Well, this is a bit strange. Highly anticipated Genshin Impact rival Wuthering Waves launched late last night,?? and after battling some random crashes and disconnects I?? was able to finally progress and make a friend in-game to chat with.

In the midst of chatting back and forth, I asked curiously: "Do you also play Genshin Impact?" However, to my surprise, my message "Con??tains prohibited word(s)", and therefore was not sent.

Out of sight, out of mind

At first, I was convinced I had some sort of typo or one of those hidden bad words somewhere in my brief message. You know, the reason we can't say assassin in most games. But after carefully typing out the message again, I got the same response: something in my message was a prohibited word?.

Surely developer Kuro Game Studio wasn't actually blocking us from saying Genshin Impact, right? Well, turns out they are. I tried sending just "Genshin Impact", and received the prohibited word response. Curious, I quickly tried Genshin" and Impact, both of which went through without a problem. The message became clear: no talking about Genshin Impact in our Wuthering Waves.

Are these even competitors?

I've encountered these before in smaller random mobile games that block other popular game titles in the same genre from being talked about. At the end of the day, they don't want players leaving to play those bigger-budget titles in the same genre. But to see it happening in Wuthering Waves, one of the most highly anticipated titles in the genre with over 30,000,000 (yes that's a ??million) pre-registers, was no??t something I was expecting.

Curious, I started spamming other games in the genre to see if any more "contained prohibited words". To my surprise, it let me type most of them without any issues. Tower of Fantasy, Honkai: Star Rail (in as many variations as I could think of), Nikke, Epic 7, were all sent just fine. Could it really just be blocking Genshin Impact only?

Nope. I randomly tried World of Warcraft and to my surprise, it is prohibited. Warcraft by itself is not, but the full MMORPG game name is not. I tried probably over 100 ot??her game titles and really can't figure out the determination in what they chose to block. Here are all the prohibited words I encountered:

• Genshin Impact
• World of Warcraft
• Lost Ark
• Mortal Kombat
• Stellar Blade

The first three I can sort of understand. I guess? Not really, but maybe? But Mortal Kombat and Stellar Blade? Why? I quickly googled to see if there were any search results for "Should I play Mortal Kombat or Wuthering Waves?" and while I didn't find anything about that, I did find a ton of Wuthering Waves vs Genshin Impact comparisons and questions, which is to be expected. Mortal, Kombat and even Kombat are fine. Just not the combined Mortal Kombat.

It's really quite random? and has me perplexed enough that ?for the last hour or so I've been typing a flurry of random games, phrases, and even character names to see what else may be censored instead of actually progressing. I'll update the above list if I find anything.

The post Wuthering Waves doesn’t want us talking about Genshin Impact, Mortal Kombat, or Stellar Blade appeared first on Destructoid.

Nothing fills my blackened heart with gaming joy more than seeing relics of the past remain steadfast in this modern era. In this case, I've found a mod for Doom 2 that scratches that nostalgic itch with its implementation of a classic Mortal Kombat voice line.

In "Toasty! for Doom," ModDB user MilHouse.wad has brought the iconic announcement to id Software's legendary shooter. While playing the game, it's possible to have sound programmer Dan Forden announce his famous?? "Toasty!" line while battling hell demons. Certainly a?? fitting combination.

This is an obvious nod to the original Mortal Kombat game released in 1992, in which Forden's avatar would appear in the corner of the?? screen at certain points during a bout. It was glorious.

"Excellent!"

According to MilHouse.wad, in order to get him to utter his famous "Toa?sty!" line, you'll need to gib an enemy. So basically, just run around with a rocket launcher or the Berserk power up. Will the novelty wear off? Only time will tell.

We're unlikely to see the end of Doom and Doom 2 modding any time soon. And why would we want that? If people stopped tinkering with these FPS classics, we'd never get to see all the beautiful things people can do with the formula, such as make the game run on a toothbrush.

The original games remain an absolute triumph, paving the way for the first-person shooter genre. I realize some people are sick of h??earing that, but now you know how your parents feel when they try to? tell you how important the Beatles were.

The post This Doom 2 mod adds the iconic “Toasty!” line from Mortal Kombat appeared first on Destructoid.

Mortal Kombat 1 has a hell of a DLC lineup on the way. Today's Omni-Man gameplay trailer showcases why he may just be the most badas??s of the bunch when he arrives this month.

Just as in the Invincible animated Amazon series, Omni-Man is voiced by the ridiculously awesome J.K. Simmons. Throughou?t the trailer, NetherRealm Studios shows off the actor??'s skills as he relentlessly mocks Liu Kang and his allies prior to beating the hell out of them.

We've seen what Omni-Man is capable of in a previous Mortal Kombat 1 trailer. But today's video puts the Viltrumite's full abilities on display. He's brutal, nimble, and of course, deadly. You don't need a subway train to showcase that??.

A new kameo fighter is also on the way alongside Omni-Man's debut next week. Tremor, who originally debuted in 2000's Mortal Kombat: Special Forces, is a ninja like Sub-Zero and Scorpion but with earth powers. He pairs nicely as a kameo higher alongside Omni-Man. While the Invincible villain is pulling meteors from the?? atmosphere and smashing opponents with them, Tremor is ??doing the same with giant boulders right here from Earth.

Both combatants will join the fray on November 9 for those with the Kombat Pack. They are available a week later ??for everyone else as standalone DLC.

Following that, there's plenty more DLC in the pipeline. Quan-Chi and DC's Peacemaker are slated for sometime in the winter. Ermac and The Boys' Homelander are planned for spring. The apprentice of Scorpion himself, Takeda Takahas??hi, should be out as a playable fighter next summer. And Ferra, Janet Cage, K??hameleon, and Mavado are all in the works as additional kameo fighters.

If you haven't given Mortal Kombat 1 a try, perhaps you should. In Destructoid's review, we thought it was great.

The post Omni?-Man joins the Mortal Kombat 1 roster on November 9 appeared first on Destructoid.

Last week we got an early peak at Mortal Kombat: Onslaught, a real-time collection RPG autobattler set in the MK universe that is exclusively on mobile. Developed by NetherRealm Studios, the features its own story centered around Shinnok's quest for destruction. Players must work together to aid Raiden and build a team of classic Mortal Kombat fighters to level up and progress through the story. Those interested in checking out this unique twist on Mortal Kombat can do so today on both iOS and Android.

"In Mortal Kombat: Onslaught, players will be able to unleash total mayhem in strategic, fast-paced battles with up to ten characters at once. Mortal Kombat: Onslaught introduces a new level of strategic gameplay and we’re excited to see how?? players build their teams to overcome various opponents and challenges."

- Ed Boon, CCO of NetherRealm Studios and Co-Creator of Mortal Kombat

Test Your Might

During our preview, we got to see an overview of how Mortal Kombat: Onslaught will play. Lead Designer Mike Lee showed us the real-time combat and gameplay. Players will grow their arsenal of Mortal Kombat fighters such as Scorpion, Sub-Zero, and Liu Kang. As they progress they will level up their fighters. Along the way, you will also earn and enhance gear, equip powerful Relic items, and upgrade your Kombos and Special Abilities. Each fighter will fill the role of Assassin, Warrior, Sniper, or Defender. Each role has spe??cial abilities to excel at its specific role, and battles will require specific setups.

I have to admit, the gameplay actually looked pretty good for a mobile title. Players c??an deploy their fighters in an ideal formation to make use of their roles. Once the combat starts, players activ??ely use their Special Abilities to change the tides of battle. You will have to grind a bit to level your character and increase their power to take on harder missions.

According to Lee, players will get a handful of characters via progression through the story. However, after that, Kombatants are acquired via a Gacha system. I asked Lee what we could expect in terms of microtransactions and he stated that as a F2P game there ??are certainly microtransactions, but that he felt NetherRealm was very generous with the MTX.

Khronicles

There are a variety of game modes in Mortal Kombat: Onslaught, including Boss Towers, Chasm Modes, and even Arena to engage? in PvP. In Arena, players will challenge ?each other in real-time matches to climb leaderboards and earn unique rewards.

Onslaught will also feature Khronicles, which will progress the story as well as introduce new fighter?s. The first Khronicle will feature the MK11-specific ve?rsion of Scorpion. Players who partake in the Khronicle will get to try out the fighter as well as unlock them for free by successfully completing the event.

Mortal Kombat: Onslaught releases today on iOS and Android.

The post Mortal Kombat: Ons??laught is a mobile RPG autobattler that relea??ses today appeared first on Destructoid.

Mortal Kombat games have gone a long way from being okay fighters that made up for their shortcomings with huge amounts of brutality. The last few games in the series absolutely rock even from a serious competition standpoint, but I still love the series' absolutely absurd displays of violence. Here are my favorite fatalities in Mortal Kombat history.

7. Smoke bomb

Though easily the least graphic one of the bunch, Smoke's explosive fatality is the most deadly in MK history. Smoke doesn't just smok??e his opponent, he smokes himself and even the whole planet. Flawless plan and a flawless victory indeed.

The original hardware MK3 ran on just wasn't powerful enough to make this fatality look as cool as it should have, so I love finally getting to witness it in the glory it deserves in Mortal Kombat 1.

