As the North American branch of the official MK11 Pro Kompetition unfolded last weekend; there was an unexpected interruption to the broadcast event that resulted in the disqualification of player Titaniumtigerzz. Read on for details:

Kotaku brought the story to light, unpacking an abrupt transition in the live HBO Max feed that interrupted a January 16th match between Titaniumtigerzz and Krispifungus.

Befuddled and bemused commentators described the sudden halt in play as a "situation". Whilst seemingly receiving information via headset, announcer Miguel “Darth Arma” Perez noted at the time, "I don't know what we can publicly say". He later ambiguously referenced the rules, encouraging everyone to be "respectful".

Even players were left unclear of what transpired as Krispifungus was defaulted into the next round. Titaniumtigerzz told Kotaku he was later informed in the intervening time by a tournament moderator that the cause for disqualification was a custom variation name: "WhyDidNRSDoThis".

The unknowingly prophetic, tongue-in-cheek variation was assigned to Sheeva: a downloadable Aftermath addition who has drawn criticism from competitive players for an unblockable teleport stomp called the Dragon Drop.

Skilled players can counter the special attack with specific well-timed moves, or a forward dash, but excessive use of the Dragon Drop is considered by many an easy way for Sheeva players to gain a competitive edge.

Despite the noted gameplay issues; MK11 Pro Kompetition organizers have drawn criticism from the playerbase for the handling of Titaniumtigerzz' offending reference. Along with receiving no immediate clear direction after being allowed to initiate play, he was also given no opportunity to alter the name.

The scenario is an inevitable outcome of the recent addition of custom variations to competitive play -- a featured added last November with Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate. The Pro Kompetition has no specific rules preventing this type of knowing meta-textual reference. The decision to disqualify instead falls under the catchall of a code of conduct.

NetherRealm Studios and WB Games have not yet responded to Kotaku at the time of this publication. Mortal Kombat Online has not reached out for comment.

Titaniumtigerzz will play on, telling Kotaku he will not be deterred by the outcome as a competitive player: "I might hate how they do things but at the end of the day it’s their game and I don’t have any other options."

Have your say in the comments below and find more stories to discuss by joining the kommunity in the Mortal Kombat 11 forum. Go deeper into the competitive scene in the Fight Klub forum -- the home of MK Online's live & interactive league now in public beta!

Retro gaming documentary Insert Coin: The Midway Chronicles tells the story of renegade publisher Midway Games in the 1990s from the perspective of those who were actually there. The movie, featuring Mortal Kombat and beyond, can now be yours to own on blu-ray with a special Mortal Kombat Online discount code! Read on:

You can pre-order the Insert Coin Special Edition Blu-Ray right now from the official website link with a an earliybird price of $19.99. Knock a further $5 off when you use the discount code MKONLINE!

The first 100 pre-orders will also receive a collectible Insert Coin logo pin. Blu-Ray discs are expected to begin shipping January 30th. After that the standard price will revert to $24.99 -- so don't delay!

Insert Coin also made its streaming debut late last year on Alamo On Demand, and can now be found for digital purchase or rental on iTunes, >Amazon Prime.

Learn more about the journey to create the documentary in MK Online's interview with director Josh Tsui and watch the trailer right here. Find and discuss more from Midway's arcade era in the 2D Kombat Klassics forum!

The gears of the great promotion machine have begun grinding out details from April's Mortal Kombat cinematic reboot, but apparently some of the information has been in error. Writer Greg Russo has addressed some of fans' concerns about character specifics via social media. Read on for clarifications:

Responding to worries raised by the Entertainment Weekly preview article via Twitter; Russo confirmed that anomalous references to "Outer World", instead of Outworld, were indeed a typing error [by EW]. The EW source article has since been corrected.

He also expanded upon the details of Sub-Zero's present day return in the film, clarifying that his powers of cryomancy will have fully developed when Shang Tsung sends him to attack Cole Young, rather than having been magically granted to him.

In the new film's action-packed opening sequence, Bi-Han will have fought his rival Scorpion hundreds of years in the past, rather than just prior to the MK tournament, as in game canon. The change is reminiscent of the webseries Mortal Kombat: Legacy, which also transposed their battles to feudal Japan.

Composite image showing more of Sub-Zero's mask in the HBO Max trailer.

These typos have apparently persisted within official press material as well. The writer revealed references to Raiden as an "Elder God" and Shang Tsung as "Emperor of Outworld" are both mistakes that don't reflect their status within the movie.

