Back during E3 an idea was spread all over the internet that PS3 fans really wanted to play as Kratos from God of War in a Mortal Kombat. The campaign to get the idea traction was all thanks to the group Hip Hop Gamer Show who even asked Ed Boon himself the question during a panel Q+A session at PAX 2010 after they heard that God of War lead designer David Jaffe would be in favor of the idea.

Fast forward to last night when the website StickSkills posted a story announcing that Kratos would be unveiled in Mortal Kombat (2011) in a future issue of a PlayStation magazine. We were immediately skeptical due to the lack of which Official PlayStation Magazine it would be in. The story itself felt weak and without real backing of proof, but many sites followed suit with posting it soon after.

Here is a bit of their story:

Thanks to the January issue of the Official Playstation Magazine, we've learned just who that character is. When Mortal Kombat drops next year in March, Playstation 3 owners will be able to use an exclusive character none other than Kratos himself from the God of War series. Not only will Kratos be featured in the game, he'll have his own fatalities, combat moves, and his very own God of War themed combat arena.

While Kratos will be featured in the game, he won't be a playable character in the story mode. We're rather happy to see Kratos make his entry into the Mortal Kombat series, as he's known as one of the more iconic members of the Playstation 3 family and he loves violence.

Since we were skeptical so we ignored it. The story felt fishy, especially since a magazine due to be on newsstands in a few weeks would likely already be in subscriber hands. Not only that, but we felt that the announcement, if it was true, was a bit pre-mature since the final official roster of the game hasn't even been unveiled yet.

This morning we were proven wrong. We woke up to find that God of War lead designer David Jaffe confirmed the story over Twitter late last night in a series of "tweets" to his followers. You can read a few of the things he said below:

.@WhoIsDo LOVE that Kratos is in the new MK. So bummed he's not in the story portion. Heard about it from Ed at E3 this year and had to keep super mum on it but man, ****ing LOVE it. He totally fits in that world.I shit you not- on some level I feel like all the characters I work on are alive and that I have a relationship with them and I can tell you, if I know Kratos- and I do!- he's ****ing LOVING his time in the MK Universe. I bet he makes a shit ton of friends there. He should pull Zeus in and ****ing leave his ass there!

@masterkjn I have not seen any footage of Kratos in MK. Eager to tho.

@Evilmajikman Nightwolf or Kano seems like good conceptual fits for Kratos' MK tag team partner.

A few of his later comments were even more obscene, but you can read everything on his Twitter page.

This is all that we know at this time, but I expect we'll know more if and when the magazine with the details surface in the coming weeks. We personally feel that bonus characters like Kratos that don't have anything to do with the main storyline should be left as a hidden character to avoid distracting from the game itself at launch. Maybe even a later released DLC feature. So we'll have to see what WB Games and NetherRealm Studios decides to do with the character once they officially announce it.

Update 9:20am: Thanks to TRMK Community member MEMortalKombat for pointing us to a link to a GameTrailers teaser video about a new character will be revealed for Mortal Kombat (2011) at this Saturday's Spike Video Game Awards (VGAs). The way it's worded feels like it's going to be a MK outsider like Kratos that will be announced.

Also take this opportunity to be sure to write in "Mortal Kombat" for the VGA's Most Anticipated Game of 2010 here. Remember to vote as often as possible, we're hearing Mortal Kombat may have a chance!

Wow, that's... I don't know what. I feel like this sort of undermines the perceived goal of this game, but what do I know? I hope the 360 version doesn't end up with something similar. This game would've done just fine on its own merits, it really doesn't need crossover appeal to seal the deal. Having Kratos as DLC only would seem a bit more reasonable, though.

It's very possible that Xbox will have their own exclusive as well. I personally would rather this is a pre-order exclusive DLC that is later paid-only for those who didn't pre-order. As that would help drive some pre-orders and then not be a full part of the game.

What the heck.. As much as I love Kratos, I.. I'm literally speechless. Honestly what the? For the Xbox, expect Master Chief. Jaffe's words are so direct though. It doesn't really make sense for him to reveal this sort of information.

Originally Posted by : Jinko
For the Xbox, expect Master Chief.

I think Marcus Fenix would be a better fit. Also Epic makes the engine that MK9 runs on (Unreal Engine 3).

Originally Posted by : Jinko
Jaffe's words are so direct though. It doesn't really make sense for him to reveal this sort of information.

I think he was tricked into thinking it was announced, so he spilled the beans further.

