The latest era of Mortal Kombat may have just celebrated its first anniversary, but this is a game that is doing anything but getting old! As MK counts down to a second consecutive appearance at the Evo Championships in Las Vegas; Warner Brothers and NetherRealm Studios are reinvesting in a community that continues to grow around their most competitive entry to date.
When MK arrives at Evo 2012, it will be bolstered by a WB bonus prize purse of $20,000 -- a massive commitment that reflects the success of MK's penetration into the fighting community over the past year.
This long awaited arrival of one of America's longest running fighting franchises has been thanks in no small part to the grass roots efforts of regional tournaments, as well as the game developers themselves, who were fans of the scene heading in to production.
Series Producer and co-creator, Ed Boon, told of the push and pull between "casual" and "hardcore" philosophies in a 2011 interview with G4, "... Our designers are really into hardcore fighting and all of the mechanics that some of the more casual players don’t get into."
When Mortal Kombat Online spoke to top ranking community identity,
In the next two months, at least $3000 more will be added to Evo Series lead tournaments, garnishing a typically modest kitty thanks, in part, to NetherRealm Studios themselves. $1000 will be distributed amongst winnings at Ultimate Fighting Game Tournament 8 (May 25-27); East Coast Throwdown 4 (June 9-10); and CEO Fighting Game Championships 2012 (June 22-23). These additional funds will be distributed across top eight finishers, with a top three priority [via NFGRankings.com]:
The growth of Mortal Kombat in eSports is also being heavily supported by Major League Gaming, who added MK to a renewed fighting game component, earlier this year. Recent deals with CBS Interactive and TwitchTV are expected to greatly increase the reach of the MLG Pro Circuit [full story], which recently featured MK in a fan voted Prize Fights special, which brought together eight of the top fighters in a cash elimination bracket. vVv CD Jr strengthened his position as the face of MK competitive gaming, reprising his role as Winter Championship winner.
Mortal Kombat Online is walking the Road to Evo with the rest of the MKOmmunity and FGC. Discuss upcoming and previous tournaments on the forums! For direct updates from around the tournament scene, follow @MK_Online.
