Mortal Kombat hits stores April 19

The fighters of the next Mortal Kombat tournament can finally start making their travel plans (and funeral arrangements), as Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment today set an April 19 release date for the blood-soaked Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 brawler.

As the first installment in the franchise since 2008's T-for-Teen-rated Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe, the upcoming Mortal Kombat was designed with the goal of "reestablishing the brand," according to WBIE president Martin Tremblay. That means a return to the series' signature over-the-top fatalities and copious quantities of viscera.

The game's roster will also be a throwback of sorts, with all of the fighters pulled from the first three games in the series. There is one notable exception, as the PlayStation 3 version will feature God of War protagonist Kratos as a playable character. It will be the Ghost of Sparta's second tilt in a fighter, as he was also a playable character in last year's PSP brawler Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny. Kratos isn't the only PS3-excluisve planned for the game, as the version of Mortal Kombat for Sony's system will also feature stereoscopic 3D support.

For more on Mortal Kombat, check out GameSpot's previous coverage.