No, no, no, no, no...GOD NO!!!

Updated with a GameTrailers VGA teaser video which we feel is totally Kratos.

Well well there you go. Well I can't say I'm against it as long as he stays the -beep- away from the story portion. He is certainly a nice character, no doubt about that.

The new trailer really does hint Kratos. I can sense fans getting angry about a waste of character announcement.

Originally Posted by : Patrick McCarron
I personally would rather this is a pre-order exclusive DLC that is later paid-only for those who didn't pre-order. As that would help drive some pre-orders and then not be a full part of the game.

My thoughts exactly, Pat. If Kratos is on the main roster, I'll mark April 19th as the day that Mortal Kombat went doen the drain

Originally Posted by : DeathcoreRyknow
This game would've done just fine on its own merits, it really doesn't need crossover appeal to seal the deal. Having Kratos as DLC only would seem a bit more reasonable, though.

Couldn't have said it better.

Hmm I have to respectfully disagree with many of you. I think Kratos being added is pretty cool for more than one reason. One of them specifically is that we don't have to pay extra for him. Another is that MK will get more media around it and more buzz and then bump up sales from the "die hard" God of War fans and maybe turn them into MK fans and share the love of the franchise. The way I see it Kratos is like.... showing his gratitude for his existence do to MK's violent mark on the history of video games. I mean if it wasn't for MK, would God of War exist? I don't think so. Dlc is really being manipulated by so many publishers right now. To see Kratos actually being added to the game rather than just DLC you have to dish out more money means a lot more. As for the exclusive for the xbox, hmm, well, RARE does work for MS now and with RARE I believe the rights of Killer Instinct. The smart move would be Fulgore and to use it to promote a new Killer Instinct game. Then again it is MS and I'm pretty sure they'll go the way of what you said Pat, which once you think of it, having a guy running after you with a chainsaw gun every 5 seconds and forcing you on your knees and kicking you in the head doesn't really seem like in depth Kombat if ya ask me.

I love Kratos and I think will enjoy playing him but I hope he is a at launch download. I want 26 MORTAL KOMBAT characters. I will pre-order to get him but hell I will pre-order anyway. I hope they don't get rid of two characters from MK-UMK 3 just to put in Kratos and Quan Chi.

Originally Posted by : Hellrazerhd
To see Kratos actually being added to the game rather than just DLC you have to dish out more money means a lot more.

Not really. If they go the route that Pat is talking about (Pre-Order DLC), it doesn't cost you anything EXTRA and you have the OPTION of NOT having him, if you don't want to.

Originally Posted by : Araknyd03
Not really. If they go the route that Pat is talking about (Pre-Order DLC), it doesn't cost you anything EXTRA and you have the OPTION of NOT having him, if you don't want to.

Idk, the people who don't pre-order won't have that option hehe. Pre-order dlc kinda strips something out of the game in order to promote it when it launches. To me it feels like a loose tooth.

Cool, but at the same time, not so cool.

Originally Posted by : Hellrazerhd
Idk, the people who don't pre-order won't have that option hehe. Pre-order dlc kinda strips something out of the game in order to promote it when it launches. To me it feels like a loose tooth.

A Kratos DLC, in general sounds good to me. It doesn't have to be Pre-Order DLC. As long as it's DLC, I don't have a problem with it. I WOULD have a problem with it, if a character from the MK 1 thru UMK 3 era got ditched, in order to put him on the MAIN roster.

Originally Posted by : Araknyd03
A Kratos DLC, in general sounds good to me. It doesn't have to be Pre-Order DLC. As long as it's DLC, I don't have a problem with it. I WOULD have a problem with it, if a character from the MK 1 thru UMK 3 era got ditched, in order to put him on the MAIN roster.

Oh I doubt they would ditch another character to put in Kratos. They probably got ahead of schedule and were able to put him in. If they didn't have any time or memory I doubt they would have put him in.

