With how well is NRS currently doing finantially since the last 3 MK games, and adding that all the attempts to make a different style game, I can say for sure that they will never make such thing. Also I don't see NRS and/or Warner giving the IP to another game studio that could make a spin off. So, if I have to guess, the only hope of a game like that is a fangame.

I feel like you're underestimating/downplaying how much effort goes into making video games, especially online games. GTAV/GTAO took 5 years to make across 6 development studios, costing over $260 million, and it still has a dedicated team maintaining it.

One advantage GTAO has over this idea is that GTAO is literally just GTAV's mechanics, but online, like they didn't have to develop an entire different game to package with the game. When you say "All they have to do is keep doing what they’re doing and just eliminate Story mode and make this konquest style instead and fully expand on it to a full Online game like GTA has", it sounds like you want this online Konquest mode to be a part of the next MK fighting game. Development wise, that would basically mean developing two different games side by side in one package. Inevitably, an online adventure with literally every single MK thing, plus a character creator, and all the other stuff you suggest, would take a majority of the budget and development time, and I don't see that happening from a studio that has spent the last 10 years putting out fighting games, and not much else.

They had almost 200 people working on story mode alone so now they could pull those resources towards the open world and it would benefit them much more in the long run, even if it took 4-5 years to make. Its worth the investment

If something I learned from the past generation of games, is that players (real ones, not casuals) appreciate a good story over a big map with multiplayer. that's why mmorpgs declined, because it's easier now to do a big multiplayer, but not so easy to make a great story. Like Jironobou said, it's not that simple for developers to change from one genre to another. Today, open world online games are mostly games as a service, meaning that they need updates to keep players interested. Anyway, you are missing many things, like corporate decisions, NRS is a corporate company owned by Warner, they have to make money fast or they are fired. They will always make the decision towards that.

I don't think it would transition well. There has to be a very fun gameplay mechanic to it. At its core, Mortal Kombat is a fighting game. With that said, it would be interesting to have an avatar running around like in the previous Konquest modes from Deception and Armageddon so that you can interact with other players. By triggering NPC's you can initiate different gameplay modes without compromising the core gameplay elements of Mortal Kombat being a fighting game.

Majority of people dont even finished story modes in most games now. Thats a fact, which is why more games are leaning heavily more towards multiplayer. Open worlds can still have a story just like Shaolin Monks and konquest from Deception and Armageddon. Most people who finish the story only play it once and thats it. MK fans have been begging for Konquest to come back and it should because its way better than story mode

It still would be a fighting game. Its the same way its always been, except story mode is replaced with a robust Konquest mode that can translate to online mode.

MK Defenders of the Realm - sequel to MK Shaolin Monks set in MK3 time.

Part 1: Shaolin Monks (Play as Kang and Lao; unlockable: Nightwolf campaign)

Part 2 Expansion: Fire & Ice (Play as Sub-Zero and Scorpion; unlockable: Smoke campaign (cyber initiative))

Part 3 Expansion: Special Forces (Play as Jax and Sonya; unlockables: Stryker and Kabal campaigns)

The open world in this case, of course, would be Outworld and Earthrealm's merger. Netherrealm too considering it being mentioned numerous times in UMK3 bios/endings.

I once pitched an idea to John Vogel about turning MK Konquest mode into a open world MMO with subscription based model like WOW

Now I know why they turned down your pitch.

Yeah, I dunno if GTA Online is the way to go. There should be safe areas where you can't get attacked, and how would MK kombat mechanics work in 3d like that. The closest we had was Taven's Konquest having his specials assigned to buttons.

Shujinko's Konquest mode would be a good base. The way the Realms were depicted/setup/travelled between. How quests/kombat had to be initiated, and switched to normal MK gameplay for fights. Make it so Players can decline fights, and limit how smacking affects Players vs NPCs so you can't troll people by constantly knocking them down.

What about a Dragonball Xenoverse type game? With a hub area, sub areas, Versus/Mission/Raids, and you could do a bunch of cool What-if? BS.

I've mentioned before, a Dynasty Warriors type game for the Fire/Ice Sub/Scorp game. Due to people asking where they were during X scenes in MK11, I propose they're off fighting armies of Netherrealm demons, like Raiden outside the Bone Kathedral.

I LOVED running around Konquest modes, and Shaolin Monks admiring the expanded scenery, and atmosphere, but it would be A LOT of hard work, and stress to get everything working/synchronized properly on the grand scale of a MMORPG. It would be an awesome dream, but probably unfeasible.

Ka-Tra

I really dig this idea