The media landscape is about to undertake another significant shift as AT&T announces the spin-off and merging of WarnerMedia with Discovery Inc. The deal will include reorganizing WB Games, which was reportedly being shopped for separate sale until late last year, under the new company. Read on for more detail:

The focus of the corporate merger is predominantly the development of entertainment programming and a new streaming powerhouse, combining WarnerMedia assets like Warner Bros, HBO, Cartoon Network and more, with Discovery's global infrastructure and stable of brands, including The Discovery Channel, Food Network, HGTV, and international regional programming.

According to Variety the deal was achieved as a result of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, when golfing enthusiast and AT&T Chief John Stankey discussed concerns to prioritize a push into the streaming market with Discovery CEO David Zaslav during AT&T Pebble Beach pro-am delays. Zaslav said at a press conference, "We’re not just better together, we’re the best together".

The $43 billion dollar consolidation will facilitate further investment in original programming content and embellishment of existing assets, freeing WarnerMedia of some of the burden of AT&T's multi-billion dollar debt, and divided priority of the telecommunication giant's development of 5G infrastructure. The deal has been achieved through a tax efficient method called Reverse Morris Trust and is expected to pass regulatory approval in 2022.

Jason Kilar will remain CEO of WarnerMedia, with Zaslav to lead the new company, but John Stankey notes, "David's got a lot of decisions to make on personnel." The incoming head talks a good game, so far, philosophizing on the company's content production outlook: "Our core operating philosophy will be more investment on the screen, more resources for storytellers".

The recent Mortal Kombat movie was part of a Warner Brothers led rebound at the box office after pandemic shutdowns. The film also set HBO Max viewership records.

WarnerMedia's focus on streaming was already apparent during a corporate shuffle in 2020 and downsizing at WB owned businesses like DC Comics. The impact, if any, on WB Games remains to be seen, with no forecast for the company's other multimedia interests.

Update: IGN's Julia Alexander reports via Twitter that not all of WB Games and Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment will be included in the sale. Stephen Totilo of Axios relayed a rep's remarks on the division of WB Games, "Some of the gaming arm will stay with AT&T and some will go with the new company".

NetherRealm Studios recently posted positions for Senior Advanced Software Engineer and mobile development positions, adding to March's search for software engineers, senior artists, and quality assurance testing. A new project is expected in the near future, with the studio back at work in January.

Mortal Kombat Online will continue to follow these stories as they develop, You can share your thoughts in the comments below and enter a realm of further speculation in the Future MK Games and DC Universe Injustice forums.

Brazilian statue maker Iron Studios has impressed with a series of sculpted merchandise inspired by the klassic games. Most have taken designs from the first, but for their Raiden offering they've drawn from the colour flourishes of Mortal Kombat II to create a dynamic thunder god! Take a look:

Raiden holds the power of lightning in his hands with translucent blue bolts adding authentic appeal to the Mortal Kombat Battle Diorama statue. Ripples in his blue MKII smock add a touch of drama, implying whipping winds surrounding the powerful storm god. A smirk hidding beneath his trademark hat adds a sense of dark humor to Earthrealm's protector: "Have a nice day."

Like other entries in the series: MKII Klassic Raiden is 1:10 scale hand painted polystone. From top to bottom he stands 9.4" tall, 6.6" wide, and 5.5" deep and weighs 2.2lbs. The limited edition statue has a bone laden diorama base and is available for pre-order on the website for $169.99 to ship in Q3 2021.

Raiden is part of a series that also features Scorpion and Goro. We'll continue to feature more of the series soon. Tell us what you think of Raiden in the comments below and find more stories in the Media & Merchandise forum.

When fans stepped up to the original Mortal Kombat arcade cabinet they were confronted with a looming menace more threatening than the final boss. Goro was the four-armed man-dragon immortalized in statue form at the centre of the Warrior Shrine -- and thanks to Iron Studios you've got a fresh chance to own your own stone tribute to the champ! Take a look:

Goro is one of the first entries into the Brazilian statue maker's Mortal Kombat Klassic Battle Diorama series. The Shokan Prince roars powerfully with a pose that shows off his physique in the klassic style of the original game. He may be reduced to 1:10 scale, but he'll still loom over the collection with fist raised triumphantly over the skulls of his enemies!