I don't know... Honestly I'm not so sure Jaffe can be believed. He vehemently denied Eat, Sleep, Play was working on Twisted Metal in order to surprise everyone at E3 (which worked and I thought it was a fantastic surprise!). I think there may be a chance he's throwing out this false rumor in order to get an even bigger surprise and it will indeed be a MK character revealed this Saturday. He is fairly tight with Ed Boon and maybe Ed asked this favor of him to totally throw off the fanbase for this Saturday. Especially when it seems Jaffe is just repeating what OPM reported as a rumor. He's basically just reiterating the information from the magazine, that Kratos is in the game but not playable in the Story Mode. I could be wrong and Kratos really could be in the game (wouldn't surprise me) but I think we can at least entertain the notion that Jaffe and Boon are cooking up some evil trick in order to surprise the fanbase. Especially after that leak yesterday. Boon and Co. may want to really play a dirty trick on us. Just my two cents

It's a bit off-topic, but I just thought I'd share this. IGN mentioned TRMK in their article on Kratos in MK: http://ps3.ign.com/articles/113/1139087p1.html Considering IGN is one of the biggest gaming sites out there (at least as far as I know), I thought that was kinda cool. Carry on.

No!! Anything but him!!

I think its a smart move for MK. They wanna sell millions so they are hoping they'll get the God of War fans to buy. I have no problem with Kratos as DLC for multipler or choose your destiny. Def no part of story mode. Im sure NRS wouldnt do that. Plus im sure he will look cool.

You know I'd be mad but then i realized: "Hey i have a 360!!!" so i don't have to see him in my game!!!

Originally Posted by : DeathcoreRyknow
Wow, that's... I don't know what. I feel like this sort of undermines the perceived goal of this game, but what do I know? I hope the 360 version doesn't end up with something similar. This game would've done just fine on its own merits, it really doesn't need crossover appeal to seal the deal. Having Kratos as DLC only would seem a bit more reasonable, though.

Agreed. I really don't know who they'd put in the 360 version that would fit and I'd rather them stick to a purely MK game since that was part of the point. I really don't get why Jaffe is disappointed at Kratos not have a part in the story cause that's idiotic. If this weren't a multi-platform game with a long, robust history, that might make sense. Since MK is a seasoned series and it's gonna be on the 360, that's just a DUMB comment.

I like it. Kratos fits.

Holy shit YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS If Xbox gets anyone it would have to be Marcus Fenix.... curb stop someone to death, or pull out a lancer and chainsaw them in half. But wow... even if Kratos is the only special character that would be awesome.

Originally Posted by : Eks
I really don't get why Jaffe is disappointed at Kratos not have a part in the story cause that's idiotic. If this weren't a multi-platform game with a long, robust history, that might make sense. Since MK is a seasoned series and it's gonna be on the 360, that's just a DUMB comment.

I was thinking the same thing. Really, you expected NRS to fit an outside character into a rewrite of the most celebrated storyline in the history of a series full of celebrated storylines? Sure, dude. Why not just have Kratos become a member of the Lin Kuei and murder Scorpion's family? Then he can betray the Lin Kuei, become a cyborg, give the younger Sub-Zero his scar and convince Reptile to become a vegetarian.

Originally Posted by : DeathcoreRyknow
Really, you expected NRS to fit an outside character into a rewrite of the most celebrated storyline in the history of a series full of celebrated storylines? Sure, dude. Why not just have Kratos become a member of the Lin Kuei and murder Scorpion's family? Then he can betray the Lin Kuei, become a cyborg, give the younger Sub-Zero his scar and convince Reptile to become a vegetarian.

Good point. Having him in the strory is even MORE retarded. I don't know why the hell you would put Kratos in MK to begin with, but that subject has been beaten to death.

Originally Posted by : The 7th Number
Holy shit YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS If Xbox gets anyone it would have to be Marcus Fenix.... curb stop someone to death, or pull out a lancer and chainsaw them in half. But wow... even if Kratos is the only special character that would be awesome.

Kratos is only special in that he's "special" ~*

How many of you guys are even getting this on the PS3? If it's anything like MKvDCU you'll mostly end up getting the 360 version anyway, which instantly makes your complaints (of which there are always many, because seemingly the 'fans' of MK just seem to be constantly searching for something, anything to complain about) totally invalid. On the off chance that the 360 version does get an exclusive character, the simple solution is don't play as them. Kratos fits. He's about the most brutal character in videogame history, and is now making a cameo in what looks to be one of the most brutal videogames of the future. At least he isn't to be wasted potentially again like when he was in SoulCalibur. Now do we really need everyone on the forum to post saying the exact same thing, collective disdain for anything that looks not completely rehashed? And the comment about MK going down the pan was so retarded it hurts. The game looks amazing, one character that is OPTIONAL to use won't affect that. And if it was the integrity of the series you were talking about, I have two words: Special Forces. Judging by sales and the reactions of most of you guys, MK has been in the shitter for about a decade. If anything, it looks set to be clawing it's way back out.