It wasn't apparent that Mortal Kombat would ever get to this point in history. In the past five years, there was a major amount of uncertainty surrounding Midway Games, the parent company of the Mortal Kombat franchise. Starting with the Chapter 11 reorganization filing of Midway Games and the subsequent rumors of selling the Mortal Kombat franchise to Warner Bros. After all of the dust had settled, Midway Games was no more, but Mortal Kombat would live on under the new stewardship of Warner Bros. and the direction of a rebranded NetherRealm Studios.

After releasing the first ever crossover game in Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe, the franchise was due for a major overhaul as current generation consoles featured so much opportunity for a "true" mature Mortal Kombat game. Mortal Kombat (2011) was a game that every fan of any Mortal Kombat game could get excited about. It truly was a game for the fans that stuck by the series, and regained the interests of those who had forgotten about it. Not only has Mortal Kombat (2011) been a critical and financial success for NRS and Warner Bros., the TRMK community has grown to its highest levels of participation and readership ever because of the game's successes. With the embracing of Mortal Kombat (2011) into the competitive fighting game community, the franchise has positioned itself to become a greater impact on the video game industry than it ever has since its inception.

Thanks to NetherRealm Studios and Warner Bros. for the unprecedented cooperation we have experienced in the last few years. The new NetherRealm Studios has been an amazing group to work with, given the studio's new-found ability to independently handle their community relations. Thank you to all of the NetherRealm Studios staff members we have come in contact with and to Rigo Cortes for being an invaluable asset to the Mortal Kombat community.

Special heartfelt thanks to Patrick McCarron for taking TRMK to levels I could have never reached by myself. Through his direction and leadership, TRMK has become a true destination for those who are passionate fans of the Mortal Kombat franchise. TRMK successes are due to Patrick's hard work and dedication to the site, along with the excellent staff of Forum Moderators he has assembled. I sincerely appreciate the working relationship Patrick and I have formed throughout the years, and look forward to what we can accomplish in the future.

Finally, it is because of you, the reader, that we are able to continue our passionate work to further the Mortal Kombat community. There have been some very dark days along this 15 year odyssey; however, it is truly apparent that the community remains strong and will continue to be for years to come. With the upcoming 20th anniversary of the Mortal Kombat franchise next year, another chance to celebrate and reflect on a game that has impacted millions across the world will be here soon as well. I am extremely excited at where the next chapter of Mortal Kombat will take us and have never been more confident in its future success. Hopefully at this time five years from now, we will be reflecting upon how far the TRMK community has progressed after two decades.

Sincerely,
Jeff Greeson and Patrick McCarron
The Realm Media Networks Staff.

We will have a few additional contests to announce in the coming days and weeks as time goes on so stay tuned for further announcements. Until then, let these images be a teaser for what else is in store.