Mortal Kombat set for 360, PS3 in 2011

Ed Boon-led NetherRealm Studios promises "most gruesome fatalities ever," cooperative and competitive tag-team modes.

It's been almost exactly a year since Mortal Kombat creator Ed Boon first promised that the next installment in the violent fighting game franchise would receive an M-for-Mature rating after a T-for-Teen crossover with DC Universe characters. Today, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment officially announced that project, simply called Mortal Kombat, will arrive in 2011 for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

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In announcing the game, the publisher played up its level of violence. WBIE president Martin Tremblay referred to the game as "reestablishing the brand" and Boon was quoted as promising the "most gruesome fatalities ever." That emphasis on violence was also reflected in a live-action teaser for a possible new Mortal Kombat movie that debuted earlier this week.

Beyond the series' signature gore, Mortal Kombat will also feature tag-team fighting gameplay. Gamers will be able to take their favorite pugilistic pairs online to compete against friends or put aside their differences and play through the game's new cooperative Arcade mode.

As always, Boon is shepherding the creation of the new Mortal Kombat, but the development team behind the game has a new name: NetherRealm Studios. A reference to the home of Mortal Kombat series antagonist Shao Kahn, the name reflects Boon's virtual tunnel vision on the franchise. Since the original Mortal Kombat debuted in arcades in 1992, Boon has worked almost exclusively on the fighter, with his most notable side project being the 2001 arcade shooter The Grid.

236 Comments

  • gatsuw83

    Posted Nov 2, 2010 4:52 pm GMT

    very good the MK return in the origins

  • supacew

    Posted Jul 20, 2010 4:57 pm GMT

    MK VS DC being T just ruined it. Im so excited to get back to classic MK

  • momo_missouri

    Posted Jul 9, 2010 1:52 pm GMT

    mk is the best game ever too bad kreate a fighter wont returning

  • griffinshotc

    Posted Jun 15, 2010 7:22 am GMT

    This should be good. I'm sure they are looking at our feedback. You know it's going to be tweaked alot more. I figured that's why it's not coming out until March 2011. Hate that I have to wait that long but it should be worth the wait. I'm super excited about this!

  • CrussianRussian

    Posted Jun 14, 2010 8:22 pm GMT

    I am pissing my pants with exitment!!!!!!!!!! Finaly Eddy goes back to the formula that works.

  • magnus29

    Posted Jun 14, 2010 5:33 am GMT

    Not a prob bro went back and read it...maybe some better punctuation and better sentence structuring would of fixed that...my bad as well =)

  • Eci

    Posted Jun 14, 2010 3:51 am GMT

    im a mk arcade fan since 1992 i hope the german version dont get cut

  • b-sounds

    Posted Jun 13, 2010 10:52 am GMT

    TOASTY!!

  • b-sounds

    Posted Jun 13, 2010 10:50 am GMT

    I am a massive Mortal Kombat 2 fan, so I'll well happy seeing this!!!; I also love Mortal Kombat 3. They just need to make sure the actual fighting system is deep and competitive like Super Street Fighter 4. Don't make the combat like the DC game, make a good combo system. Each fighter having slight differences. If they make this deep and competitive so that tournament play will blossom then that will be just the best thing EVER!! Bin any attributes that you may take from the DC game please!! Much love ＜（＠￣︶￣＠）＞

  • ShadowKazie

    Posted Jun 13, 2010 8:30 am GMT

    Wow...Mortal Kombat looks good. Let's just hope it goes back to the M-rated bloody goodness instead of that Teen rated MK vs DC garbage. I want blood!!!

  • leeko_link

    Posted Jun 12, 2010 9:42 am GMT

    Awesome trailer but it needs more Scorpion, Liu Kang, and Quan Chi in able to get me excited. Also why is Nightwolf using Rain's thunderbolt?

    Oh and yeah GameSpot Shao Kahn is from Outworld, not the NetherRealm to which Shinnok, Quan Chi, Scorpion and Noob Saibot reside in.

  • impost3r

    Posted Jun 12, 2010 2:16 am GMT

    @magnus29 You know what? In my mind I thought you were talking about the change to 3D GRAPHICS of SF. When I make a good point on the internet other people don't admit they were wrong and just argue back at me like morons. I'm not going to be a hypocrite. I see what you were saying now. I made a mistake.

  • KrazzyDJ

    Posted Jun 12, 2010 1:20 am GMT

    This might actually see the level of success that Street Fighter's revamp saw on the consoles with Street Fighter IV !!!

  • magnus29

    Posted Jun 12, 2010 1:11 am GMT

    @impost3r Try reading the post before telling me I have no Idea. Street fighter 4 is a success and largely due to the fact that it is not 3-d. Like I said look at streetfighter 4. I only meant Streetfighter 4 didnt have go full 3-D to be an awesome game and Mk will do well to stick to its origin style.....idiot

  • raiden2223

    Posted Jun 11, 2010 5:09 pm GMT

    Didnt like how the people had that same look as in DC, i was expecting something dif, but love the 2d and the Backgrounds are great, just what i was wantin in them. Wonder how it feels to play, how much it being 2d is going to speed up the gameplay compaired to the DC.

  • Quezakolt

    Posted Jun 11, 2010 4:43 pm GMT

    This kind of look like the same as the 3D games but restricted to a 2D line with no side-stepping. The graphics don't particularly strikes me as impressive. I wished it was a HD MK with the return of digitalized characters.

  • townsenda1

    Posted Jun 11, 2010 1:12 pm GMT

    I'm feeling this game. I bought the Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe when it came out and althought it was a great game, I missed that Mortal Kombat feel. This game looks great and can't wait for it to drop.

  • Burning_Typhoon

    Posted Jun 11, 2010 12:51 pm GMT

    @ WhiteStormy

    I agree. Although Deception also had great character designs. I liked it better when characters had a new outfit for every game. Just to keep things spiced up and varied. I mean, look at Tekken 6.... Everyone has the same outfits...

    Elderly Sub-Zero was so awesome.

  • Buck_Swaggler

    Posted Jun 11, 2010 12:46 pm GMT

    I can't believe this actually looks awesome. Could this be the MK I've been waiting for since MK2?