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EVO 2014 is in full swing and while much of the fighting game community is focused on the epic throw downs between the greatest Street Fighter, Killer Instinct, and Marvel vs. Capcom players, an even greater number is anxiously anticipating the big announcements that typically come out of the annual event. EVO has become ground zero for new character announcements for a wide variety of games, and with several fighting game titles on the docket for late 2014 and 2015 there was plenty of potential floating in the air.

Perhaps the biggest announcement of them all, though — one that we knew ahead of time — was the reveal of a new fighter for Mortal Kombat X, NetherRealm Studios' forthcoming last-gen and current-gen fighting title. NetherRealm head Ed Boon had been teasing the announcement all week with some fairly substantial hints, and in the middle of Saturday's EVO 2014 festivities he confirmed that the thunder god Raiden would be back for MKX.

It's no surprise to see Raiden return for this 10th game, as he is one of the series' most iconic figures — behind the already-announced Scorpion and Sub Zero, of course. However, as this upcoming Mortal Kombat puts a few twists on the series, the reveal trailer (seen above) wasn't just a "look who's coming back montage."

Rather, the footage highlights the three play styles for Raiden in Mortal Kombat X; those being Displacer, Storm Lord, and Thunder God Raiden. As some may know, Mortal Kombat X takes the strategy of a typical fighting game a step further by equipping fighters with three potential styles. So now it's not just about what fighter you choose, but also which style you choose that informs your play.

Displacer Raiden, as the name suggests, is focused on teleport attacks and can get in and out of any situation. Raiden has always been a light-on-his-feet fighter, but with his Displacer style, players can take things to another level.

Mortal Kombat X Raiden Trailer

Storm Lord Raiden's main attribute is the lightning bomb which, when connected with another lightning bomb, forms a deadly bar of electricity anywhere on the arena. In essence, the lightning bombs can help players make the battle arena even smaller.

And finally, Thunder God Raiden (tentative title) puts the focus on dealing out as much damage as possible. But while the Thunder God style is the most devastating, with powerful finishers, it's not nearly as well rounded.

With Raiden now on the roster that brings the total Mortal Kombat X known fighter count up to 7, but don't think NetherRealm will stop there. E3 2014 was just the beginning for this highly anticipated next entry in the franchise, and there are still plenty of high profile events left in the year that are well-suited to character reveals. In fact, Ed Boon strongly suggested that there might be at least one new character unveiled at San Diego Comic-Con so keep a look out for that later this month.

What do you think of Raiden's new look for Mortal Kombat X? What character is next on your MKX wish list?

Mortal Kombat X will release in 2015 for PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.

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Source: MKIceAndFire

Follow Anthony on Twitter @ANTaormina for more Mortal Kombat updates.