Injustice 2: Complete Guide

Everything you need to go from button-masher to solid player in Injustice 2 on PC: core mechanics, the defensive options that most new players ignore, the gear and Multiverse loop, roster notes, and how to practise.

Researched September 2026 — current as of the Legendary Edition update (level cap 30) and the final balance patch in May 2018. Live games change; check the linked sources if something differs.

Status note: Injustice 2 on PC (released November 2017, ported by QLOC) has not had a gameplay update since May 2018. WB Games still sells it and includes it in regular DC franchise sales (most recently June and July 2026). Online features depend on WB servers, so if online modes are unavailable, the offline content (Story, Arcade, local versus, training) still works.

Quick Start

1. Play the Story first. It unlocks nothing essential but teaches you a wide slice of the roster and gives gear.
2. Learn one character properly. Pick someone whose playstyle you like and spend time in Practice with their move list.
3. Block low. Most beginners get hit by low attacks. Hold down-back by default and switch to standing back to block overheads.
4. Learn your character's fastest attack (your "get off me" button) and one reliable combo.
5. Meter matters. Your super meter has four bars. Spend it on meter-burn specials, escapes, or your Super Move.
6. Use the defensive escapes. Air escape and rolling escape cost two bars each but can get you out of long combos or pressure.
7. Interactables are powerful. Background objects deal big damage. Be aware of where they are on each stage.
8. Turn off gear stats online. Competitive modes use standard characters; gear stats are for offline and Multiverse fun.
9. Do the tutorials. The Legendary Edition added an extended tutorial covering advanced concepts like blocking and corner combos.

Controls and Core Mechanics

The default layout uses four attack buttons plus meter burn, interact and character trait. Names are the same on keyboard and controller.

Unlike Mortal Kombat, Injustice 2 blocks by holding back (away from the opponent) rather than with a block button; hold down-back to block low. Throws use a button combination listed in the move list, and you can rebind everything in the options.

Movement and blocking

• High, mid, low, overhead: mids hit crouching players; lows must be blocked crouching; overheads must be blocked standing.
• Chip damage: special moves deal small damage through block.
• Backdash and forward dash are your main footsies tools. Learn how far your character's dash goes.

The super meter

The meter fills as you attack and take damage. You have up to four bars.

Clash

When your life drops into your second (final) health bar, you can, once per match, trigger a Clash during an opponent's blocked attack by holding forward and pressing Meter Burn. Both players secretly wager meter. If you win, you regain health; if the attacker wins, they deal damage. Wagering all four bars is common but predictable. Winning a Clash can turn a round.

Interactables

• Stage objects (cars, pillars, hanging chains, etc.) can be thrown, jumped off, or used to escape the corner.
• Power characters (like Superman or Bane) throw objects; gadget characters (like Batman or Harley) use objects in acrobatic or trap ways.
• Many interactables can be blocked; some are unblockable in specific situations. Learn which ones on your favourite stages.
• Stage transitions: on stages with transitions, use the transition input from the edge (shown in the tutorial) to send them into a new area for big damage.

Character Traits

Every character has a unique trait bound to the trait button. Examples: some characters get a temporary damage buff, some a projectile, some a defensive stance. Read your character's move list for exactly what it does, and learn its cooldown.

Roster

Base roster (28): Aquaman, Atrocitus, Bane, Batman, Black Adam, Black Canary, Blue Beetle, Brainiac, Captain Cold, Catwoman, Cheetah, Cyborg, Deadshot, Doctor Fate, Firestorm, Flash, Gorilla Grodd, Green Arrow, Green Lantern, Harley Quinn, Joker, Poison Ivy, Robin, Scarecrow, Supergirl, Superman, Swamp Thing, Wonder Woman.

DLC Fighter Packs:

The Legendary Edition bundles every DLC character and the Premier Skins. The level-30 cap, new gear sets and the extra tutorials came in a free update (March 2018) that every owner gets. If you're buying today, get the Legendary Edition.

Beginner-friendly picks

Pick based on feel. The skill difference between players matters far more than character strength at beginner level.

Gear, Levels and Multiverse

Injustice 2's loot system is what sets it apart from most fighters.

