Where does that leave Midway? While the name may have changed, a company spokesperson told Kotaku today that "Midway Games Inc. still exists, and the Midway trademark and games such as Mortal Kombat and This is Vegas and most of the IP library are now owned by Warner Bros."

We asked if the WB will continue to use the Midway label when it eventually releases a new Mortal Kombat game, This Is Vegas or any other title based on the classic intellectual properties it acquired.

"It will be up to Warner Bros. to determine how they will approach their branding strategy," a rep told us.

A handful of Midway employees have publicly mourned the passing of Midway Games on Twitter, which originally began life as the Midway Mfg. Co. in 1958.

Boon has been dropping small tidbits about the bloody fighting game sequel via his Twitter account, writing "Motion capturing special moves & fatalities today....they are kind of sick!!" Boon also backs up what he told us last year during an interview at Comic-Con, that Mortal Kombat 9 will be a Mature rated game—and it "isn't going to have Superheroes in it"—unlike the T-rated, toned down Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe.

"People want an M-rated MK....dammit we will give them an M-rated MK," Boon writes. He previously ponders "I hope we aren't taking these too far."

We've talked to a couple MK team members over the past year who have told us similar things, that MK9 would be "disgusting" in its violence, a return to form that we expect will be cathartic to longtime Mortal Kombat fans turned off by the less gory MK vs. DC... and maybe even a few of the game's developers.