6. Quan Chi's Chiropractic adjustment

This fatality was just the goofiest crap when I first saw it in Mortal Kombat Deadly Alliance. Then it g??rew up on me as I g??rew older. Headaches, mysterious neck pains, and all those recommended YouTube videos of professionals with dubious credentials nearly ripping off the heads of their patients made this one go from hilarious to horrifying.

Not even its lack of blood and guts helps make it any less scary. It forces me to think about the possibility of surviving the ordeal and having to go places with my n??eck looking like that.

If you still don't find this one of the best fatalit?ies in the se??ries, I just ask you to give it enough time.

5. Sindel's Scream

One'd probably expect a scream-based fatality in this game to simply explode the head of the victim, but this one taught me not to underestimate the artistry of the people behind this series. The fatality animations in Mortal Kombat sometimes surprise us with ??their originality, and this is the best example of that.

Instead of going for something predictable, you see Sindel's scream ripping off a character's clothes, an??d then their skin. The only thing that's left is a still-standing corpse that most anatomy teachers would pay millions for.

4. Johnny Cage's triple decapitation uppercut

Mortal Kombat, despite all of its blood guts, and bones, has always been goofy as hell. Over half of all fatality animations show a character's bo?dy exploding and leaving two skulls, six femurs, and around four torsos on the ground. I laugh every time I think about parents wondering if this was the game that would totally turn their kids into demons.

I love this secret fatality because it uses Johnny Cage, a Hollywood actor, to hammer in the inherent ridiculousness of fatalities. There should be way more secret fatalities like ??this one.

3. Giving birth to Noob Saibot

Noob Saibot would be one of the coolest characters in the series even if his fatalities didn't own. But they do. Not bad for a character that came to life as a joke.

Noob Saibot's second fatality in Mortal Kombat 11 is one of the most inventive and gruesomely detailed in the history of Mortal Kombat. There's nothing funny or wack??y about this one. The only thing you'??ll find here is proof that the people of NetherRealm are master wizards of gore.

2. Sub-Zero spine rip

This is the quintessential Fatality. Sub-Zero's spine rip is likely the one that sold most people on the series due to the incredibly h?igh detail of violence it manages to show via such simple hardware. No one was ready for this one.

The people behind the game know that they immediately? struck gold with this one considering how they never stopped remaking it.

1. Liu Kang's Arcade Fatality

Did you know that originally, Liu Kang was as non-violent as possible? Weird design ??choice for a game you loved because you got to tear your opponent?'s face off.

In the original MK, Liu Kang doesn't have a fatality that's, well, lethal. It was only to contend with the desire of fans to ramp up the violence that the developers gave Liu Kang fatalities. Still, they originally only gave him fatalities where he got to keep his hands clean. Did ??you ever notice that Kang never directly killed anyone in the original trilogy? It's true.

Sure, you see him turning into a dragon and eating a person, but that's not his character model, that??'s just a dragon! The same goes with this one, where an arcade cabinet falls on top of your opponent and just crushes the poor fool. You never see Liu Kang dropping it. Hell, he's not even in the picture when it happens!

The developers were facing a serious handicap when coming up with Fatalities for Liu Kang, and I believe they still ?knocked it out of the park.

You wouldn't know just how scary the Arcade Drop fatality is until you yourself are playing in an arcade that looks just like the one you ??just saw crushing someone on screen.

Special mention: Kronika's demise

This one doesn't count as a fat??ality because it's a cutscene, but fatalities kind of are cutscenes, r?ight? Well, either way, I just have to put this one here.

One thing that has always bugged me about Mortal Kombat is that villains don't tend to get a proper sendoff. Upon defeat, they usually just explode in a nonchalant manner and that's it. Not with Kronika, though. The poor creature goes out in the most violent way imaginable. Don't believe me? Well, then why is this the only video of an MK fatality that I can't embed here?

Now this is how you end the game with a bang.

The post Top 7 Fatalities in All of Mortal Kombat appeared first on Destructoid.

Perhaps most noteworthy for its depiction of extreme gore, Mortal Kombat has gone down as one of the best fighting series in all of gaming. But it must be tough to watch all that violence and take?? it ser?iously, especially if you're a trained professional.

In a recent video over on Doctor ER's YouTube channel, the titular doc (real name Dr. Jordan Wagner, DO) analyzes some of the most brutal moments in the upcoming Mortal Kombat 1.

Over the course of just nine minutes, Wagner gives their insight into some of the fatal moves pulled off in the game. Much of it leaves them shockingly amused but also inquisitive about how these violent acts would go down in the real?? world.

Not known for their realism, admittedly

Of course, there's nothing to say that Wagner is criticizing any sense of realism that Mortal Kombat 1 is displaying. However,? there is room for some medical questioning, such as how long a heart would beat for after being ripped out of a chest, or what to do if you need to bring a severed limb to the hospital.

It's pretty interesting to see how someone in the medical profession reacts to all this guts and gore action. Wagner, who's been working as an ER doctor for several years, according to their website, often gives their take on violence in media, whether it's vide??o games, animation, or real-life injuries.

In any case, it doesn't detract from the mindless violence of the game. If anything, it only adds to it. And if you are interested, Mortal Kombat 1 releases fully on September 19.

The post Here’s a doctor reacting to some of Mortal Kombat 1’s most gruesome moves appeared first on Destructoid.

Where there's Smoke...

A fan-favorite is confirmed to be returning to the Mortal Kombat grinder. Today's new trailer for Mortal Kombat 1 rev?eals both Rain and Smoke will appear in the new entry.

Smoke is a well-liked member of the Lin Kuei, who finally gets a human re-debut in Liu Kang's new e?ra. Here, Smoke is a fellow member of the Li??n Kuei who joins with Scorpion and Sub-Zero to defend Earthrealm.

Also arriving is Rain, a High Mage of Outworld who wields water magic. He?'s looking a bit more robed and wizard-like, compared to his original palette-swapped appearance.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=66opZ1Go_ZA

Some Kameo fighters also make an appearance here, too. Scorpion pops up, of course. But t??he cyborg side of the Lin Kuei app??ears, too; Sektor and Cyrax are in as Kameos, as well as a human version of Frost.

For our two main roster fighters, both look pretty excellent. Smoke is obviously a highlight. His teleportation and quick jabs look fantastic, and that knife looks devastating in the X-ray attacks. Rain, meanwhile, is like a Waterbender that gets to actually do some damage with their aquatic magic. I really dig the big lightning ball at??tack that he can call down from a raincloud.

Kombat history

The Kameo fighters bring their own flavor too, and it's nice to see the cyborgs appear. I was curious about whether they would?. With a new era and re-envisioned versions of characters, having the robo-fighters reappear or not felt up in the air.

After playing it at SGF 2023, though, it definitely seemed like Kameos are NetherRealm's way of including more fan-favorites from its ever-expanding universe without having to make them fully fledged fighters right away. If it keeps up the nostalgia and klassic references, I could see this being a really enjoyable experience for long-time MK fans.

Mortal Kombat 1 arrives on September 19, 2023.

The post Mortal Kombat 1 trailer unleashe??s Smo?ke, Rain, and more Kameos appeared first on Destructoid.

Welcome to the new era

NetherRealm Studios is rebooting the Mortal Kombat universe again with Mortal Kombat 1. The slightly confusingly named MK takes everything back to its origins, and then twists ??????????????????????????it. The characters and combat that have become enshrined in pop culture history are still here, but with adjustments both big and small.

This feeling of old nostalgia blending into new ideas kept coming to my mind while playing Mortal Kombat 1. I got a chance to play some matches of MK1 as part of Summer Game Fest 2023, climbing the classic towers with each of the characters available. And while MK is looking ahead to a new future, there's still a piece of it that loves? to honor the past.

[caption id="attachment_386534" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Here comes a Kameo

The biggest, most obvious addition to Mortal Kombat 1 is its Kameo Fighters. Rather than duking it out one-on-one, each player selects a main fighter—the one they'll primarily play as—and a tag-in Kameo Fighter.?? These characters can be called in to perform special attack every so often, with a cooldown in-between uses.

To be clear, Mortal Kombat 1 is not becoming a tag fighter. These f?ighters don't have health bars, and can't be fully subbed in. In my playtime, I had Sub-Zero, Liu Kang, Kenshi, and Kitana available as main characters. For Kameos, I could choose Kano, Sonya, or Jax.

[caption id="attachment_386535" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Calling in Kameos is easy enough. Hit? R1, and they'll ho?p in to do an assist move. Additionally, different directions and inputs can change things up, like holding R1 to have Sonya charge up her energy projectile. Some can even have effects on both players, like Jax slamming the ground.

These Kameo fighters offer an interesting twist to the usual cadence of Kombat. Picking a certain fighter can help shore up another's weaknesses. Or,?? you can lean heavy into their strengths. A pairing like Sub-Zero and Sonya can get cooking fast, or a Kitana / Kano duo can be a real pain to approach.

Differences like these help, as Mortal Kombat 1 is still an MK game at its core. I don't pretend to be particularly talented at Mortal Kombat; its story and characters are the draw for me, but I don't really dive deep into the competitive side of things. From that perspective, Mortal Kombat 1 feels a bit odd at first. It's a familiar-feeling game with sudden jolts of difference,?? thanks to its Kameos.