Fans have known Shao Kahn as Emperor of Outworld since Mortal Kombat II. His desire to conquer Earthrealm was the overarching threat of the first three installments of the game series. Shang Tsung appears subservient in all three: as an emissary at the Mortal Kombat tournament, and servant the Emperor thereafter.

Traditionally a hierarchy has also existed separating Mortal Kombat's gods, such as Raiden and Fujin, from typically formless Elder Gods. Raiden briefly ascended to Elder Godhood after MK4, but relinquished his position in its sequel - Deadly Alliance. More recent games have blurred these distinctions with the introduction of playable Elder Goddess Cetrion, and the Titan Kronika.

[Related Article: Mortal Kombat Movie Set References MK11 Fighters]

Speaking to the absence of Johnny Cage in pre-release materials, Russo ambiguously says "[n]o one will be replaced" and "[n]o one has been forgotten". Whether or not this actually confirms the klassic characters' inclusion in the 2021 film remains to be seen.

“...sends Sub-Zero, now with his cryomancy powers FULLY DEVELOPED, to hunt him down.” Fixed it. They should really let me proof these things ;)

— Greg Russo (@WriterRusso) January 17, 2021

Mortal Kombat will tell the story of original character Cole Young as he explores a lost heritage and mysterious dragon birthmark. The movie debuts in limited domestic theatrical release and streaming to HBO Max on April 16th.

Subscribe to the release event to track the countdown to release and dive into the Media & Merchandise forum for more detailed information. Don't forget to share your thoughts in the comments!

We learned a lot about the plot of the upcoming Mortal Kombat movie from last week's Entertainment Weekly preview, but now Warner Brothers has laid the basic premise out with an official synopsis. Read on for the full press release:

Original character Cole Young (Lewis Tan) will indeed be at the center of a story that sees him sharing a dragon-like birthmark with Jax (Mehcad Brooks), who sends him on a path to the Mortal Kombat tournament. Cole must learn to unlock his "arcana" -- the soul power of his heritage -- to thwart Outworld Emperor Shang Tsung (Chin Han), and save his family and Earthrealm.

The plot appears to reveal significant changes to established game canon, including the roles of characters, and the invention of arcane birthmarks in a sub-plot reminiscent of the last cinematic adaptation - Mortal Kombat: Annihilation. Read the full press release below: Update: Writer Greg Russo has offered corrections to mistakes contained within the press release.

From New Line Cinema comes the explosive new cinematic adventure “Mortal Kombat,” inspired by the blockbuster video game franchise, which most recently enjoyed the most successful video game launch in its history, Mortal Kombat 11. The film is helmed by award-winning Australian commercial filmmaker Simon McQuoid, marking his feature directorial debut, and produced by James Wan (“The Conjuring” universe films, “Aquaman,”), Todd Garner (“Into the Storm,” “Tag”), McQuoid and E. Bennett Walsh (“Men in Black: International,” “The Amazing Spider-Man 2”).

In “Mortal Kombat,” MMA fighter Cole Young, accustomed to taking a beating for money, is unaware of his heritage—or why Outworld's Emperor Shang Tsung has sent his best warrior, Sub-Zero, an otherworldly Cryomancer, to hunt Cole down. Fearing for his family's safety, Cole goes in search of Sonya Blade at the direction of Jax, a Special Forces Major who bears the same strange dragon marking Cole was born with. Soon, he finds himself at the temple of Lord Raiden, an Elder God and the protector of Earthrealm, who grants sanctuary to those who bear the mark. Here, Cole trains with experienced warriors Liu Kang, Kung Lao and rogue mercenary Kano, as he prepares to stand with Earth’s greatest champions against the enemies of Outworld in a high stakes battle for the universe. But will Cole be pushed hard enough to unlock his arcana—the immense power from within his soul—in time to save not only his family, but to stop Outworld once and for all?

The diverse international cast reflects the global nature of the brand, with talent spanning the worlds of film, television and martial arts. The ensemble includes Lewis Tan (“Deadpool 2,” Netflix’s “Wu Assassins”) as Cole Young; Jessica McNamee (“The Meg”) as Sonya Blade; Josh Lawson (“Bombshell”) as Kano; Tadanobu Asano (“Midway”) as Lord Raiden; Mehcad Brooks (TV’s “Supergirl”) as Jackson “Jax” Bridges; Ludi Lin (“Aquaman”) as Liu Kang; with Chin Han (“Skyscraper”) as Shang Tsung; Joe Taslim (“Star Trek Beyond”) as Bi-Han and Sub-Zero; and Hiroyuki Sanada (“Skyscraper”) as Hanzo Hasashi and Scorpion. Also featured are Max Huang as Kung Lao; Sisi Stringer as Mileena; Matilda Kimber as Emily Young; and Laura Brent as Allison Young.

