Everyone asks the same thing. Where is Scorpion? Why haven't we seen Sub-Zero freezing sweat-drenched builders in the middle of a late-game circle? If you look at the sheer scale of the Metaverse Epic Games has built, the absence of Mortal Kombat in Fortnite feels like a massive, glaring hole. We’ve got Marvel. We’ve got DC. We’ve got Dragon Ball, Naruto, and even the TMNT. Yet, the most iconic fighting game franchise in history remains stuck on the sidelines. It's weird.
Honestly, it's more than weird—it’s a licensing puzzle that has left fans theorizing for years. You’ve probably seen the "leaks." Every time a new season drops, some Twitter account with a profile picture of a Renegade Raider claims that Ed Boon just signed a deal. Usually, it's fake. Total clickbait. But the desire for this crossover is real because the DNA of both games actually overlaps more than people realize.
The Rating Problem is a Myth
Let’s address the elephant in the room. People love to say Mortal Kombat is too "gory" for Fortnite’s Teen rating. That’s a weak argument. Look at the skins we already have. We have Evil Dead’s Ash Williams. We have Predator. We have Alien. We even have Omni-Man from Invincible, a show famous for people being folded like laundry in the most gruesome ways possible.
Fortnite doesn't need the gore to make the characters work. When Ryu and Chun-Li joined the roster from Street Fighter, they didn't bring pixelated blood with them. They brought their silhouettes, their iconic moves as emotes, and their personality. Scorpion doesn't need to rip a spine out to feel like Scorpion. He just needs the spear. Imagine a "Get Over Here!" harpoon gun mythic. It writes itself.
The real hurdle isn't the violence; it's the brand identity. NetherRealms and Warner Bros. Discovery are protective. They’ve spent decades leaning into the "Mature" branding. Transitioning those characters into a world where they might do the "Griddy" or the "Gangnam Style" dance is a hurdle some executives at WB might still be choking on. But money talks, and Fortnite is a very loud megaphone.
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Ed Boon’s Teases and the WB Factor
Ed Boon, the co-creator of Mortal Kombat, is a notorious troll. He loves his fans, but he loves messing with them more. When asked about Mortal Kombat in Fortnite, he hasn't shut the door. In various interviews and social media interactions, he's acknowledged the demand. The problem usually lies higher up the food chain.
Warner Bros. Discovery has been going through a chaotic few years. They’ve canceled finished movies like Batgirl and Coyote vs. Acme for tax write-offs. They’ve restructured their gaming division multiple times. When a company is in that much flux, big-scale licensing deals for something like Mortal Kombat in Fortnite can get bogged down in legal red tape.
Interestingly, we already have WB representation in the game. We have a ton of DC characters. We have Dune. We have Rick and Morty. So the bridge exists. The wires are laid. Someone just needs to flip the switch. It’s likely a matter of timing—waiting for a lull in the MK release cycle or a big push for a new movie or expansion like Mortal Kombat 1: Khaos Reigns to maximize the marketing "synergy" that corporate types love so much.
What a Real Crossover Would Actually Look Like
If Epic Games finally pulls the trigger, they aren't just going to drop a skin and leave. That’s not how they play anymore. A proper Mortal Kombat in Fortnite collab would probably mirror the Dragon Ball or Star Wars events.
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The Roster
You start with the "Big Two."
- Scorpion: Obviously. He needs an alt style based on his classic ninja look and his modern MK1 design.
- Sub-Zero: His back bling would almost certainly be a frozen skull or his ice scepter.
But they wouldn't stop there. Raiden is a perfect fit for the Fortnite art style. Kitana or Mileena would sell millions of V-Bucks. They might even throw in a "shifter" skin like Shang Tsung where his built-in emote lets him transform into the person he just eliminated. That’s the kind of gameplay-integrated cosmetics Epic prides themselves on.
The Mythic Items
Think about the gameplay. Epic loves adding "Mythics" during crossovers.
- Scorpion’s Spear: A grappling hook variant that pulls enemies toward you instead of pulling you toward walls.
- Sub-Zero’s Ice Slide: A mobility tool that leaves a trail of frost, similar to the old Chiller grenades but more controllable.
- Raiden’s Lightning Bolt: A high-damage, long-cooldown projectile that functions like a faster version of the Thunderbolt of Zeus from Chapter 5.
The "Metaverse" Conflict
There is a spicy theory in the gaming industry regarding competition. Warner Bros. launched MultiVersus, their own platform fighter. For a while, they wanted their characters exclusive to their own "metaverse" project. They wanted you to play MultiVersus to see Shaggy fight Batman.
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However, MultiVersus has had a rocky road. It went offline, came back, and hasn't exactly killed Fortnite. Most companies are starting to realize that being in Fortnite is better than trying to beat Fortnite. It’s basically a playable digital billboard. Sony realized this. Even Nintendo, the most protective company on earth, has been rumored to be in talks for years. WB needs the win. They need the eyes on the Mortal Kombat IP, especially with the next movie on the horizon.
Why it Matters Right Now
The gaming landscape in 2026 is all about presence. If you aren't in the "big three" (Fortnite, Roblox, or Minecraft), do you even exist to Gen Z and Gen Alpha? Mortal Kombat is a legacy brand. It’s been around since the arcades of the 90s. To stay relevant, it needs to be where the kids are.
We’ve seen a shift in how Fortnite handles "mature" IP. They recently introduced a system that restricts certain "violent" skins from being used on E-rated creative maps. This was a huge move. It essentially paved the way for more "hardcore" characters to enter the game without "corrupting" the younger audience's experience. This system was the final technical hurdle for Mortal Kombat in Fortnite. The excuse of "it doesn't fit the rating" is officially dead and buried.
How to Prepare for the Inevitable Drop
When the announcement finally happens—and it will—the Item Shop is going to explode. If you're a fan, you should start looking at how Epic handles their "Gaming Legends" series. These skins rarely stay in the shop for more than a week or two at a time, although they do rotate back eventually.
- Save your V-Bucks: A bundle with two characters, their gear, and emotes usually runs between 2,200 and 2,800 V-Bucks.
- Check the Age Rating: If you mainly play user-created "Tycoon" maps or "Prop Hunt" games, be aware that a Scorpion or Sub-Zero skin might be "blocked" on those specific islands if they are rated E for Everyone. You'll still be able to use them in Battle Royale, Zero Build, and Ranked.
- Watch the Tournament Tab: Epic almost always runs a "Mortal Kombat Cup" before the skins hit the shop. It's usually a Duos format where the top players in each region get the skins for free. It's sweaty, but it's worth it.
The crossover is a logical certainty. It's the most requested collaboration left on the table that doesn't involve a certain Italian plumber. The moment we see that yellow spear fly across the screen in a cinematic trailer, the internet will break. Until then, keep your gold bars maxed and your eyes on the official Epic Games blog.
Actionable Insights for Fans:
- Monitor the Fortnite API leaks via reputable sources like ShiinaBR or HYPEX on X (formerly Twitter); they usually find the "MK" codenames weeks before a release.
- Check your account's age settings; ensure you aren't restricted from seeing "Teen" rated content so you don't miss out on the cosmetic reveals.
- Practice your projectile aim; if Scorpion’s spear is added as a Mythic, it will likely use the same physics as the Harpoon Gun or the Grapple Glove.
- Keep an eye on Warner Bros. movie release dates; the most likely window for a collab is the month leading up to the next theatrical Mortal Kombat release.