We love a good fight, but ever since the first Mortal Kombat invited players to test their might against various chopping blocks -- we've liked alternative mini-games too. Over time these modes developed into full-fledged games unto themselves and Ed Boon has isolated four of the best to ask fans which they'd most like to bring back. Read on for detail:

NetherRealm Studios' Chief Creative Officer has been back polling fans via Twitter, asking everything from preferred superhero disaster movie, to which rival fighting franchise should make a comeback.

The poll we're most interested in asked fans which single mode they'd most like to bring back in a future MK. A stunningly perfect 72,500 voters showed up to tell us what we probably could've guessed: The Konquest adventure mode is fans' preferred extra-kurricular kombat activity!

Although Konquest emerged as a clear fan-favourite with a 44.3% share of the vote, it beat out Armageddon Mario Kart-like racer, Motor Kombat, with a respectable 33.1%. They finished clear of Deception bonuses Chess Kombat (18.1%) and Puzzle Kombat (6.5%).

Only (MK) Fans. ???? If you could bring back only ONE of these into a future MK game....

— Ed Boon (@noobde) March 19, 2023

Originating as an open world adventure through six core realms in Mortal Kombat: Deception, Konquest featured new playable story-driven protagonists, Shujinko and Taven, with a revamped play style for Armageddon that brought it somewhere closer to adventure spin-off Shaolin Monks.

Fans got a taste of the free roaming modes in Mortal Kombat 11 and MKX with their Krypt modes letting players wander 3D rendered environments to search for unlockable material, but each lacked the heft and story driven consequence of the now-classic Konquest modes.

Fighting games have often pushed the boundaries of their genre since leaving arcades for home consoles. Similar robust adventure modes have appeared in other fighting games, such as Tekken 5, and upcoming features in Street Fighter 6 have drawn wide comparisons to Mortal Kombat equivalents.

Does this latest interest suggest something coming in the future? We now know a twelfth Mortal Kombat is on the way, but interest in a Mortal Kombat adventure mode has been a recurring topic in recent years, and there are no guarantees it will be making a return. In a recent Q&A, Boon did describe a new Konquest mode as more likely than re-releasing Deception.

Last August marked thirty years since the official arcade release of the first Mortal Kombat -- meaning we're right in the middle of a pearl jubilee year! With anticipation growing for an upcoming sequel, Warner Bros Games has paid homage to the franchise with new official posters. Take a look:

French artist Julien "Rico Jr" Rico shared two posters commissioned by Warner Bros Games via social media, repurposing familiar images from the recent Mortal Kombat 11 (and Mortal Kombat X) to highlight some of the longest tenured and best known characters from the games. A second poster puts the spotlight on Sub-Zero -- blasting ice at the viewer in Rico Jr's trademark vector style.

Series co-creator Ed Boon all but confirmed a new game coming in 2023 during a social media Q&A. Warner Discovery CEO David Zaslav made it official while hyping upcoming releases during an earnings call presentation last week.

[Related Article: Mortal Kombat Celebrates 30th Anniversary with Retrospective Video]

Boon led anniversary celebrations with archival footage taking fans into the creation of the original game. His clips revealed moments of inspiration, creating Scorpion's spear attack, Sub-Zero's unique stance, Raiden's teleport, and Sonya Blade's leg grab.

How have you been celebrating thirty years of kombat? Share your nostalgia with us in the comments below, and go deeper into retro in the 2D Kombat Klassics forum. If looking forward is more your speed, join the anticipation of coverage & conversation in the Future MK Games forum!