Just because it's the zombie apocalypse doesn't mean you won't want to rep your favourite video game with appropriate gamer wear. At least, that's the case in The Last of Us Part 1, which has officially added a Mortal Kombat II t-shirt skin via its latest update. Take a closer look:

Developer Naughty Dog shared a nice clean screenshot of young protagonist Ellie wearing her official MKII logo tee while working an arcade machine. The t-shirt pic [below] was shared with patch notes for the PS5 update, previously discovered via PC by @DomTheBombYt unfortunately close to April Fool's Day.

The inclusion is a further escalation of Ellie's MK fandom, previously established with a poster added to the remake title, and furthered with a little arcade 1v1 played in the live-action HBO television series. Ellie (Bella Ramsey) could not take Raiden to victory over Riley (Storm Reid) and her Mileena. Watch the scene below:

It seems even the apocalyptic outbreak of a mutant fungus across the United States cannot quash people's nostalgic appetite for Mortal Kombat II! The 1993 sequel is still widely regarded as one of the fan-favourite entries in the series' thirty year history!

Mortal Kombat continues to find itself in unexpected places, everywhere from nods in The Last of Us and Cyberpunk 2077 games, to the Ready Player One feature film, and even the mind of Tekken developers. Barring the complete & total collapse of civilzation as we know it -- a new Mortal Kombat video game will arrive later this year!

Have you selected the Mortal Kombat II tee in The Last of Us Part 1? Share your thoughts about the crossover reference in the comments below and go deeper into MKII nostalga in the 2D Kombat Klassics forum!

We love a good fight, but ever since the first Mortal Kombat invited players to test their might against various chopping blocks -- we've liked alternative mini-games too. Over time these modes developed into full-fledged games unto themselves and Ed Boon has isolated four of the best to ask fans which they'd most like to bring back. Read on for detail:

NetherRealm Studios' Chief Creative Officer has been back polling fans via Twitter, asking everything from preferred superhero disaster movie, to which rival fighting franchise should make a comeback.

The poll we're most interested in asked fans which single mode they'd most like to bring back in a future MK. A stunningly perfect 72,500 voters showed up to tell us what we probably could've guessed: The Konquest adventure mode is fans' preferred extra-kurricular kombat activity!

Although Konquest emerged as a clear fan-favourite with a 44.3% share of the vote, it beat out Armageddon Mario Kart-like racer, Motor Kombat, with a respectable 33.1%. They finished clear of Deception bonuses Chess Kombat (18.1%) and Puzzle Kombat (6.5%).

Only (MK) Fans. ???? If you could bring back only ONE of these into a future MK game....

— Ed Boon (@noobde) March 19, 2023

Originating as an open world adventure through six core realms in Mortal Kombat: Deception, Konquest featured new playable story-driven protagonists, Shujinko and Taven, with a revamped play style for Armageddon that brought it somewhere closer to adventure spin-off Shaolin Monks.

Fans got a taste of the free roaming modes in Mortal Kombat 11 and MKX with their Krypt modes letting players wander 3D rendered environments to search for unlockable material, but each lacked the heft and story driven consequence of the now-classic Konquest modes.

Fighting games have often pushed the boundaries of their genre since leaving arcades for home consoles. Similar robust adventure modes have appeared in other fighting games, such as Tekken 5, and upcoming features in Street Fighter 6 have drawn wide comparisons to Mortal Kombat equivalents.

Does this latest interest suggest something coming in the future? We now know a twelfth Mortal Kombat is on the way, but interest in a Mortal Kombat adventure mode has been a recurring topic in recent years, and there are no guarantees it will be making a return. In a recent Q&A, Boon did describe a new Konquest mode as more likely than re-releasing Deception.

Last August marked thirty years since the official arcade release of the first Mortal Kombat -- meaning we're right in the middle of a pearl jubilee year! With anticipation growing for an upcoming sequel, Warner Bros Games has paid homage to the franchise with new official posters. Take a look:

French artist Julien "Rico Jr" Rico shared two posters commissioned by Warner Bros Games via social media, repurposing familiar images from the recent Mortal Kombat 11 (and Mortal Kombat X) to highlight some of the longest tenured and best known characters from the games. A second poster puts the spotlight on Sub-Zero -- blasting ice at the viewer in Rico Jr's trademark vector style.