Gear

• Each character has five equipment slots (costume pieces), ability slots that swap or modify special moves (an additional ability slot unlocks at level 30), and a shader slot (colour scheme).
• Gear raises four stats: Strength, Defense, Health and Ability.
• Gear has rarity tiers and level requirements; the level cap is 30 (raised from 20 in the March 2018 Legendary Edition update).
• Gear sets grant bonuses when you equip multiple pieces of the same set.
• Augments add effects. Level 30 defence augments (Tank, Steamroller, Juggernaut) were added in April 2018.
• Premier Skins are full alternate characters (for example the Bruce Wayne skin) with unique voice and look.

Currencies and Mother Boxes

• Credits are earned by playing and used to buy Mother Boxes, regenerate gear to your level, and more. Old Regen tokens were converted to Credits in the Legendary Edition update.
• Source Crystals are the premium currency for cosmetics and transforms.
• Mother Boxes drop gear of varying rarity. You get them by playing modes, completing Multiverse events and levelling characters.
• Infinite Transforms let you change the look of gear without changing its stats.

Multiverse

The Multiverse is a rotating set of ladders with modifiers (handicaps, hazards, special rules) and objectives. It's the main place to farm gear and XP. Legendary Multiverses include DLC characters. Tips:

• Use Multiverse to level characters you're learning.
• Some events require specific characters or levels; check requirements before starting.
• The AI Battle Simulator lets you set up a gear-equipped team that fights automatically for rewards.

Guilds

Guilds hold up to 50 players and unlock guild-specific Multiverse events and rewards. Join an active guild early if online services are working for you.

How to Practise

1. Move list: Find your character's specials, their startup speed and which ones are safe on block.
2. Training mode: Turn on frame data or hitbox display if available, record the dummy doing one attack, and practise blocking it.
3. Bread-and-butter combo: Learn one mid-starting combo into a special, and one punish combo you can use after blocking a slow move.
4. Anti-air: Pick your best anti-air normal or special and practise it on a jumping dummy.
5. Punishing: Learn what's unsafe for common characters (big, slow specials usually are).
6. Play long sets: Fighting games are about adaptation. Ten games against the same opponent teaches more than ten random matches.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Jumping too much. Jump-ins are easily anti-aired. Use them sparingly.
• Throwing out unsafe specials on block. If your opponent blocks a slow special, you'll eat a full combo.
• Wasting meter. Blowing every bar on meter-burn specials leaves you without escapes.
• Clashing predictably. Always wagering the maximum is easy to read.
• Ignoring interactables. You'll take huge damage from objects you didn't know were there.
• Chasing gear stats in ranked. Gear doesn't affect competitive modes; practise fundamentals instead.
• Never blocking low. Low attacks are the most common way beginners lose.

Advanced Tips

• Frame advantage: learn which of your normals leave you plus on block so you can keep attacking safely.
• Corner play: most characters do much more damage in the corner. The Legendary Edition corner-combo tutorial is worth completing.
• Meter-burn on blocked specials can make an unsafe special safe or add damage.
• Escape spacing: rolling escape is a great tool against zoners; air escape is best saved for combos that would kill.
• Background interactions can be followed up in some combos. Learn stage-specific routes for your character.
• Trait timing: activate buffs at the right moment (for example after a knockdown) so the cooldown doesn't waste the buff.

FAQ

Is Injustice 2 still updated on PC? No. The last gameplay patch was in May 2018 (Firestorm, Dr. Fate and Joker adjustments, plus Discord Rich Presence and Simplified Chinese). WB still runs sales.

Which edition should I buy? The Legendary Edition. It includes every DLC character (the level-30 cap is a free update for everyone).

What's the level cap? 30, since the March 2018 Legendary Edition update, which also added an extra ability slot (unlocked at level 30) and extra inventory slots (unlocked at level 25).

Does gear affect online ranked? Competitive modes use standard character stats, so gear is cosmetic there. Gear stats matter in offline and Multiverse modes.

How do I Clash? Once per match, when you're in your second life bar, hold forward and press Meter Burn while blocking an attack (check the in-game tutorial for exact timing), then choose how much meter to wager.

Who are the DLC characters? Darkseid (pre-order), Red Hood, Starfire, Sub-Zero, Black Manta, Raiden, Hellboy, Atom, Enchantress and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Is Injustice 2 good for beginners? Yes. The Story mode and tutorials are strong, and the gear system gives you a reason to keep playing single-player content.

Sources

• Injustice 2 on Steam
• Injustice 2 Steam news (Legendary Edition, April and May 2018 updates, DC sales)
• Injustice 2 on Wikipedia