Mortal Kombat has been a Midway staple since the days when the publisher still dabbled in the arcade scene, but being beset by crippling financial issues may take its toll on the series' ownership.  Filing for bankruptcy last month under the weight of massive debts, Midway is reportedly in the process of offloading IP in an effort to keep the boat afloat by all means possible.  We've already seen Midway hand over publishing rights for its upcoming Wheelman game (featuring the likeness of Vin Diesel) to Ubisoft for most launch territories, and court documentation from last month point to the "execution of an asset purchase agreement for the sale of Midway's Mortal Kombat franchise assets" as another possible step.  This effectively puts Mortal Kombat up for sale for other third parties interested in the IP.

Midway is quite determined that this is the correct course of action, such to the extent that the publisher is actually witholding payable PTO and vacation time accrued and unused by employees recently laid off until the "relevant classes of claims under the Chapter 11 case are resolved, and then only to the extent that resolution provides for repayment".  While it can be imagined these payouts (previously promised to axed employees) would be drawn from funds Midway can't afford to dry up at the moment, more cynical observers may draw an eerie connection between this holdout and last month's incentive plan.  Totalling $3,755,000 USD in bonuses, the plan will reward remaining key staff capable of either realizing the sales of these assets or submitting any other viable plan for that matter.  Forging deals with third parties with its franchise assets could potentially net Midway another $6 million USD, which one would hope encourages the publisher to finally reimburse affected former employees.