Series co-creator Ed Boon all but confirmed a new game coming in 2023 during a social media Q&A. Warner Discovery CEO David Zaslav made it official while hyping upcoming releases during an earnings call presentation last week.

[Related Article: Mortal Kombat Celebrates 30th Anniversary with Retrospective Video]

Boon led anniversary celebrations with archival footage taking fans into the creation of the original game. His clips revealed moments of inspiration, creating Scorpion's spear attack, Sub-Zero's unique stance, Raiden's teleport, and Sonya Blade's leg grab.

How have you been celebrating thirty years of kombat? Share your nostalgia with us in the comments below, and go deeper into retro in the 2D Kombat Klassics forum. If looking forward is more your speed, join the anticipation of coverage & conversation in the Future MK Games forum!

It's already been one of the worst kept secrets in gaming, but now it's official: a Mortal Kombat sequel is coming in 2023. Confirmation comes courtesy of Warner Bros Discovery CEO David Zaslav, who addressed a fourth quarter earnings call with a slate of upcoming projects from the corporate giant. Listen to a full excerpt:

A twelfth installment of the Mortal Kombat video game franchise was part of a broader presentation of IP driven strategies for tackling the heavy debt accrued by the recently merged corp in multiple mediums.

MK was confirmed for an unspecified 2023 release, along with the upcoming DC Comics Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League video game. An MK sequel was already all-but confirmed by head developer Ed Boon late last December, but there was notably no mention of a third Injustice. Listen to the full call embedded below, or use navigation links to skip to relevant sections:

Skip to Video Games | Skip to Mortal Kombat

We're also thrilled by what we're seeing coming out of our games business, which represents a core part of our overall strategy. As the only studio scaled in gaming, we see it as a meaningful differentiator, with substantial opportunity. With the successful launch of Hogwarts Legacy two weeks ago, we reimagined one of the biggest global franchises in the world. The game was one of the most highly anticipated of 2023, and consistent with our overall commitment to great storytelling, we delayed the launch to get it right - and the response from consumers has been overwhelmingly positive. We've already seen more than $850 million dollars in retail sales, and we still have more platforms launching over the next few months -- 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 year with ambitious launch projections.

Mortal Kombat was notable in its absence from the company's movie brands during the call, drawing into question the value of its much touted streaming success. Although losses were dramatically cut from previous counts, HBO Max reportedly posted a $217 million dollar loss, leading to restructuring, and much publicised tax breaks that controversially led to the deletion of finished projects, such as DC's Batgirl.

Although a sequel is in development with director Simon McQuoid, it may still be a ways off as it undergoes creative retooling amidst mixed reactions to the 2021 film's original concepts, and the company's new emphasis on 'getting it right' with storytelling under Zaslav. Ed Boon recently commented: "Each iteration of the script is better than the previous!"

[Related Article: Ed Boon Talks Game Announcement, DLC & Characters in Q&A]

Are you hyped to see Mortal Kombat 12 in the coming months? Share your response and hopes in the comments below and keep the speculation coming in the Upcoming MK Games forum!

Don't call it a comeback! Mortal Kombat 11 is officially returning to the Evo World Championship in 2023! The Ultimate version of the most recent installment will continue its uninterrupted presence at the celebrated tournament, which returns to Las Vegas in August. Read on for more detail:

Players from around the globe returned to Mandalay Bay for last year's World Championship after the fight was driven online by the height of a pandemic. MK11's best will once again make the trek for a weekend of elite competition August 4th-6th.

Registration is now open at evo.gg, with a line-up of eight games furnishing the 2023 competition with legendary titles.

New release Street Fighter 6 will make its Evo debut, with Tekken 7, Guilty Gear Strive, and King of Fighters XV maintaining long-lived series, alongside Dragon Ball FighterZ and Melty Blood, and Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 making a surprise comeback for the first-annual throwback tournament!

Will you walk the golden mile to wave the flag for Ultimate Mortal Kombat 11 and claim supremacy over all the realms? Share your story with us in the Mortal Kombat 11 forum, and begin your training with Fight Klub powered by MKO! FIGHT!