June 2nd is a day we won't soon forget! Mortal Kombat Online was with you in the wee hours, counting down the final moments of a month-long build-up to Mortal Kombat X!

The Twitter-centric live event was a huge success -- attracting tens of thousands to Mortal Kombat Online, and launching "Mortal Kombat X" into the Worldwide Trending topics on the micro blogging social network [pictured right].

The excitement and global significance hasn't stopped there. Mortal Kombat is well and truly restored as a pop culture phenomenon -- leading stories across all the major gaming sites, and attracting an audience of millions to YouTube! On June 2nd alone, the Mortal Kombat X Announce Trailer received in excess of 2 million views!

That's a number that continues to rise steadily, already at the 3 million mark just 12 hours later!

This instant global impact bodes well for the online high concept pitch described by an accompanying press release: "Mortal Kombat X combines cinematic presentation with all new gameplay to deliver the most brutal Kombat experience ever, offering a new fully-connected experience that launches players into a persistent online contest where every fight matters in a global battle for supremacy."

Related Stories on Mortal Kombat Online:
• 06/03/2014 Feature: Mortal Kombat X Reveal Trailer Breakdown
• 06/02/2014 MOREtal Monday: Mortal Kombat X Scorpion Box Art
• 06/02/2014 Mortal Kombat X Press Release - New Characters, New Engine
• 06/02/2014 Whos Next? - Mortal Kombat X Reveal Trailer
• 05/31/2014 Whos Next? Supreme Mortal Kombat Champion Tournament 2014!
• 05/29/2014 Spotlight: Updated Mortal Kombat Dragon Logo Comparison
• 05/28/2014 Is This The First Promo Poster For Mortal Kombat Sequel? [Updated]
• 05/26/2014 Kountdown: 10 Returning Kombatants Ready to Kontinue!
• 05/19/2014 Kountdown: 10 Kombatants Ready for a Sequel Comeback!

From the Palace Gates of Shang Tsung's Island, to the invaded streets of metropolitan Earthrealm: The more things have changed, the more they've stayed the same! The tournament called Mortal Kombat has raged for over 20 years -- and for the first time since that momentous anniversary -- the game is about to change!

June 2nd will reveal the long awaited next instalment of Mortal Kombat! As the month of May winds to a close, we have been asked a simple question in promotional anticipation: Who's Next?

We asked a very similar question this time last year! In 2013, it was Smoke who emerged from the months of debate and thousands of votes as a controversial victor! Like the warrior himself - the conclusion was enshrouded in a fog of doubt and uncertainty. With the new game mere days from launch - and new measures in place - nothing can be taken as fact! True champions must defend their title, and we must ask the question eternal: Who is the Supreme Mortal Kombat Champion?

The ultimate fan voting tournament has become an annual tradition on Mortal Kombat Online - summoning the entire fanbase to agree on a single champion from sixty-four fighters! In 2014: the event will reflect the promotional cycle of a brand new game - introducing newly revealed elements as the tournament unfolds! Read on to learn more about what it all means and how you can join in!

Mother! You're alive! Not only that - it's the second Sunday of May! In the right parts of Earthrealm that means it's your special time of celebration: Mother's Day!

What better way to celebrate the gift of life and the importance of motherhood than with Mortal Kombat's most famous mother: Queen Sindel? She's the sometimes ruler of Edenia, mother of Princess Kitana, and Shao Kahn's deadly instrument of invasion! Oh, Mom. You always know just the right undead attacks to destroy us all!

Sindel is also the subject of many terrific works in the Mortal Kombat Online famous Fan Submission archive! We're reaching into the list to showcase some of the loving tributes to mortal motherhood! You can be a part of future Art of Kombat features if you register to submit your work for future consideration.

With the release of Injustice Mobile 2.0, new features have introduced new consequences for players. The arrival of multi-player has resulted in a ban crackdown on WBID sharing and other methods deemed unsporting.

An official statement about the bans was released via the Injustice Website. Something for players to consider, not just now, but for any potential future releases.

Since the launch of the Injustice: Gods Among Us mobile game multiplayer update, it has come to our attention some players are being banned from playing the game.

We believe for the majority of cases, this is happening due to our implementation of catches in the game that stop hackers/cheaters from playing the online battle mode. Those catches have resulted in banning of players who were not necessarily trying to cheat the system for a variety of reasons and we’re trying to resolve these issues.

One of the causes of this issue is the sharing of WBID credentials, something that players have been doing in order to unlock console content without having to play through the console game. Using a WBID profile in this way is actually hacking and the game will recognize that WBID account as such, and anyone using that WBID will be banned.

