As everyone gathers together with friends and family this holiday season, we here at MK Online have another reason to celebrate. It hardly seems like it, but nine years ago today MK5.ORG, the site that would eventually become known as Mortal Kombat Online, opened its doors for the first time. A lot has happened since then, including the release of four console Mortal Kombat games (back then, even the release of one seemed to be a distant dream), four handheld MK games, and the resurgence of the Mortal Kombat franchise. It's been a long road travelled.

So, what does the future bring for us? In 2008, Midway plans on releasing Mortal Kombat 8; details of this game have been scarce, other than a projected release date, the use of Unreal Engine 3, and the intention to return MK to its dark and gritty roots. We'll be continuing our coverage of the game as new information becomes available. Site-wise, we'll be beginning the process of rewriting the site code to a new version. We've been running V.7 since the release of Mortal Kombat: Deception, and we feel it's time for a new release. We may not have it done this year, as we want to make sure it's done right, but we will be working on it.

In closing, all of us at Mortal Kombat Online want to wish all of you a very safe and joyous holiday season, whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or another holiday. We're thankful to have had you join us through these past nine years, and we look forward to serving you, the community, as the release of Mortal Kombat 8 comes closer.