At an impressive 14.1" he reaches half a foot higher than the 1:10 scale Klassic Scorpion statue, 7.8" wide and 7.4" deep -- dimensions befitting a character whose hulking sillhouette was once almost as iconic as the dragon logo itself!

Goro was originally achieved using digitized stop motion puppet animation, and as John Tobias recently detailed, he was the greatest MK Champion in history! Now he's a limited edition, hand-painted polystone statue available in limited supply for $199.99!

You can currently see Goro appearing in the new Mortal Kombat feature film, and vote for him in this year's Supreme Mortal Kombat Champion character tournament! Share your thoughts about the Goro statue in the comments and find & discuss more in the Media & Merchandise forum!

Since his very first appearance: Scorpion has been an icon for gaming and the Mortal Kombat franchise. Now Brazilian merchandiser Iron Studios is paying homage to the ninja's earliest incarnation with a dramatic new statue in the klassic style! Take a closer look and find out more:

We've seen plenty of merchandise inspired by the arcade trilogy, but the Battle DIorama series from Iron Studios sets itself apart in a few ways. 1:10 scale means it's a little more compact and a little more affordable than previous high-end statues, but still manages to deliver a touch of Hell with a "rustic" bone-laden base, and Scorpion's trademark blood soaked rope spear!

Scorpion is hand painted polystone standing 8.9" tall, 4.7" wide, 4.3" deep and weighing a modest 1.9lbs. With white eyes and a stern scowl this is an impressive adaptation of the klassic sprites and carries an impressive $179.99 price tag. If that sounds fair you can pre-order now for delivery in Q4 2021.

Scorpion is currently appearing in the Mortal Kombat movie, and you can vote for him in this year's Supreme Mortal Kombat Champion character tournament! Share your thoughts about this statue in the comments below or discover more in the Media & Merchandise forum!

One of the biggest talking points coming out of the new Mortal Kombat movie is the possible casting of Johnny Cage for a sequel. Martial arts star Alain Moussi is one of the emerging names being bandied about by fans -- and he's making it known he's ready for the call!

Alain Moussi is a Canadian martial artist and actor with the distinction of black belts in jujitsu and karate. You may've seen him recently starring opposite Nicolas Cage in Jiu Jitsu, or as Batman in the DC live-action series Titans. His most compelling credit to date is as Kurt Sloane: heir apparent to Jean-Claude Van Damme in the revived Kickboxer franchise.

Moussi's martial arts are a strong point of difference, but it's starting to seem like you're really only in the chase if you've been photoshopped to look like the iconic gaming character. WWE's Mike "The Miz" Mizanin submitted himself with fan art that captured some fans' imaginations, while Ryan Reynolds turned widespread Twitter talk into a promotional opportunity using his own mockup.

Not to be outdone: Alain Moussi has enthusiastically shared a fan's effort via Twitter, getting behind the Johnny Cage version of character posters created for the film [pictured below].

Before he was one of the breakout stars of martial arts cinema, Moussi did extensive doubling work, performing stunts for Mike Mizanin in The Marine 3: Homefront. He even doubled for Van Damme in a commercial that required the injured star to perform the splits! A trademark Johnny Cage acquired from his 90s cinematic inspiration!

Alain Moussi may have to work on disguising a French-Canadian accent, but he has the Johnny Cage moves and confidence, tweeting: 'Let me start by saying I am NOT cast as Johnny Cage in Mortal Kombat 2... but I SHOULD BE. When you want something you don’t sit back and wait for a phone call, you get up and GO FOR IT!!'

Who do you think is the most interesting name put forward for the role? Share your thoughts in the comments below and discuss more about the movie sequel in the Media & Merchandise forum!