[caption id="attachment_386538" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Fire god walk with me

This strange sense feels thematically appropriate for Mortal Kombat 1, which takes place in Liu Kang's new era. If you didn't check out Mortal Kombat 11 or its DLC Aftermath (you really should), the story of NetherRealm's time-travel shenanigans sees Liu Kan?g become a new god and?? reboot the universe.

It is the same universe, so many familiar faces return. But because of the shif??t, some things have changed. The most notable is the shift in dynamics between chara?cters; Liu Kang is a Raiden-like figure, who seems to be maintaining order in his new world.

The recent SGF trailer hints at other changes. Kitana seems to be attendant to Mileena, and Kung Lao is filling Liu Kang's shoes as Earthrealm's fighter. And Raiden is... just some dude with lightning powers, I guess? I'm curious to see where all of?? this goes.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnVTPkCWzcI

Aside from shifting those roles, though, my gameplay at SGF showed that Mortal Kombat 1 still has some nostalgia for its roots. Sonya, Kano, and Jax all appear in throwback outfits, in what feels like an homage to the actual first Mortal Kombat. It's also worth mention that MK1 is absolutely gorgeous. Everything, from the character models a?nd backgrounds to the brutal Fatalities (and the one Brutality I got by accident) look fantastic.

I will say, the Fatalities I saw didn't do too much for me. The almost-cartoonish, Itchy and Scratchy ones are more my style, and the ones I saw didn't quite hit th?at mark, outside of maybe Liu Kang's. There is, apparently, one where Jax grows to massive proportions and stomps on someone?. So that's pretty neat.

[caption id="attachment_386536" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

More-tal Kombat

My gameplay session largely consisted of seeing how the new Kameo fighters played. And for intense, competitive fans of MK, it does seem li?ke the assist options could open up some interesting combo routes and options. It certainly felt great when everything clicked for me, and I got a smooth combo with both my main and Kameo fighter rolling.

For "kasual" fans, I think the appeal will be where it's been for those who like to dip in and out of NetherRealm's titles: the world of Mortal Kombat. The studio is starting from an interesting position, trying to play around with th?e established canon while building a new one. And that could be a pretty interesting universe to explore in gruesome, gory detail.

Mortal Kombat 1 will hit PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and? Nintendo Switch on September 19.

The post Mort?al Kombat 1 is a new era, but still loves its legacy appeared first on Destructoid.

Kasting Kall

New Line continues to drip-feed kasting news for its upcoming movie sequel Mortal Kombat 2, ann??ouncing that British-Hong Kong actor Adeline Rudolph has bagged one of the film's most koveted roles, that of the Edenian pr??incess, Kitana.

As noted in The Hollywood Reporter, Rudolph �who TV fans will recognize from streaming series such as Resident Evil, The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, and Riverdale �will don the mask and gather the fans of the hugely popular Mortal Kombat hero, daughter of Sindel and sister to the wicked Mileena. The casting sees Rudolph reunited with fellow Sabrina alumni Tati Gabrielle, who is expected to receive the role of Kitana's best friend and confidant, Jade. Rudolph seems a solid ch??oice for Kitana, carrying the sly grace, strong presence, and timeless beauty of the deadly-but-honorable, noblewoman.

The success of New Line's original Mortal Kombat movie, directed by Simon McQuoid and starring martial arts actors Joe Taslim and Hiroyuki Sanada, has clearly allowed the new production to produce a sequel with a little more ambition and star power. The Boys' Karl Urban is tipped to play Tinseltown star Johnny Cage, and there are still all ma?nner of potential roles to be filled, ahead of preliminary shooting this summer. McQuoid will return t??o direct, given his continued enthusiasm for the brand and project.

Mortal Kombat 2 is not to be confused with Mortal Kombat II. Nor is it the sequel to upcoming video game Mortal Kombat 1, nor the original 1995 Mortal Kombat movie.

Adeline Rudol?ph to Play Kitana in New Line’s Mortal Kombat 2 [The Hollywood Reporter]

The post Sabrina’s Adeline Rudolph bags koveted Kitana role in Mortal Kombat 2 appeared first on Destructoid.

Not to be confused with Mortal Kombat 1

Pre-production continues on New Line's incoming sequel to its surprisingly well-received adaptation Mortal Kombat �The sequel to the 2021 movie is currently in the casting process, with recent reports suggesting Tati Gabrielle is?? in final talks to pick up the mantle of th?e Edenian assassin, Jade.

TV and fantasy fans will recognize Gabrielle from her recurring roles in various TV series. Gabrielle played Prudence of The Weird Sisters in Netflix' The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, as well as librarian Marienne Bellamy in the acclaimed psychological thriller series You. For video game fans, Gabrielle may be most recognizable from her turn as the villainous mercenary Jo Braddock, who made life difficult for Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg in Sony Pictures' Uncharted.

Gabrielle is a great fit for Jade, who made her debut in 1993's Mortal Kombat II as a hidden character, before becoming a roster mainstay. One of the most popular?? of the kult kharacters, Jade is typified by her love and loyalty of Princess Kitana, whom she is charged with bodyguarding, and utilizes a mythic Bojutsu staff and boomerang in battle. A master of stealth and assassination, Jade is able to move swiftly in the shadows, practically unseen, before striking with deadly efficiency.

Mortal Kombat 2 is expected to commence shooting this summer. Seeing somewhat more recognizable names such as Gabrielle and Karl Urban show up in casting is perhaps a testament to the o??riginal film's financial success, clearly allowing New Line to t?hrow a little more cash at this sequel and take a few more gambles on its theatrical success.

Mortal Kombat 2 is not to be confused with Mortal Kombat II. Nor is it the sequel to upcoming video game Mortal Kombat 1, nor the original 1995 Mortal Kombat movie.

Tati Gabrielle in Final Talks to Play Jade in Morta?l Kombat 2 [The Hollywood Reporter]

The post Uncharted’s Tati Gabrielle in talks for Jade in Mortal Kombat 2 appeared first on Destructoid.

It's in Our Blood.

NetherRealm Studios has revealed the next title in its legendary fighting game series, Mortal Kombat �As teased in recent weeks, the now officially titled Mortal Kombat 1 will launch September 19, 2023.

A reveal trailer, which follows on from the events of Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath, sees the newly designated Fire God Liu Kang reshapi?ng the universe in a time of glory, peace, and prosperity. But, as we all know, the best-laid plans of mice and men do not always come to pass �And the interdimensional return of the nefarious sorcerer, Sha??ng Tsung, brings about the chaos of war to this seemingly pleasant, and hugely prosperous new era.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZ6eFEjFfJ0

Amidst a typically dramatic and highly-adrenalized cinematic sequence. We get to see appearances from Liu Kang, Kitana, Mileena, Sub-Zero, Scorp??ion, and, of course,? Shang Tsung himself. (Raiden and Johnny Cage have also been konfirmed). We also see what appears to be real-time gameplay footage, focusing on some utterly devastating fatalities, which threaten to take the goo 'n' gore levels that are a trademark of the franchise to legitimately unprecedented levels.

"Mortal Kombat 1 marks a new beginning for the franchise and we couldn’t be more excited to share this original storyline and fresh take on classic characters with our fans," said NetherRealm Studios CCO and Co-Creator of Mortal Kombat, Ed Boon. "We’re also introducing our Kameo Fighter system which brings a unique roster of partner characters into the mix, and we are looking forward to showing this feature as well as more new elements of?? the game very soon."

A new website teases another immersive story mode, the promise of new game modes and mechanics, as well as a new feature titled, "Kameo Fighters", which sounds like an in-battle assist system of sorts �Think Marvel of KoF '99 �perhaps calling upon the franchise's legitimately hug?e universe of fighters. This is purely speculation on my part.

Mortal Kombat 1 launches on PS5, PC, Xbo??x Series X, and *checks notes* Nintendo Switch on September 19. Pre-orders open tomorrow, May 19. Pre-order customers will unlock Shang Tsung as a playable kombatant and will receive access to a new beta scheduled for August.

The post Mortal Kombat 1 revealed, launches September 19 appeared first on Destructoid.

Tomorrow is a New Dawn

[Update: The official Mortal Kombat Twitter account has cryptically revealed that something will be happening tomorrow, May 18, at 06:00 PT / 09:00 ET / 14:00 BST. One can only assume that NetherRealm Studios is ready to reveal the next title in the Mortal Kombat franchise, rumored to be titled Mortal Kombat 1. The ticking clock teaser was updated to sho??w the face cracking.

We wil??l bring you all of?? the gory glory tomorrow, right here on Destructoid.]

//twitter.com/MortalKombat/status/165??8880057195233281?s=20

Netherrealm Studios continues to tease the reveal of the next title in its ultra-gory fighter series Mortal Kombat �Following on from the "grain of sand" anniversary video, a new teaser seems to s?uggest that the unveiling of NR?S' latest is pretty much imminent.

A short video tracks the second hand of a clock, as it ominously ticks down toward 12, (which is, numerically, the next title in the series), however, the hand ultimately s??kips past 12 and jumps straight to 1. Additionally, while the clock is relatively standard-looking, the reflection in the glass shows a galaxy of grains, which is in keeping with the hourglass owned by the franchise's time-warping villain, Kronika.

