The Mortal Kombat 11 Closed Beta will begin in less than a week! Players who've secured pre-order access for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One will be eager to know what awaits them beginng March 27th. The latest MK11 trailer is filling everybody in! Watch:

A successful online stress test has whetted the appetite of fans eagerly awaiting Mortal Kombat 11! Next comes the Pre-Order Closed Beta that will offer even greater access to those who've secured purchase of the final game. The official international schedule is now available to help you prepare to download as soon as it begins! Check it out:

Pre-orders will get players early Beta Access to Mortal Kombat 11 at the end of the month, but a limited sign-up process is now open for a stress test of online code beginning next week! Details:

Mortal Kombat X was one of the most successful installments in the long running franchise, but if you somehow missed out on one of the five million copies shipped -- you can get a taste for blood by playing via Xbox Live weekend for freeeeee!

A major update is coming to Mortal Kombat X in 2016! By popular demand; NetherRealm Studios will invite fans to participate in a closed beta test for an announced enhanced overhaul of the online experience! Accepting submissions next week; the beta will introduce an all new model for online play with emphasis on reducing discernible lag.

Creative Director Ed Boon has dropped an enticing message for Mortal Kombat X fans on Twitter. The slightly cryptic note: a promise of much more good news beyond the imminent, controversial Kombat Pack 2.

Whether you've got a beef with a creative choice, netcode, DLC, or just think your kung fu is good - the ultimate challenge awaits you online with Mortal Kombat X! NetherRealm Studios developers will be prowling the wilds of Xbox Live today at 3:00PM CDT, accepting challengers as they stream live on Twitch!

NetherRealm Studios' commitment to the competitive eSports scene established a new era for their flagship series with Mortal Kombat (2011). In 2015, the next generation of kombat takes the fight a step further with the ESL Mortal Kombat Pro League!

The ESL League will draw from the world's top competitive players, taking advantage of ESL's global eSports infrastructure to offer tournament challenges to players from North America, Russia, The United Kingdom & Europe! April begins with The Fatal 8 exhibition tournament -- an invitational bracket launching the pre-season with a high calibre face-off in Mortal Kombat X!

Mortal Kombat X introduces a new generation of fighters, story and experience when it arrives for home consoles, April 14! Players will enter the battle with a whole new array of characters and modes to choose from - as previewed in this exciting new trailer!

2014 may pose challenges to online gaming across multiple Mortal Kombat platforms as disparate services formally cease operation. GameSpy announced their impending closure last week; while Games for Windows Live was put on the chopping block by Microsoft in the middle of last year.

As reported by Polygon; the GameSpy online multiplayer and matchmaking platform used for Mortal Kombat (2011) will cease function May 31st.

GameSpy Technologies has remained autonomous since being acquired by Glu Mobile in August 2012, operating independently to the GameSpy website bought and shut down by Ziff Davis in 2013. Unrelated; GameSpy Technologies ceased software licensing in January 2013, having shut down multiple online servers -- a sign of the direction to come.

Joystiq reported speculation [January] that Games for Windows Live function will cease July 1st. Marked for death last year; Windows Live Marketplace lead the coming closure, ceasing operation last August. The GFWL shut down will affect online function for Mortal Kombat: Arcade Kollection.

Update (May 12): Mortal Kombat (2011) for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 & PC has begun migration to new online servers. A statement was released via the Official Facebook:

We are currently in the process of migrating Mortal Kombat 9 (for PS3, Xbox 360 and PC) from Gamespy’s servers and expect things to go smoothly. During the transition, players may experience an interruption of online play and matchmaking and we ask for your patience during this time. Players will not experience interruptions to offline play throughout this process.

After May 31, Mortal Kombat 9 for PS Vita will only support ad-hoc multiplayer.