The new Netherrealm Game is a Warner Bros. Crossover Platform Fighter
Yes. New IP technically.
Yes. It is based off Smash Bros (and now Nickelodeon All Stars, but this was in the works before Nickelodeon was even announced).
It's a Tag Team game. Not sure if that means you pick two characters and switch between them. Or if each "character" is actually a pair, or if each character is an individual and you only switch when you lose a stock. All I know is there's synergy between certain characters which implies custom teams.
Characters I Can Confirm Are In The Game:
- Shaggy (Scooby Doo)
- Gandalf (Lord of the Rings)
- Tom & Jerry
- Batman
- Fred Flinstone
- Mad Max
- Harry Potter & Ron are apparently in but the rights are weird so they stopped development on them? Not going to lie this may have been said in jest.
- Johnny Bravo
I know some more but I'm holding off on sharing until after the game's revealed.
Origin
I was told that the origin of this game was actually due to the memes based around Shaggy getting into Mortal Kombat in his "Ultra Instinct" form. Obviously NR wasn't going to put him in a game like Mortal Kombat, so ideas were tossed around and Warner Bros. loved the idea of combining their properties and establishing more Warner crossovers. As you obviously saw in Space Jam 2.
This is all I have to share right now. I know it sounds ridiculous but you're going to look back at this post soon and wonder how the fuck this was actually real. No idea when it's being announced, but it's been in development for awhile. So it wouldn't surprise me if it's at The Game Awards or showed early next year. No idea though.