//twitter.com/MortalKombat/status/16??56343687352426497?s=20

While there are many possible readings of the symbolism on display here, some fans suggest that skipping 12 represents a resetting of the timeline, which makes sense given the climax of Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath. Others have opined that the clock is telling us that the new game is not Mortal Kombat 12 at all, and is either a standalone release or a non-numerical sequel/spin-off. This labyrinth of possibilities is only further complicated by a new leak from prominent spoiler bill-bilkun, who claim the new title is in development for PC and Gen 9 consoles under the title Mortal Kombat 1.

But, despite all this speculation, one thing's for sure: Netherrealm is getting ready to lift the lid on its next project soon. As I have previously noted, while the most recent MK timeline was certainly ambitious and even successful in the early going, the studio quickly paint??ed itself into a corner with its interminable "Revenants vs. PMC" storyline. And, as such a slap of the big red reset button might be just what the franchise needs.

It Has Begun... Again?

The post New Mortal Kombat reveal koming tomorrow morning appeared first on Destructoid.

Cblogs of 4/29 to 5/4/2023

-Queen of Philosophy tries to predict the path to Mortal Kombat 12.

-Spazzzh20 writes a fully uncensored review of Sonic Frontiers.

-PhilsPhindings discusses the similarities between the soundtrack of Mortal Kombat 2 and Dance music.

-PhilsPhindings discusses the similarities between the soundtrack of Mortal Kombat and Blues music.

-Taterchimp celebrated their birthday by do??ing a ch?arity gaming stream for kids.

-ChronoLynxx opens this week's TGIF community forum for ra??ndom discussions.

Thanks for the blogs this week, folks, and thanks as always to Lord Spencer for the recap. If you wanna join in on the HOT TAKE party, then head on over to the Cblogs section right now. Spill your thoughts on all matters gaming, and you will find yourself recapped on this here front page n??ext week.

The post Who would y?ou like to see cast in t?he Mortal Kombat movie sequel? appeared first on Destructoid.

The Boys star tipped to play MK's arrogant megastar

Whispers out of Tinseltown are suggesting that Karl Urban is in final talks with New Line to portray arrogant Hollywood star Johnny Cage in the studio's upcoming sequel to 2021's Mortal Kombat.

According to TheWrap, Urban, perhaps best known for playing the titular role in the excellent Dredd (2012), as well as portraying Billy Butcher in the smash hit Amazon show The Boys, is rumored to be on the cusp of accepting the role, which will see him don the wraparound shades of one of the most well-known and grudgingly beloved characters in the Mortal Kombat fr??anchise. Johnny Cage, as fans will know, is depicted as a martial arts expert with an ego a mile wide and a line in smart-arse dialogue.

Would Urban be suited to the role? Well, he certainly has the acting chops and the physical presence for the role, but he's most definitely a little rugged and rough around the edges to portray the whitened-teeth smugness of our man Cage. Urban is a clear Kano, but that role was taken up (ably, I might add) by Josh Lawson in the original film. Personally, I'd like to see Urban adapt the role of Cage, presenting a former martial arts A-lister who has somewhat lost his way, but is still fully convinced that he's the best actor/fighter on the ?block... Basically, a sort of satire of modern-day Steven Seagal.

Mortal Kombat 2 is expected to commence shooting presently, helmed by returning director Simon McQuoid. The original film, while a little campy, was good, harmless fun, and featured some pretty flashy martial arts sequences and a spirited sense of humor. The addition of Johnny Cage could, by default, make him the protagonist of the piece, so I'm not sure where that would leave MK's Original Character Do Not Steal Cole Young.

Oh, and before people jump on the social media bandwagon of calling for The Miz' casting: I get it, his WWE persona is arrogant and yes, he also wears sunglasses. But let??'s cast someone who can definitely carry a movie and knows when to dial it down. File this under "Ronda Rousey should definitely play Captain Marvel in the MCU."

New Line's Mortal Kombat 2 is currently in production at New Line Cinema.

Karl Urban Reportedly Set to Play Johnny Cage in Mort??al Ko??mbat 2 [TheWrap]

The post Karl Urban reportedly to play Johnny? Cage in Mortal Kombat 2 appeared first on Destructoid.

Winding back the clock?

NetherRealm Studios has released a video thanking its fans for three decades of devotion to the Mortal Kombat series �The video ends with a cryptic image that appears to be the first tease for a brand new title, presumably Mortal Kombat 12.

Backed by the awesome "Subway" theme from Mortal Kombat 3, the video sees various members of the NetherRealm team offer the community their thanks for sticking by the super-gory fight franchise since its inception way back in 1992. On deck a??re a plethora of studio names new and old, including graphics dude John Vogel, audio director Dan "Toasty" Forden, designer Derek Kirtzic, art director Steve Beran and, of course, co-creator and NetherRealm director Ed Boon.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsX8??jGhBHgo&ab_channel=Mortal?Kombat

The video then ends with a cryptic clip, featuring a torrent of sand trickling from the hourglass of the time-twisting boss of Mortal Kombat 11, Kronika. After the final grain leaves the hourglass, its shatters into endless grains, which would perhaps suggest a full restart of the timeline, or even a shakeup into multiple timelines. While Mortal Kombat's reboot, which began in 2011, definitely redefined storytelling in the fighting game genre, there's no denying that the timeline very quickly painted itself into a corner, struggling through the events of MKX and really hitting the wall in MK11.

MK11's visuals, characters, action, motion capture, and vocal performances were stellar, (for the most part), but there was a definite struggle to reconvene the interminable "Revenant" angle, which ended up becoming an anchor around the narrative's neck. A new start �however the studio wishes to i??mplement it �would definitely be ??welcomed by many.

And this time around, let's have way, way fewer guns and PMCs, ah'm beggin' ya.

Exciting news for MK fans in general and the fighting game community as a whole. We will, of course, keep you fully informed when NRS has more exciting ne??ws to reveal.

The post Mortal K?ombat 30th anniversary video appears to tease MK 12 appeared first on Destructoid.

Get over here?

It looks like NetherRealm's next project has been officially confirmed as Mortal Kombat 12,?? and in a bit of an unconventional way: during an earnings call.

Speaking on an earnings call today, Warner Bros. head David Zaslav confirms that Mortal Kombat 12 is in the works. The comment arrived during a section where Zaslav was discussing the su??ccess of gaming efforts under WB:

"[...] And there's lots more to come, including the highly anticipated Mortal Kombat 12 and Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, games also set for release this yea?r with?? ambitious launch projections."

The mention of Mortal Kombat 12 comes as a bit of a surprise as, well, that hasn't really been talked about up to this point. We've heard rumors that NetherRealm Studios was forgoing a new Injustice entry to keep the MK train going, and even seen some teases from Ed Boon on the matter, but nothing official had been confirmed prior to today's call. Now, it looks like a new Mortal Kombat isn't just on the way, but for this year too.

We've reached out to Warner Bros. for clarification, and will share more as we learn more??.

Cue the Mortal Kombat theme

It hasn't been too long since the release of Mortal Kombat 11 in 2019. The entry brought the time-hopping adventures of the rebooted MK universe to a neat close, but NetherRealm continued to update Mortal Kombat 11 afterwards with both the Aftermath story and the Ultimate edition. There's a blank slate open for the future of the st??ory, at least.

Add on the fact that Mortal Kombat reclaimed a main stage spot for this year's Evo fighting game tournament series, and you could definitely retroactively justify some red-yarn-conspiracy. Still, to have Mortal Kombat 12 dropped so casually in an earnings call? It certainly doesn't make for a boring news day. Hopefully we'll see more soon about what NetherRealm's up to with this new Mortal Kombat.

The post Mortal ?Kombat 12 was just revealed thro??ugh an earnings call appeared first on Destructoid.

We raised you better than that

Bringing someone home for the holidays that your folks would not approve of is nothing new. A time-honored tradition of rebellion and experimentation as you search for who you are and who you will choose to walk that path ?with you. But there are ti??mes when the look on your parent’s faces when you introduce them to your significant other is well worth the price of admission.

It is in th?at decidedly petty spirit?? I bring to you, humble reader, ten fighting game characters you should definitely date if you want to piss off your parents.

Lord Raptor (Darkstalkers)

Look, Lord Raptor has a lot going for him. He’s funny. He’s charming. He’s an immortal punk rock zombie king. There’s a lot to check in the "plus" column for this guy. But the moment he walks through the door and, instead of a handshake, smashes his guitar through the buffet, your parents are going to be really upset. Then there’s the whole undead aspect. Do they just pretend not to notice the smell? Your folks could handle an earring, maybe even some tattoos but this guy, with a gaping maw where his stomach should be and his... Australian accent... well, not in this house.

Johnny Maximum (World Heroes 2)

A lot of parents would be thrilled to see their kid bring home the quarterback from a football team. Why that’s as American ??and wholesome as apple pie and re-runs of Cops on Spike TV! But Johnny Maximum is one football player mom and dad would dread to see walk through the door for dinner. The first red ??flag would be how he looks. He didn’t even bother to change out of his uniform, and he refuses to take his helmet off. Oh, and he has glowing red eyes. Seems a bit suspicious.

