In a sudden and surprising move, publisher Warner Bros. has removed Mortal Kombat: Komplete Edition from Steam as of March 21. The news broke Sunday morning without fanfare or meaningful comment. The Mortal Kombat: Komplete Edition was simply there and then it wasn't, with a simple notice that it had been removed at the behest of its publisher. Those who own the Mortal Kombat: Komplete Edition will retain it in their libraries, but no one can buy it until it's relisted.
Mortal Kombat: Komplete Edition, Warner Bros, Xbox 360, Graphic details, never before possible are presented with the most sophisticated graphics engine in MK history By returning to its classic 2D fighting plane, mature presentation, and up to 4 player tag-team kombat. 245 product ratings - Mortal Kombat Komplete Edition (Sony PlayStation 3, 2012) PS3 Tested $15.95 Trending at $16.98 Trending price is based on prices over last 90 days.
The Mortal Kombat: Komplete Edition is a repackage of the 2011 reboot of the Mortal Kombat franchise by NetherRealm Studios. It's also known as Mortal Kombat 9 within the fighting game community. The Komplete Edition bundles in all of Mortal Kombat's post-launch premium DLC, including fighters Skarlet, Kenshi, Rain, and Freddy Krueger. There are also 15 Klassic cosmetic skins and 3 Klassic fatalities. A far cry from the dozens of skins and cosmetics in Mortal Kombat 11.
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There's no provided reason for why the Mortal Kombat: Komplete Edition has been removed from Steam. However, there is some speculation within the community. Many believe that the reason for its removal is due to the inclusion of Freddy Krueger as a fighter. Freddy Krueger was owned by a Warner Bros. subsidiary when Mortal Kombat was initially released. However, the license went back to its original owner just six months ago.
If the Freddy Krueger license was not extended to Warner Bros. again, or if Warner Bros. wasn't willing to pay to extend the license, then the game would have to be removed from sale. It would have to be removed from all storefronts, too, but it remains available on at least the PlayStation store. Perhaps that will change next week.
Warner Bros. could, if it isn't willing to relicense the character, rerelease the original version of Mortal Kombat on storefronts. Since the base game doesn't get bundled with Freddy Krueger, that might be a loophole.
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Regardless of why Mortal Kombat: Komplete Edition was removed from Steam or what happens next, it's always disappointing to see happen. Licensing issues that crop up years later, whether they're tied to characters or music, only serve to hurt gamers and preservation efforts. One way or another, Mortal Kombat: Komplete Edition will hopefully be made available on Steam once more.
Mortal Kombat launched in 2011 for the PC, PS3, and Xbox 360.
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