Mortal Kombat 12 teaser promises it's "almost time" with hints at another series reboot

Another Mortal Kombat 12 teaser has dropped, and just like last one, it's a strong hint that the timeline is getting rebooted all over again.

The brief clip is called "it is almost time," and features an extreme close-up of a ticking clock. The hour hand is pointed at the 12 and the minute hand is pointed at the 9. We track the seconds hand as it goes from the 9 up to the 11, but then it skips 12 entirely and goes straight back to 1.

The implication that we're 'skipping' 12 to go back to 1 is pretty clear in Mortal Kombat terms, especially when the last game ended with the perfect setup for another timeline reset. The time-controlling hourglass that served as a central point in MK11 also appeared in the last teaser.

The 9 and the 12 could just be a bit of window dressing referencing the most recent series reboot, which began with MK9. But some fans are already speculating that these numbers could represent the new game's release date. Video games typically launch on Tuesdays or Fridays, so December 9 (a Thursday) wouldn't make much sense, but September 12 (a Tuesday) would. When Warner Bros CEO David Zaslav accidentally(?) revealed Mortal Kombat 12 in a financial report, he did note that the game was set to launch this year.

The question now is when Mortal Kombat 12 will go beyond cheeky teaser trailers and actually get a proper reveal. Given developer NetherRealm's love of obscure references and secrets - both in marketing and in the games themselves - be prepared for some more goofy hints before we see the meat of the game.

When a new Mortal Kombat launches, you can just about guarantee it's going to make our list of the best fighting games.