The dinner table conversation would be excruciating??. After a fitful dinner, Johnny invites your dad to throw a football in the backyard as a way of breaking the ice. Your father, being a polite man and considering himself something of a football thrower himself, accepts. Johnny Maximum t?hen creates a football made of raw energy in his hand and throws it hard enough to shatter your father’s ribs. Every winter, as the dull ache in his chest sets in, your father will think of the man you brought home and how it changed his life forever.

D'Vorah (Mortal Kombat X)

She’s mysterious. She’s exoti??c. She’s only dating you because your flesh will provide sustenance to the Hive. But it’s a mutual kind of arrangement because before a swarm of wasps eats your corneas, you will get to see the look on mom and dad’s faces when D’vorah sits down at the dinner table. Bonus points for watching mom absolutely freak out when she finds the dog cocooned to the bathroom ceiling.

Q (Street Fighter III)

Q is the epitome of the strong, silent type. And so few men can pull off a fedora today but damn if he doesn’t look dapper. The attraction is easy to understand but your parents won’t care. All they’ll see is a man in a trench coat wearing an iron mask who refuses to utter a word during dinner. Oh sure, he’ll grunt, and you think he mutters something about being an abomin??ation but after further prodding by your father and he just acts like a robot shutting down. You finish your meal in icy silence as your mother’s sighs get louder with each bottle of wine she drinks. Mission accom??plished.

Faust (Guilty Gear)

“You’re dating a doctor!�What parent wouldn’t jump for joy at that thought? But this is one doctor your parents will wish didn’t make house calls. The circus of anguish will begin the moment your dad ope??ns the door and sees you standing next to�a man’s crotch? Yup, Dr. Faust is 9�� An impossibly long arm snakes down from the top of the door frame for a handshake. You’ve never seen your father so pale. You?r toes curl.

After almost crawling through the doorway, Dr. Faust sits down on the sofa, hunched over in a decidedly spidery fashion. You watch as your parents, slowly getting over the shock of Dr. Faust’s height, notice that he is wearing a paper bag on his head. Their eyes glaze over. Is this what a mind-breaking looks like? You wish for this night to never end??.

Voldo (Soulcalibur)

The door opens. You greet your mother. She asks where your date is. You smile and point down. There on the gro??und, slithering around your mother’s ankles is Voldo. His head upturned, he grins, teeth cr?acking against the metal bar in his mouth. Your mother screams then promptly faints. You step over her to find your dad at the top of the stairs wondering why your mother was screaming. In response to the query, Voldo spider-crawls backward towards him, codpiece thrust upward like a jeweled dagger. Your father screams then promptly faints. Closing the door as you leave, Voldo proceeds to do cartwheels around the mailbox. The sun is setting. Life is good.

Dan Hibiki (Street Fighter Alpha)

Do you remember when you were a kid and after karate class, your mom took you to the grocery? Wearing that karate gi, you thought that if bad guys showed up, you would karate the holy?? hell out of them and mom would totally buy you those awesome Ninja Turtle ice cream bars as a reward. Now take that feeling and translate that into an adult man. Now give him a ponytail. You’ve got Dan.

Your parents can just smell it on him the moment they open the door. He’s polite? if arrogant. He owns his own business, but your parents have tuned him out, focusing on pushing peas around the plate. Even you’re bored by this. W??atching the dog sniff Dan’s ponytail and then sneeze, you realize that no one will be upset tonight, just disappointed.

Hisako (Killer Instinct)

Look, some of us go through a Goth phase. It's part of the journey. And sometimes, in that Goth phase, you meet a Japanese revenge ghost at a pop-up? clothing store in Soho and end up dating them. It's all part of the journey. The evening begins with mom and dad opening t??he door to greet you and having a gray hand with dirty fingernails reach out from the darkness to greet them back.

As Hisako jerkily lumbers to the sofa to enjoy drinks and light Hors d’oeuvres in the living room, you quietly explain to your parents that Hisako is an exchange student and to please respect her customs. They gri??mac??e and smile, like they just watched the dog eat its own vomit. The look does not leave their face.

Double (Skullgirls)

Right off the bat, when your date walks into your parents' house dressed like a nun and it’s not Halloween, you know this is going to get awkward. Oh ??sure, Dou??ble (Agatha is what she’s calling herself) is pleasant though your mother is already mentally saying Hail Marys. But something is off with Agatha. The family dog growls then whimpers as she walks by. The air around her feels off, cold and humid, and heavy. As the night goes on, your nerves get the better of you and you have a little too much to drink. You are asked to leave once you start referring to Agatha as your “meat goddess�

Blue Suede Goo (Clayfighter)

An Elvis impersonator? In 2022? Remember when Joker burned al??l that money because he could? That’s what bringing home Blue Suede Goo would be like. Only it's your dignity going? up in flames.

The post 10 Fight?ing Game Characters to Bring Home to Upset You??r Parents appeared first on Destructoid.

Bloody Pockets

So, we're getting a new Street Fighter, and we're getting a new Tekken �Time to complete the unholy trinity, right? Well, here you go, a brand new Mortal Kombat! (mobile game). Currently in development at NetherRealm Studios, Mortal Kombat: Onslaught will launch on iOS and Android in 2023.

This brand new RPG, set within the hyper-violent world of MK, will allow players to build up a team of their favorite kombatants, and embark upon a brand new, original storyline �a first for MK's mobile gaming releases. Described as a collection (or "kollection"?) RPG, it sounds like Mortal Kombat: Onslaught will feature an abundance of goodies to gather, or likely �being? a WB Games joint �buy.

"We are pushing the boundaries of Mortal Kombat to allow players to experience the franchise in new ways, while still staying true to its core visceral nature," said Ed Boon, Chief Creative Officer of NetherRealm Studios. “With Mortal Kombat: Onslaught, we reimagined Mortal Kombat into a strategic team-based coll??ection RPG with fast-paced, group melee combat that both new and existing fans can enjoy."

NRS did not release any trailer or screens from the new project, aside from some key splash art depicting MK legends such as Raiden, Baraka, Jade, and, of cours??e, Sub-Zero and Scorpion, battling it out in the plains of Outworld. I'm sure that NetherRealm and WB Games will be sure to ply us with more details and ??information as development continues.

Mortal Kombat: Onslaught will launch on iOS and Android platforms in 2023. Interested Outworlders can sign up for more info over at the official website.

The post Mortal Kombat: Onslaught, ??a kollection mobile RPG,?? is koming in 2023 appeared first on Destructoid.

Cblogs of 10/8 to 10/14/2022

-Necrowondo thinks that Pokemon is no longer for dedicated video game f?ans like them.

-Queen of Philosophy reminds everyone about the 30th anniversary of Mortal Kombat.

-Tittanel ??sheds light on the unfortunate end of an indie gaming store due to Hurricane Ian.

-Spazzzh20 discusses the news about Call of Duty World at War: Director's Cut.

-Kerrik52 continues his in-depth retrospective of the Legacy of Kain series with a new Soul Reaver blog.

-taterchimp takes us on a fun travelogue of Dublin, Ireland.

-PhilsPhindings takes a look at the musical connections between Pop and the Mega Man series.

-PhilsPhindings takes a look at the musical connections between Reggae and Mega Man 4.

-PhilsPhindings takes a look at the musical connections between Pop and Sega's Shadow Dancer.

-ChronoLynxx opens this week's? TGIF community forum for open discussio??ns.

Thanks for the blogs this week, folks! And thanks to Lord Spencer, as always, for taking the time to provide us with this week’s recap. If you wanna join in on the HOT TAKE party, then head to the Cblogs section, spill your thoughts, and you will find yourself recapped on this here fr??ont page next week.

The post How long have you been a dedic?ated disciple of P??okemon? appeared first on Destructoid.

Cblogs of 10/1 to 10/10/2022

-Queen of Philosophy takes a look back at 30 bloody years of Mortal Kombat.

-Kerrik52 continues with their epic Legacy of Kain retrospective.

-Lord Spencer continues their Mega Man series with 2010's Mega Man 10.

-taterchimp takes us on a fun travelogue of Dublin, Ireland.

-PhilsPhindings takes a look at the musical connections between Pop and the Mega Man series.

-PhilsPhindings takes a look at the musical connections between Pop and Sega's Shadow Dancer.

-Queen of Philosophy rings in the weekend with another TGIF article.

Thanks for the blogs this week, folks! And thanks to Lord Spencer, as always, for taking the time to provide us with this week’s recap. If you wanna join in on the HOT TAKE party, then head t??o the Cblogs section, spill your thoughts, and you will find yourself recapped on this here front page next week.

The post What memories do you h?ave from 30 bloody years of Mortal Kombat? appeared first on Destructoid.

Hot ninja tag-team action

Warner Bros. has released a new trailer for the next installment in its animated movie series Mortal Kombat Legends. Headed to Blu-ray and streaming services at some point in the future, Snow Blind is the third film in the series, following 2020's Scorpion's Revenge and 2021's Battle of the Realms.

