new IGN First clip has dropped, detailing every special move from the brawlers that have already been revealed. And let’s be real, the spectacularly over-the-top special moves are one of the best aspects of the game, and it’s no different in Injustice 2.

Inflicting pain in the this game is no doubt going to be a total blast. New characters like Swamp Thing and Grodd also bring a cool yet brutal new sauce to the table.

Gear

The most talked about addition to the game has to be the new gear system. You’ll be earning gear (armor and such) and experience points after every match you play, which will allow you to customize your character to look completely different from the stock version of the character. The new armor will also give your character minor stat boosts that will make your brawler fit your style of play.

Roster

What’s a good fighting game without a laundry list of combatants from which to choose? NetherRealms is promising the largest DC roster ever seen in a fighting game—which will not only include the fan favorites, but some obscure characters that will please long-time fans of the DC Universe. On NetherRealm’s official website, there are 36 character slots; 16 of which have already been revealed. Keep in mind, some of the yet-to-be-revealed character slots on the official site may very well be DLC characters. As of right now, we know there will be 9 post-release fighters.

Here are the characters we know of so far, as well as their official bios from the Injustice 2 website:

Black Canary

“Dinah Lance nearly sacrificed everything in her fight against the Regime but was forced to flee, before the fight was done. Now, with Batman restoring order, Black Canary has returned home to set things right, vowing to never again silence her canary’s cry.”

Robin

“Raised from birth by the League of Assassins, Damian Wayne has always struggled with Batman’s non-lethal code of honor. Now in direct opposition with his father, Damian seeks a new mentor in Superman — whom he considers to be more of a father than Batman ever was.”

Brainiac

“Brainiac is a megalomaniacal genius who roams the universe, collecting knowledge to increase his intellectual and scientific prowess. Obsessed with establishing his superiority, Brainiac captured Krypton’s greatest cities, then eradicated what remained…or so he thought. Tales of the “Last Son of Krypton” have reached far into the stars. Now, the Collector of Worlds comes to Earth to finish his accumulation of Krypton — and discovers a new world worthy of his collection.”

Poison Ivy

“Dr. Pamela Isley was once an innovative, radical botanical biochemist with a singular goal: make the world safe for plant life to flourish. She joins the Society to further their common interest in bringing mankind to its knees, but at heart, Ivy’s desire is to ensure that in any new world order, flora dominates fauna.”

Bane

“After Superman’s defeat, Bane was betrayed by the Regime and relentlessly pursued by Batman. Having already spent most of his life in prison, he is determined to take revenge against his former Regime masters and turn Gotham into a city where his rule is law.”

Batman

“Even after he’s been exposed to the world as Batman, Bruce Wayne keeps his vow to avenge his parents’ death by fighting for justice. He refuses to execute his enemies, believing that once he crosses that line, he’s no better than the cowards he battles.”

Blue Beetle

“Jaime Reyes sought Batman’s help in learning to use the Scarab, an alien weapon of mass destruction bonded to his spine. Although the Scarab could pose a deadly threat to the entire planet, kindhearted Jaime is determined to protect people, wary of the corruptive influence of great power he witnessed under the Regime”

The Flash

“Once known as the fastest man alive, Barry Allen has hung up his boots in public shame after defecting from the Regime. However as a new enemy threatens the innocent, the Flash returns to action, determined to redeem himself.”

Harley Quinn

“Since the fall of the Regime, Harley Quinn has found little solace in the incarceration of Superman. Still feeling a tremendous void left by Joker’s death, Harley remains an unstable and uneasy ally. Resolute in her conviction, she refuses to let fugitives, assassins, or even criminals she once called friends stand in the way of her exacting revenge upon the man who silenced the Joker’s laugh.”

Superman

“After the fall of the Regime, Superman now remains a permanent resident of a prison built to contain and suppress the man of steel. Still grieving the loss of Lois and their unborn son, Superman maintains that peace can only be achieved through subjugation — But as a new threat looms, can old enemies forge new alliances?”

Supergirl

“As a child Kara Zor-El witnessed the devastation of Krypton before she was sent to Earth on a mission to protect her infant cousin, Kal-El. Arriving on Earth decades too late, she discovered that grown-up Kal has been imprisoned. Still determined to protect her family, and its legacy, Kara will fight her cousin’s enemies as Supergirl.”

Wonder Woman

“An exiled sister of Themyscira, Wonder Woman remains in hiding after the fall of the Regime. Still an ardent believer of Superman and his rule, Wonder Woman awaits her opportunity to strike back against Batman and free Superman from his imprisonment.”

Deadshot

“Floyd Lawton is “the” human arsenal, his aim lethal from any range. Having escaped imprisonment during the Regime, he now enters the fray as an expert assassin for hire, forced to contend with the fact that Grodd has come into possession of the detonator to the Personal Explosive Device implanted in his head.”

Gorilla Grodd

“Telepathic brute, Gorilla Grodd, has long sought to prove his peerless genius by subjugating mankind. He’s gone so far as to form an anti-Justice League, the Society, to once and for all smash their opposition. Using his intellect and telepathy Grodd enlists others in his mission to conquer the planet and fill void of power left by Superman’s Regime.”

Aquaman