For that fan who purged their collection, or just never acquired a full catalogue, HBO Max has some good tidings! The Mortal Kombat movie catalogue has returned to the Warner Bros streamer, offering hours of action in live-action and animated features! Read on for details:
A subscription to HBO Max will once again grant you access to a veritable festival of kombat as seven movies return to the streaming platform. It includes the beloved 1995 Mortal Kombat directed by Paul Anderson, its 1997 sequel Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, 2021's live-action Mortal Kombat reboot directed by Simon McQuoid, and fourMortal Kombat Legends animated features!
The MK Legends direct to home media animated films explore an alternate version of the Mortal Kombat timeline beginning with the klassic tournament and rivalries of Scorpion's Revenge, conflict in Outworld and with NetherRealm in Battle of the Realms, post-apocalyptic future ruled by Kano in the Kenshi starring Snow Blind, and 1980s-infused action horror comedy that is Johnny Cage's descent into Hollywood Hell - Cage Match [pictured above].
It's the perfect way to prepare for Mortal Kombat II -- the sequel to 2021's movie franchise re-start that will be released in October. So what will you be watching first? Share your thoughts about the slate in the comments below and delve deeper into MK cinema in the Media & Merchandise category!
Long standing NetherRealm Studios Executive, Shaun Himmerick, has been promoted to the role of Senior Vice President overseeing Mortal Kombat and DC games as part of a Warner Bros Games corporate restructuring that formally prioritizes its major franchises. He is one of three studio heads given new senior roles as the company focuses on four tent pole brands. Read on for details:
Variety reports that Himmerick will
serve his role under Warner Bros Discovery CEO of Global Streaming and Games, JB Perrette, along with promoted Senior Vice Presidents from WB Games Montreal and WB Games New York, Yves Lachance and Steven Flenory, who will oversee development, production, and tech operations for Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, and other gaming & publishing concerns.
It is unclear if Perrette will fulfill the role of former Warner Bros Games President David Haddad, who exited the position in January, or if Himmerick and Lachance assume these responsibilities through their respective fiefdoms.
The restructure addresses the June announcement that Warner Bros Discovery would separate into two companies, with WBD Streaming & Studios retaining WB Games, led by CEO David Zaslav. The restructure did not incur the layoff of staff or any other executives, per Variety's reporting.
Perrette issued a statement via press release: "Our company is home to some of the biggest franchises in the world, and we are optimizing our team structure to develop long-term franchise roadmaps to delight players and fans of Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, Mortal Kombat and DC games. [...] We are very fortunate to have a strong stable of development and technology talent, and Yves, Shaun and Steven are respected leaders with excellent track records in their areas of expertise. I’m looking forward to working closely with them and the team as we work to make the best games possible for our key franchises."
Exactly what this standard corporate rhetoric means for the Mortal Kombat and DC Universe gaming branches remains to be seen. NetherRealm Studios has already moved on to its next project, formally ending Mortal Kombat 1 ahead of expected schedule with the digital release of Mortal Kombat 1 Definitive Edition. The developer continues to support Mortal Kombat Mobile and a mobile version of Injustice 2.
A third-party restoration of klassic Mortal Kombat titles is coming later this year in Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection, while it is widely speculated the developer may be returning to the DC Universe of characters, which were noted as still under the purview of Himmerick.
Injustice has remained relatively quiet in that time. The second game, and a related tie-in comic series, ended in 2018, spawning a single animated feature in 2021 based on the original game. The Injustice universe made a brief return under writer Tom Taylor in 2023 as part of a universe-hopping story in the Adventures of Superman: Jon Kent series.
After his appointment as CEO and Co-Chairman of DC Studios in 2022; filmmaker James Gunn revealed in vague terms that there were plans to connect games to the larger framework for his new unified multimedia DC Universe in film, television, and animation. Although this has included casting actors in live-action and animated roles, the new DC Studios has also accommodated unrelated projects, such as The Penguin series spun out of 2022's The Batman feature film. A sequel to the Matt Reeves directed movie is still planned and in development.
What do you hope the next step for NetherRealm Studios will be? Do you want to see another Injustice or a fresh take on the DC Comics characters? Share your thoughts in the comments below and look to the future in the Future MK Games & DC Universe categories.
For an age we thought they were treasures lost to time - but at long last the klassics are koming back! Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection is set to resurrect all your arcade favourites and more in an extensive retro collection developed by Digital Eclipse. The master kurators are leaving no stone unturned as they deliver an extensive interactive documentary experience to accompany over 20 versions of Mortal Kombat's seminal entries. Watch the announce trailer and get more details:
The long awaited kollection was announced during today's Sony State of Play for the PlayStation 5 & PlayStation 4, with a trailer that showcases and announces restored versions of Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat II, Mortal Kombat 3, and Mortal Kombat 4. The trailer also previews behind the scenes material featuring series co-creators Ed Boon & John Tobias, the fabled NetherRealm Studios arcade, and various original development materials. It will also be available for Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC. Wishlist today!