Snow Blind will focus on one of MK's most noble heroes, the blind swordsman Kenshi, presenting the origins of the martial arts master's journey to be one of the most feared and most formidable foes to anybody on a Wi-Fi co??nnection. We will learn of Kenshi's sight loss, and see his rigorous training to hone the mysterious and supernatural skills harnessed within him. Kenshi will then sally forth against an oppressive alliance of Black Dragon villains, led by the? self-appointed King Kano.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvqx3-1G9Rw&t

The film will chart Kenshi's rise to martial arts mastery, and see him unleash his newfound powers on a bevy of MK villains, including Black Dragon members Kabal, Kira, Erron Black, and even the poor-man's-Ken, Kobra. The odds are against him, but it seems Kenshi isn't alone, with a particularly icy ally waiting in the wings. Snow Blind will feature all of the melodrama and R-rated, ?blood-gushing action of the previous films, and it's cool to see some of the more forgotten '00s characters get some time in the spotlight?.

Mortal Kombat Legends: Snow Blind will premiere on Blu-ray and streaming services in the future. The two previous films �Scorpion's Revenge and Battle of the Realms �are both available now.

The post Snow Blind is the next installment in the Mortal Kombat Legends s??eries appeared first on Destructoid.

You wanna step outside?

For the first time in a long time, the greatest fighting game players in the world, (but not me), will descend on Las Vegas for the annual throwdown that is the Evolution Championship Series, more commonly known as Evo 2022. Over the next three days, the best of the best, (but not me), will lock horns in some of the greatest fighting games currently on the market.

From Tekken 7 to Street Fighter V, Skullgirls to Granblue Fantasy: Versus, and, the game of the hour, Guilty Gear Strive, we are promised hours of intense fighting action across three days, as each game looks to crown its champion for the current EVO season. In addition, we can expect news, updates, and reveals pertaining to some of the current and upcoming fighters. Who is headed to Street Fighter 6? What surprises does GG Strive Season 2 hold? Will I ever get the hell out of Ultra Gold?

All (some) of these questions and more will be answered over the ?next three hot summer ??nights.

You can find the full schedule for Evo 2022 below, complete with links to the appropriate Twitch channels. For simplicity of display, times are listed in PT timezone only. Oh, and be aware that Evo is notorious for running way off schedule, so some events are likely to start and/or ru??n later than expected, with stream channels also subject to change.

Have a good weekend. And, just like Elliot Ne?ss didn't say, Never stop fighting 'til the fig?ht is done.

�Evo 2022 Schedule �/h2>

�Day 1 - Friday, August 5 �/h2>

Evo Special Event:
Panels, interviews, reveals, and more �10:00 PT to 19:00 PT (Main Stage)

Mortal Kombat 11: Ultimate:
All Pools to Top 8 - 10:00 PT to 19:00 PT (EVO4)

Granblue Fantasy: Versus:
Round 1 Pools �10:00 PT to 17:00 PT (EVO3)

Guilty Gear Strive:
Round 1 Pools �11:00 PT to 22:00 PT (EVO2)

Tekken 7:
Round 1 Pools �18:00 PT to 22:00 PT (EVO3)

Melty Blood: Type Lumina:
Round 1 Pools �10:00 PT to 14:00 PT (EVO6)
Top 64 to Top 8 �15:00 PT to 18:00 PT (EVO6)

Skullgirls: 2nd Encore:
Round 1 Pools to Top 8 �10:00 PT to 16:00 PT (EVO7)
Finals �19:00 PT to 22:00 PT (Main Stage)

Street Fighter V: Champion Edition:
Round 1 Pools �18:00 PT to 22:00 PT (EVO5)

Dragon Ball FighterZ:
Round 1 Pools �18:00 PT to 22:00 PT (EVO6)

The King of Fighters XV:
Round 1 Pools �18:00 PT to 22:00 PT (EVO7)

Vortex Tournaments: (DNF Duel, Killer Instinct, Persona 4 Arena, and more)
All Tournaments �10:00 PT until finish.

PlayStation Evo Lounge stream:
Stream goes live 12:00 PT and r?uns throu??ghout the day.

�Day 2 - Saturday, August 6 �/h2>

Mortal Kombat 11: Ultimate:
Finals �10:00 PT to 14:00 PT (Main Stage)

Melty Blood: Type Lumina:
Finals �14:00 PT to 17:00 PT (Main Stage)

Granblue Fantasy: Versus:
Round 2 Pools �10:00 PT to 12:00 PT (EVO4)
Top 24 �12:00 PT to 14:00 PT (EVO4)
Finals �17:00 PT to 20:00 PT (Main Stage)

Dragon Ball FighterZ:
Round 1 & 2 Pools �10:00 PT to 16:00 PT (EVO6)
Top 24 �17:00 PT to 19:00 PT (EVO6)
Finals �20:00 PT to 00:00 PT (Main Stage)

Guilty Gear Strive:
Round 1 & 2 Pools �10:00 PT to 18:00 PT (EVO2)
Top 96 �18:30 PT to 20:30 PT (EVO2)
Top 24 �21:00 PT to 23:00 PT (EVO2)

Tekken 7:
Round 1 & 2 Pools �10:00 PT to 18:00 PT (EVO3)
Top 48 �18:30 PT to 22:00 PT (EVO3)

Street Fighter V: Champion Edition:
Round 1 & 2 Pools �10:00 PT to 19:00 PT (EVO5)
Top 48 �18:30 PT to 22:00 PT (EVO5)

The King of Fighters XV:
Round 1 & 2 Pools �10:00 PT to 18:00 PT (EVO7)
Top 48 �18:30 PT to 22:00 PT (EVO7)

MultiVersus:
Top 32 & Finals �14:30 PT to 20:00 PT (EVO4)

Vortex Tournaments: (DNF Duel, Killer Instinct, Persona 4 Arena, and more)
All Tournaments �10:00 PT until finish.

PlayStation Evo Lounge stream:
St?ream goes live 11:00 ?PT and runs throughout the day.

�Day 3 - Sunday, August 7 - Grand Finals �/h2>

The King of Fighters XV:
Finals �10:00 PT to 13:30 PT (Main Stage)

Tekken 7:
Finals �13:30 PT to 17:00 PT (Main Stage)

Street Fighter V: Champion Edition:
Finals �17:00 PT to 20:00 PT (Main Stage)

Guilty Gear Strive:
Finals �20:00 PT to 23:00 OT (Main Stage)

Have fun and see you next year! And by "next year" I mean, "Me in top 8 for Street Fighter 6".

The post EVO 2022 schedule: A weekend of frenzied? fisticuffs, live from Las Ve??gas appeared first on Destructoid.

]]> //jbsgame.com/evo-2022-schedule-panel-live-stream-fighting-game-tournament-evolution/feed/ 0 338266 //jbsgame.com/mortal-kombat-12-evo-reveal-ed-boon-twitter-rumor-netherrealm/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=mortal-kombat-12-evo-reveal-ed-boon-twitter-rumor-netherrealm //jbsgame.com/mortal-kombat-12-evo-reveal-ed-boon-twitter-rumor-netherrealm/#respond Tue, 02 Aug 2022 10:50:32 +0000 //jbsgame.com/?p=337606

Fatality performed on kommunity rumors

NetherRealm Studios' creative director Ed Boon has shut down online rumors that the studio is preparing to reveal a brand new entry in the Mortal Kombat series at this weeken??d's Evolution Championship Series? (Evo) tournament.

As is always the case with MK, the rumors of the reveal came about because someone decided that they existed. Social media quickly started turning up the volume on whispers that Warner Bros. Games and NRS were preparing to reveal Mortal Kombat 12 during this week's Evo festivities. Speaking on Twitte??r yesterday, however, the usually enigmatic Boon chose to be more direct, openly squashin??g the reveal talk.

After IGN noted that several fighting game brands would be in attendance at Evo, including Mortal Kombat, Boon retweeted IGN's comments, succinctly adding "...except Mortal Kombat. Sorry." Boon would then follow this response up with his own tweet, stating "It's time for Street Fighter and oth??er great fighting games to be in the sun! Let's enjoy t??hat!"

//tw?itter.com/noobde/status/1554289885397278721?s=20&?amp;t=nvRPhgW2yrcGA-wphPTcUw

NetherRealm Studios ended support for Mortal Kombat 11 back in 2021, almost immediately after the release of the gory sequel's final DLC update. Despite earlier plans for MK11 to be the longest supported and most kompetitive MK title ever, it seems that the NRS team was instead pushed quickly onto their next project once the DLC had hit the market. It should be noted that the persistent circulation ?of Warner Bros. Games sales rumors, as well as the disruption of the tournament scene due to COVID-19, has ??probably thrown more than a few roped spears?? into NRS' fragile calendar.

Nevertheless, Netherealm Studios is currently working on its next release, and no doubt we'll be hearing more about it when the time is right. With Street Fighter 6 scheduled for launch in early 2023, and the Capcom marketing machine in full gear, I would be very surprised if we heard/saw any official reveal for a Mortal Kombat 12 (or a?ny other NRS title) during the remainder of 202??2.

Of course... This doesn't exclude any possibility of seeing the krew in MultiVersus before then...

Evo 2022 takes place August 5-7 at the Las Vegas Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino.

The post Ed Boon shuts down talk of new ??Mortal Kombat reveal at Evo 2022 appeared first on Destructoid.

