With Midway having recently sold the Mortal Kombat franchise and Chicago-based development team, among other assets, newfound owner Warner Bros. has revealed its intent to turn the fighting series into "the 'gold standard' for network play."

"We are looking for someone who wants to push the boundaries of what is possible with online interaction," reads a job listing for WB Games Chicago uncovered by TRMK. That someone will be expected to help "implement cutting-edge online features to ensure the Mortal Kombat franchise is an industry leader in online functionality."

The Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe team, recently rebranded WB Games Chicago, and series co-creator Ed Boon are currently working on a new entry tentatively dubbed Mortal Kombat 9. Little is known of the new project, with Boon having promised that the game is targeting a Mature rating, has "sick" fatalites, and won't include any superheroes.

Hidden away within a press release regarding shipment figures for Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe was the first official word that Midway is planning another series entry.

"We're already hard at work on our next version of Mortal Kombat, and look forward to being able to reveal more details in the future," said franchise co-creator Ed Boon.

While the publisher did not disclose how many copies of Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe have actually been sold, it did note that "approximately 1.8 million units" of the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 fighter have been shipped since its November 16 release.

Midway is currently $240 million in debt and facing possible bankruptcy in February.