Digital Eclipse have established a deft hand at handling these kinds of retrospective collections, having previously curated the popular Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection, SNK 40th Anniversary Collection, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Cowabunga Collection, and Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration. Their kredentials with MK also include working on the Game Boy Color port of Mortal Kombat 4, and a 2004 plug-and-play release of the original MK, so it's fitting that among the versions available in the Legacy Kollection will be various handheld titles, including Game Boy Advance releases of Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance and Mortal Kombat: Tournament Edition! An incomplete list has been provided in a PlayStation Blog, teasing a few secrets still to come. See the list below:
Mortal Kombat – 1992: Arcade, SNES, Genesis, Game Boy, Game Gear
Mortal Kombat II -1993: Arcade, SNES, Genesis, Game Boy, 32X
Mortal Kombat 3 – 1995: Arcade, SNES, Genesis
Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 – 1995: Arcade, SNES
Mortal Kombat 4 – 1997: Arcade
Mortal Kombat Advance – 2001: Game Boy Advance
Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance – 2002: Game Boy Advance
Mortal Kombat: Tournament Edition – 2003: Game Boy Advance
???
Of course, every MK fan knows there's no knowledge that is not power, and no ancient secrets will be beyond your grasp in the final release. Rollback Netcode will take various titles online, and with a touch of the button you'll be able to customize your experience by unlocking all secret characters, settings, kodes, and "buried developer menus".
This is truly set to be the ultimate experience for fans of klassic MK, developed in konsultation with an Advisory Kouncil of tenured fans including MK Online's own DArqueBishop and Scott-Howell, with detailed materials exploring the characters and plotlines of the original MK timeline, extensive artifacts and lore from the archives, and creator interviews conducted by Area 5 - the team behind Grounded II: The Making of The Last of Us Part II. MK Legacy Kollection was
Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection will be released sometime later in 2025. Have you prepared yourself? What do you think of the long-awaited package of lost treasures? What do you hope to see? Share your thoughts in the comments below and dive even deeper into retro with the 2D Kombat Klassics and 3D Kombat Klassics discussion arenas!
The era of peace, tranquility and khaos reaches its ultimate form as Mortal Kombat 1 launches a value packed Definitive Edition! The official launch trailer confirms today's release with all existing downloadable content included in one package, with previously announced movie-inspired skins packed in. Watch for the definitive statement from this latest installment:
"An Era built for peace and tranquility is destined to fester with Khaos and deception" according to official description for the new edition, which bundles a tumultuous chapter for the long-running franchise. Although there is no official word at this time, the Definitive Edition is expected to conclude updates to Mortal Kombat 1.
Will you partake in the Definitive Edition of this latest installment? What do you think of the complete package? Reflect on the latest chapter in the Mortal Kombat 1 category and join the feedback and speculation in the comments below.
Prepare yourself! Kombat begins anew with a fresh wave of collaboration content coming to Fortnite! Klassic Kombat takes the fight to the Battle Royale arena, where the island will get a familiar makeover with three new MK map landmarks and characters! Watch the trailer and check out more official artwork:
Sub-Zero was a merely a cold harbinger of things to come for Fortnite's Lawless season! Scorpion has joined the Item Shop with his legendary harpoon spear, but you'll have to wait until April 1st to claim his mythic First Blood Medallion and Scorpion Kombat Kit by defeating him in the wild!
In addition to Scorpion's Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3-inspired masked, unmasked, and flaming skull skin variants -- fans can also look forward to sending retro Kitana and Raiden into battle! What they lack in alternate attire, they make up for with custom pickaxe, amulet and fan back bling,and "conducting rod" and "fan-nado" emotes.
MK pedants will immediately notice these designs are labelled "MK3" - which didn't add these characters until Ultimate and MK Trilogy revisions. You'll also have to make peace with with a slightly modified Kitana design, which adds short legs to a UMK3-inspired bodysuit, but otherwise, it's a very successful conversion to the Fortnite style.
If you have any grievances to lodge with the hugely popular game - you'll have to do it in Klassic Kombat across three superbly recreated MK3 and MKII stages coming to the island map. They'll look uncannily familiar to longtime fans, as depicted in preview art [below]:
If all of that somehow isn't enough -- you can also deck your very own Fortnite Lamborghini Countach in Scorpion and Sub-Zero inspired body decals -- and add "Kombat Wheel" hubs to your rims! It's a veritable embarrassment of kombat riches! Which will be shared with you in the form of XP when Kombat Quests launch 9AM ET on Tuesday, April 1st!
Task-based quests will net you 30,000 XP, with more quests becoming progressively available after you FINISH these initial missions:
Hit 10 players with Ice Slide
Deal 500 damage to players while on the bridge at The Pit
Shatter 5 players’ Shield beyond 10 meters
Collect the First Blood Medallion in 2 different matches
Hit an opponent with both a Kombat Kit air kick and uppercut within 5 seconds
Defeat Scorpion while carrying Sub-Zero's Kombat Kit
Fortnite is bringing the charms of klassic kombat into the modern battle royale. Will you be partaking? What do you think of Raiden and Kitana? Share your thoughts in the comments below and mix it up with other players in the Mortal Kombat 1 and 2D Kombat Klassics categories!