If any individual has hacked a particular WBID, all players sharing those WBID credentials could be banned. It is recommended that everyone signs up for a unique WBID.

If you are being banned for another reason, please go here to report the issue:
support.wbgames.com

Yesterday, we turned the spotlight on Sean Cantrell and his magnificent Mortal Kombat Lego. His blocky, toy inspired renders showed what might be if the world of Mortal Kombat were mere bricks and blocks. It was a wonderful proof of concept -- but what if you want to actually play with your toys?

Del Cottonwood is another industrious fan who has adapted the brutal world of Mortal Kombat into a simpler, blockier realm. Like Cantrell, he's adapted vast swaths of the Kombat cast, but in this case, they're downloadable skins for free-to-play sandbox sensation: Minecraft!

You would've had to have been lost in a pixelated underground cavern for the past few years to not know what Minecraft is. Launched in 2011; the stylized pixelated sandbox gives you a world of sky, water and earth to do with as you please. Its success has taken it to home consoles and driven an empire of paid alternatives, but the principle remains the same. Check out some of our favourites Minecraft Kombatants below:

For over twenty years arcade fighting fans have pondered the greatest question to challenge the world as we know it: Which game is better - Mortal Kombat or Street Fighter?

In an on-the-street interview with UFC Ultimate Fighter Frankie "The Answer" Edgar, celebrity gossip site TMZ quizzed the former Light Heavyweight Champion on his expert opinion about the greatest digital combatants. Watch the interview embedded below, with details following:

Bizarre headlines in the news? Unlikely changes in routine? Uncharacteristic announcements from trusted sources?... Why, it can only mean yesterday was April Fool's Day!

Medieval tradition has given way to acts of downright skulduggery, making April 1st the day of mischief, pranks & hoaxes. That's a topic Mortal Kombat knows well -- famed for its hidden secrets and in-game gags! As we restore normalcy to Mortal Kombat Online, we're reaching into the Fan Submission Archive to pay tribute to the hoax who made good: Ermac!

Learn more about Ermac's illegitimate origins in our hoaxes & phony characters feature story! Once inspired: Register to submit your kreations for discussion, archive & future feature consideration!

To users on Mortal Kombat Online he's known as Bleed: A long time contributor with a talent for developing characters in 3D models & 2D sprites [gallery].

To date; Gabriel "Bleed" Melendez has been noted as one of the driving forces behind a much discussed fan-made Mortal Kombat (1992) HD remake. His talents as a character artist have been exemplary, producing a professional level of content that has had fans salivating, and license owners justifiably concerned.

In the wake of Warner Brothers' intervention in "Mortal Kombat HD: Kommunity Edition" -- Melendez has become the voice of fate. A conduit through which a major corporation has made its presence known. When news of the shutdown spread, we talked to Bleed about what went down, and his general feelings about the project. You've read excerpts in the Saga of Mortal Kombat HD feature. Here is the unedited Q&A:

After 20 years as a successful franchise, its the sequel to the eponymous Mortal Kombat that many still regard with fondest memories. For fans who live and bleed Mortal Kombat, however, the tournament-centric original can never be completely forgotten. Such is the dedication of a focused group of industrious fans, who've applied themselves to independently designing and developing a playable revamp of the original dubbed: Mortal Kombat HD.

Determined by consensus; the objective of Mortal Kombat HD was to create a slavishly complete, high definition remake of the 1992 arcade classic. Built from the ground up, using popular 2D freeware engine MUGEN as a playable base and 3D models -- the project would be made of all original resources, designed to imitate the original as exactly as possible. Therein would lie the problem, however, leading to an effective shutdown of any intention to release a working product, rendered by Warner Brothers late last week.

While the enthusiasm of fans may lead them to desire otherwise, Warner Brothers' position represents an open and shut case. Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, but it's also a self-evident example of copyright and trademark infringement. Exceptions may exist at the prerogative of intellectual property owners who choose to overlook infringements, but they are always within their rights to shut down unlicensed fan projects.

On the surface, this would appear to be an effective end to the MKHD fan game as it was intended. To release any playable version to the public would be to court personal ruin. No fan will play it. Much less clear, however, is the exact motivation for Warner Brothers' intervention. While there is broad intellectual property protection and brand management to consider -- there is an extensive history behind MKHD.

Whacking Day is still a couple of months away, but that just means there are still plenty of snakey artworks slithering around to celebrate this year's St. Patrick's Day with!

We're painting Mortal Kombat Online green with a parade of the very best Reptile artwork housed in our world famous Fan Submission Archive! If you'd like a little luck of the Irish for yourself, register to submit your work for discussion, archive & future feature consideration!