Warner Bros. Interactive and developer NetherRealm Studios have been steadily releasing trailers for Mortal Kombat X, detailing combat systems and character returns, but today the pair has seen fit to finally reveal the game's release date. Those of you expecting an early 2015 date are in luck, as the game is officially set to release worldwide on April 14, 2015. A little closer to the middle of the year, but not too far away.

Announced alongside the game's release date is the return of the four-armed Shokan fighter Goro, who has been surprisingly absent from the Mortal Kombat roster for almost a decade. Seen below in the first promo image for him (click for high-res), the character appeared in the last Mortal Kombat, often referred to as Mortal Kombat 9, but was instead a sub-boss and not a playable character. Fans eager to finally play as Goro again will need to pre-order the game prior to launch, or simply hold out until he becomes available in the form of paid DLC. Of course, a standalone release was not detailed.

Goro is unlikely to be the only DLC character, though. Back in July, Creative Director Ed Boon teased the return of guest characters, though didn't specify who. Boon stated that MKX contained the largest roster in the series' history, which includes veteran characters like Sub Zero and Raiden, as well as newcomers like Cassie --Johnny Cage's daughter-- and will almost certainly see some interesting people joining the brutality. Looking back at Mortal Kombat 9, horror icon Freddy Krueger made for a surprising addition, but was met with mixed reactions, so we can only imagine what other characters the studio would like to add.

Warner Bros. claims that Mortal Kombat X will give players the "most brutal Kombat experience" to date thanks to new gameplay mechanics, characters and fatalities. One new addition lets players choose different fighting styles for each character that will change the way you play. If you're an up-close fighter; a ranged-fighter or someone that likes to control the flow of the fight, MKX will allow you to test out new strategies to put down your opponents. You can get a good feel for the game from the recently released gameplay footage from PAX. Unsurprisingly, the game hasn't shied away from the blood and gore.

Mortal Kombat X releases for PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One and PC on April 14, 2015.