]]> //jbsgame.com/mortal-kombat-12-evo-reveal-ed-boon-twitter-rumor-netherrealm/feed/ 0 337606 //jbsgame.com/mortal-kombat-2021-movie-sequel-report-director-returns/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=mortal-kombat-2021-movie-sequel-report-director-returns //jbsgame.com/mortal-kombat-2021-movie-sequel-report-director-returns/#respond Wed, 20 Jul 2022 22:30:10 +0000 //jbsgame.com/?p=335834

The 2021 movie's director could be returning to the chair

The sequel to Mortal Kombat (2021) could be seeing a familiar face at the helm. Deadline reports that Simon McQuoid is set to return to the Mortal Kombat follow-up.

McQuoid made his feature film directorial debut on Mortal Kombat, which hit both theaters and HBO Max last year.

We got confirmation in January that New Line Cinema had reportedly greenlit the sequel. Deadline also reports that Moon Knight writer Jeremy Slater is writing the screenplay for the Mortal Kombat sequel.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBa_aHwCbC4

No other details are known about the fo??llow-up just yet.

A new tournament

It's little surprise we're seeing a follow-up. Mortal Kombat did pretty well, especia??lly considering its simulta??neous streaming and theater debut.

The 2021 film even left off on a cliffhanger, with Raiden saying he wanted to tra??in up a new roster of fighters. Film character Cole is seen setting off for Los Angele??s, possibly in search of a certain movie star with some martial arts prowess.

While it certainly had some high points and some dips, I overall enjoyed my time with the new Mortal Kombat. It had some good actio??n and fight scenes. The Scorpi?on vs. Sub Zero fight scene was worth admission on its own.

Meanwhile, the video game adaptation train carries on at full speed. The HBO Last of Us production looks set for next year, and Sonic the Hedgehog continues to break the box office with even more in the works. Heck, even Duke Nukem migh?t be gettin?g in on the silver screen bandwagon.

Considering that Mortal Kombat turned out pretty okay compared to other video game adaptations, I'm game to see a new one and find out where Cole's story goes from here. Though hopefully it doesn't fall down the same animal-shaped potholes that Mortal Kombat: Annihilation did.

The post Mortal Kombat movie sequel will reportedly bring back first film’s director appeared first on Destructoid.

]]> //jbsgame.com/mortal-kombat-2021-movie-sequel-report-director-returns/feed/ 0 335834 //jbsgame.com/aews-jade-cargill-rocks-awesome-mortal-kombat-cosplay/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=aews-jade-cargill-rocks-awesome-mortal-kombat-cosplay //jbsgame.com/aews-jade-cargill-rocks-awesome-mortal-kombat-cosplay/#respond Tue, 08 Mar 2022 17:00:50 +0000 //jbsgame.com/?p=311406

The champ is feeling Jaded

This past weekend saw promotion All Elite Wrestling (AEW) host its AEW Revolution 2022 pay-per-view, emanating from the Addition Financial Arena in Orlando, Florida. By all accounts, it was a great show, featuring the long-awaited showdown between MJF and C.M. Punk,?? as well as a barn burner between Chris Jericho and everybody's dad, Eddie Kingston.

For video game fans, however, (of which AEW has many), the biggest headturner of the night was perhaps the appearance of stellar AEW TBS Champio??n Jade Cargi??ll, who was scheduled to defend her title against judoka ass-kicker and number one contender Tay Conti.

When the time came for the wrestlers to make their entrance, Cargill rocked up in a stunning green ensemble, faithfully stylized after Cargill's Mortal Kombat namesake: Edenian assassin Jade. Accompanied by a live guitar solo from Grammy award-winning artist Christone "Kingfish" Ingram, the Flordia-born champion made her way to the ring to do ba??ttle. How'd it go? Spoilers, pal.

//twitter.com/AEW/status/1500658201540415488?s=20&t=j8_?-gsp2kl1yxqestd-paA

Of course, Jade Cargill's dazzling look was not the first time Mortal Kombat has made its presence known in a pro-wrestling ring. Back in 2020, WWE star Zelina Vega pulled off this awesome look for the Royal Rumble, arriving in gear matching that of Edenian turncoat queen Sindel. And way back in 2011, AJ Lee turned up to a Halloween Battle Royal as Princess Kitana, (complete with amusing "Fan Lift").

Video game cosplay and pro-wrestling have been in close proximity for some time, and given that AEW is full of fuckin' nerds, that relationship looks set to be solidified in the future. Oh, and in unrelated news, here's some brand new action figures which see AEW stars Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks as Street Fighter's Akuma, Ryu, and ?Ken. Complete with tasselboots. L??ordy.

//tw??itter.com/JeremyCom/status/1500223416661471233?s=20&t=3pGM70e5CajrfACXiPe_Ew

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]]> //jbsgame.com/aews-jade-cargill-rocks-awesome-mortal-kombat-cosplay/feed/ 0 311406 //jbsgame.com/best-hug-list-top-ten-video-game-huggers/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=best-hug-list-top-ten-video-game-huggers //jbsgame.com/best-hug-list-top-ten-video-game-huggers/#respond Sat, 29 Jan 2022 20:00:16 +0000 //jbsgame.com/?p=306078

Bring it in

I admit it; I’m a hugger. Don’t make this weird. Keep it office appropriate, but bring ??it in. Maybe after the pand??emic has ended.

Just like any hugger, I spend a lot of time thinking about hugging other people, dogs,  crustaceans, and fictional characters. More than once have I been playing a game and thought, “I bet that character gives great hugs.�By “more than once,�I mean, lik?e, constantly. When a new mo??nster reveals itself from the depths, my mind immediately puts it on a scale for huggability. Great Grey Wolf Sif: Very huggable. Gaping Dragon: No.

So allow me to share my expertise with all the other huggers out there and bring your attention to some of my picks for ten of the best video game huggers out there. I know some of you are already searching your folders of Shin Megami Tensei games to find the most phallic creation that you want to pull into your embrace, but this is serious business. You? can’t just go through life making light of the important subject of hugs. Focus!

Mike Haggar

Can you truly look me in the eye and tell me you never wanted to hug Mike Haggar from Final Fight? Look?? at him, he walks like he’s inviting everyone on the street into his arms. It helps that the beat-’em-up genre is the huggingest variety of games on the market. Most of the time, when a brawler gets close to another character, they immediately take them into their arms before driving their faces into the concrete.

There are quite a few characters that would fit in place of Haggar, including newcomer hugger, Estel from Streets of Rage 4, but Haggar has been hugging longer ?than most. Plus, he’s willing?? to hug a city full of thugs to save his city and get his daughter back. That’s a man dedicated to hugging.

Yellow Devil

Jump, wait, hop, wait, wait, jump, wait, wait, jump (clear two), wait, wait, wait, jump, wait, wait, wait, hop, wait, and hug. Look at Mega Man's Yellow Devil, he’s huge. Maybe squishy. His stance implies that he wants a hug, but is too shy to commit to it. Those ??are hugging hands, ready for a soft embrace. Just don’t get too attached. Yellow Devil is a heartbreaker. If you take your time and pause for effect, you might just crack that squishy exterior.

Hestu

Damn! Talk about tree-hugging! While his bark-covered exterior may not make for the most comfortable embrace, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild's Hestu's round shape is pleasing? to the arms. He also really knows how to shake it, so if you’re the type to go out dancing, Hestu will shake it with you. I’m not the dancing type, but I respect his hobbies.

Sheeva

The first thought a lot of people probably had when they saw the four-armed Goro in the first Mortal Kombat was, “Damn, I want a hug from that guy.�The problem is, like so many fighting game bosses, the dude’s a ??cheater. He’s fast and does stupid amounts of damage. Sheeva is a much better option.

First appearing in Mortal Kombat 3 as t??he first playable Shokan on the regular roster, Sheeva’s skimpy outfit and impressive musculature confused me as a pre-pubescent child. She has beckoning arms, unlike Goro’s “I’m going to crush you�physique.

DoomGuy

I can’t really imagine a scenario where Doom's DoomGuy would be looking for a hug. He’s pretty fixated on demon killing, but he did take time out for his pet rabbit, Daisy, so maybe there is a comforting embrace i?n him somewhere. All I know is he’s a passionate individual, and if he could somehow swap his demon-killing hands for hugging hands, it would be a hug for the ages. ??Just look at those arms! They’re as big as my waist.

Alucard

Dracula’s half-human spawn is something of the dramatic type. Alucard from the Castlevania series presents himself as equal parts sullen and stoic, he’s like the ideal persona of a shoegazing band frontman. More than anyone on this list, however, the guy needs a hug. He misses his mom and has severe daddy issues. ??It might be difficult to get him to throw open his cloak, but if you can somehow convince him to take you into his dhampir arms, he’d probably have trouble letting go.

Andre (Blacksmith from Dark Souls)

There were few truly friendly faces in Dark Souls. One wrong move and someone you thought was your friend would be at your throat. Not Andre, though. Guy just sits in the basement of a church, blacksmithing all day. He wishes you well with a cheerful demeanor, a welcome change from the morose or plainly insane. Plus, those calloused hammering hands are primed for hugging, and an embrace from Andre would definitely make the world of Dark Souls a lot less bleak.

Shoutout to Stockpile Thomas from Demons Souls. He’s got a heart of gold that could probably benefit from a hug, but he loses? points because he’d probably start c?rying down your back.