McQuoid directed from a screenplay by Greg Russo and Dave Callaham (“Wonder Woman 1984”), from a story by Oren Uziel (“Mortal Kombat: Rebirth”) and Russo, based on the videogame created by Ed Boon and John Tobias. Richard Brener, Dave Neustadter, Victoria Palmeri, Michael Clear, Jeremy Stein and Larry Kasanoff served as executive producers.

Bringing the hugely popular property to the big screen, McQuoid led a team of Australian and U.S. filmmakers, including director of photography Germain McMicking (“True Detective,” “Top of the Lake: China Girl”), production designer Naaman Marshall (“Underwater,” “Servant”), editors Dan Lebental (“Spider-Man: Far From Home”) and Scott Gray (“Top of the Lake,” “Daffodils”), visual effect supervisor Chris Godfrey (“Hacksaw Ridge”) and costume designer Cappi Ireland (“Lion,” “The Rover”). The music is by Benjamin Wallfisch (“Blade Runner 2049,” the “IT” films).

New Line Cinema Presents an Atomic Monster/Broken Road Production, “Mortal Kombat.” The film is set for release nationwide on April 16, 2021 in theaters and will be available in the U.S. on HBO Max for 31 days from theatrical release. It will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures.

Witness the first video footage released from the film in the HBO Max promo trailer and catch-up on more first-look photos to see more of the cast.

Mortal Kombat will debut simultaneously in limited theatrical release and streaming to HBO Max in the United States on April 16th. Subscribe to the release countdown for reminders and check out the Media & Merchandise forum to share your thoughts on every development from the movie!

The first preview of the upcoming Mortal Kombat movie reboot has given us extensive plot details and images to ponder. A trailer is yet to surface -- but the latest promotion for HBO Max has offered an appetizer, providing the first video footage released from the feature film! Watch closely:

Most prominently featured is a close-up of Sub-Zero crafting a weapon from ice. The frosty 1 second clip gives full motion to the previously released photo of Joe Taslim as Bi-Han, revealing more of a metallic mask behind the icy sword.

Another blade snaps resonantly just prior to Sub-Zero's appearance, as if challenging the Lin Kuei warrior in a manner we might expect of a ninja arch-nemesis, although we cannot yet be certain of the wielder's identity. The only clues are a brassy metallic wrist guard and spiky projections at the shoulder.

Pay close attention to the montage of action, moviestars, and expositional text and be rewarded with an even fresher perspective. Director Simon McQuoid told Entertainment Weekly he wanted "the dirt to come through", and the barren Australian landscape is indeed well represented at the moment the advert announces "NEW MOVIES".

Although the quartet of kombatants has their backs turned to us, we can surmise from their attire and stature that this is likely Kano, Liu Kang, Sonya Blade, and Cole Young gazing into the great yonder.

Preview photos have thus far eschewed Kano's trademark cybernetic face plate. The director says this isn't a "shiny" movie. Instead, Australian comedy actor Josh Lawson is furnished with three jagged scars pointing towards an eyeball that reflects a suspiciously red retina. Another preview photo offered something more familiar: Jessica McNamee pinning Lawson in dirt that looks very similar to what we see in the video.

Kano will apparently be training at Raiden's temple when Lewis Tan's new journeyman Cole Young arrives under Sonya Blade's direction. There we will also see Ludi Lin as Liu Kang, which may in some way provide context for the unlikely gathering in the image included above.

[Related Article: Neo Was Nearly The One For Mortal Kombat]

Warner Brothers has a full slate of feature films debuting simultaneously in limited theatrical release, and streaming directly via the HBO Max service. Various genre pictures can be seen teased, including DC's The Suicide Squad and a fourth Matrix film. Appropriate enough, given Keanu Reeves' Neo was considered for a guest spot in the 2011 Mortal Kombat video game.

Mortal Kombat is scheduled to officialy premiere theatrically & streaming on April 16th. Are you looking forward to it? Subscribe to the release countdown and share your thoughts about the video teaser in the comments below! Discover more by diving into the Media & Merchandise forum!