Kazuma Kiryu

The Yakuza series�mainstay protagonist, Kazuma Kiryu, reminds me a lot of my dad. Hyper-competent, good-hearted, and endearingly out of touch. Do you know who gives great hugs? My dad. And while my dad has arms honed from working in a lumberyard for most of his life, he doesn’t quite have Kiryu’s chiseled physique.

Plus, despite his expressionless exterior, he is a bit of a soft touch. He takes care of orphans (while absolutely sloshed if you play Yakuza like I do) and even loves animals. He’s not so manly he can’t take time to play with toy cars, so you can bet a hug from him will be sligh?tly awkward but palpably comforting.

Garrus Vakarian

Uuunng, Garrus~

Toriel

If given the choice, I probably wouldn’t have even started Undertale. I would have just accepted Toriel’s offer of motherly love and butterscotch pie. I hate butterscotch. It was pretty mean of Undertale to start the game by? forcing you to break the heart of a kindly woman. I fought it, but it leaves you no choice. Thankfully, if you play ??your cards right, you might get another chance at that matriarchal embrace.

However, if you chose to kill Toriel, we can’t be friends anymore.

The post Ten of the Best Video Game Huggers appeared first on Destructoid.

]]> //jbsgame.com/best-hug-list-top-ten-video-game-huggers/feed/ 0 306078 //jbsgame.com/mortal-kombat-2021-movie-sequel-in-the-works-news/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=mortal-kombat-2021-movie-sequel-in-the-works-news //jbsgame.com/mortal-kombat-2021-movie-sequel-in-the-works-news/#respond Wed, 26 Jan 2022 21:30:13 +0000 //jbsgame.com/?p=305778

The most recent silver screen production of Mortal Kombat is getting a sequel

New Line's Mortal Kombat is reportedly greenlit for a follow-up. Deadline reports that a Mortal Kombat sequel is in the works with Moon Knight head writer Jeremy Slater on to write.

Further details on th?e follow-up are scarce. Deadline reports th??at no other deals for the sequel are locked at this point.

Mortal Kombat did pretty well in its box office opening, as it also premiered on HBO Max. And it was, for the most part, a pretty solid martial arts action flick. It used newcomer Cole Young to explore the world of Mortal Kombat and the conflic?t between Earthrealm and Outworld.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBa_aHwCbC4

Still, while introducing some movie-exclusive elements in one hand, it also kept faithful to the series' legacy with the other. I was a big fan of its portrayal of characters like Jax and H??anzo Hasashi, a.k.a. Scorpion. The fight scene between Scorpion and Sub-Zero was pretty dang incredible.

For a new film, there's definitely still some lore left to use. It could move into an actual full-blown tournament, or go the Mortal Kombat: Annihilation route and mix elements of the first few games together. Hopefully without any Animalities, that is. Plus, the sti??nger at the end teased Cole headed off to Los Angeles to find the one and only Johnny Cage.

However far off a new installment is, it's nice to at least have some decently high hopes. I won't turn down an excuse to see another Mortal Kombat movie, and video game adaptations have been steadily improving over the years. Hopefully New Line can overco??me the sequel slump with this o??ne.

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]]> //jbsgame.com/mortal-kombat-2021-movie-sequel-in-the-works-news/feed/ 0 305778 //jbsgame.com/multiversus-mortal-kombat-warner-bros-scorpion-sub-zero-twitter/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=multiversus-mortal-kombat-warner-bros-scorpion-sub-zero-twitter //jbsgame.com/multiversus-mortal-kombat-warner-bros-scorpion-sub-zero-twitter/#respond Fri, 31 Dec 2021 13:00:45 +0000 //jbsgame.com/?p=302480

As if it won't just be fucking Scorpion

Warner Bros. Interactive continues to beaver away at its upcoming fighter MultiVersus, which will be bringing its crossover slap-bang brawling to PC and consoles in 2022. While we already know a hefty chunk of WarnerMedia characters who will be stepping into the ring, one WB property remains curiously absent: NetherRealm's Mortal Kombat.

While MultiVersus already features stars taken from IPs such as Game of Thrones, DC Comics, Scooby-Doo, Adventure Time, and the Looney Toons gang, the combatants from the incredibly gory fight franchise are yet to put in an appearance. That might be about to change, however, given a tweet posted yesterday by MultiVersus' director, Tony Huynh, who stopped short of confirming Mortal Kombat's involvement but did, conveniently, ask fans which kombatants they would like to see join the r??umble. Hypothetic?ally speaking, of course.

This led to a slew of answers, from rabid fan favorites such as Mileena and Jade, to outliers such as Sheeva and Tanya. It's all pretty much a monument to fertility, honestly, as we all know who it's going to be should the MK Krew grace MultiVersus with its monumental presence. While I would, obviously, love to see her highness beating the ever-loving shit out of the entire Game of Thrones cast, I will quite gladly take Tom & Jerry kicking seven shades out of Scorpion as a ba?ckup.

MultiVersus is currently i??n development for PlayStation, PC, and Xbox platforms and is expected to? launch in 2022.

//twitter.com/Tony_Huynh/status/1476?619820573462530?s=20

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]]> //jbsgame.com/multiversus-mortal-kombat-warner-bros-scorpion-sub-zero-twitter/feed/ 0 302480 //jbsgame.com/mortal-kombat-ed-boon-invents-scorpion-spear-video/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=mortal-kombat-ed-boon-invents-scorpion-spear-video //jbsgame.com/mortal-kombat-ed-boon-invents-scorpion-spear-video/#respond Wed, 13 Oct 2021 19:00:15 +0000 //jbsgame.com/?p=289034

'More like... Wah... GET OVER HERE!'

A fascinating piece of video has surfaced on Ed Boon's Twitter account, which sees the Mortal Kombat co-creator spontaneously ??invent one of the most recognisable and ico??nic moves in fighting game history: Scorpion's Spear.

The clip, which was uploaded by Boon to announce the 30th anniversary of the gory fighting franchise, is pulled directly from the motion capture sessions used for the original 1992 Midway release, Mortal Kombat. In the video, series creators Ed Boon and?? John Tobias are busy shooting actor Daniel Pesina, (in costume as Scorpion), capturing a variety of animations and m?artial-arts maneuvers to be later digitized into the game.

In a flash of inspiration, Ed Boon seemingly invents the famous special move on the spot, comically exclaiming "D?o ninjas have some sort of ropes?... Like an arrow or whatever... it stuck into the other guy and dragged him across the... and then just went 'BAM' and nailed him." Pesina attempts the throw-and-drag maneuver several ??times under Boon's direction, with Ed �in a moment he was born for �suddenly blurts out "But more like... WAH!... Get over here..."

And just like that, Boon created not only one of Mortal Kombat's most recognized emblems, but perhaps the single most recognizable move in fighting games, (behind Street Fighter's Hadoken). It's funny how life works like that; Ed Boon posits and shoots an idea, and it eventually typifies a franchise, spawns a timeless quote, and eventually gets him landed in the Guinness Book of World Records as "Longest-serving video game voice actor." I guess the lesson here is to always throw your inspiration out ??there, you just never know what is going?? to hit.

Ed Boon will appear at the DC FanDome event this coming weeke??nd. It is unknown if any reveals are planned.

//twitter.com/noobde/status/1447966875523162??121?s=20

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]]> //jbsgame.com/mortal-kombat-ed-boon-invents-scorpion-spear-video/feed/ 0 289034 //jbsgame.com/shaggy-wb-mortal-kombat-cartoon-intro/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=shaggy-wb-mortal-kombat-cartoon-intro //jbsgame.com/shaggy-wb-mortal-kombat-cartoon-intro/#respond Tue, 31 Aug 2021 16:30:35 +0000 //jbsgame.com/?p=282018

'Like...get over here, man!'

When brands become self-aware enough to put memes into canon, the joke dies. This is especially true of Big Chungus, who appeared in a game recently as a cameo. But I can't help but smile seeing Ultra Instinct Shaggy choke out Scorpion...the Scorpion...in an official cartoon intro.

The tie-in involves Mortal Kombat Legends: Battle of the Realms, a new WB animation joint (and sequel to Scorpion's Revenge) released this week on home video. Before the film s?tarts Scorpion is seen flipping around the WB intro screen (as ninjas do), and BAM, Ultra Instinct Shaggy slams open the water tower door and chokes him out. "Like...get over here, man!" indeed.

As a refresher, Ultra Instinct Shaggy was born out of the film Scooby-Doo! Legend of the Phantosaur, in which a hypnotiz?ed Shaggy kicks a??n entire biker gang's ass. For several years peo??ple started to apply various editing techniques to the scene, culminating in a Dragon Ball Z "Ultra Instinct" parody??????????????????????????. Hence, why Shaggy has a power level aura i??n the intro.

I have to admit, this is one of the more clever ways to play up a meme in recent years. It's not overdoing the joke: Shaggy unexpectedly comes out, does his thing for a few seconds, and then peaces out as a cameo before the film even begins. I'm also an unabashed Scooby-Doo fan, so anything that gets this series more eyes is good with me! My mom grew up with it, I grew up with it, and my kid loves it. It's wild how long Scooby-Doo h?as been around, but all of the twists and turns producers have made to keep it alive deserve ?some props.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=XN_eN05cij0

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]]> //jbsgame.com/shaggy-wb-mortal-kombat-cartoon-intro/feed/ 0 282018