Yesterday, a petition hit Change.org that demanded NetherRealm Studios add Shaggy from Scooby-Doo, the subject of a massively popular Internet meme wherein he is said to be an ultra-powerful God-like being, to the roster of Mortal Kombat 11. Since hitting the web, the petition has exploded in popularity, nearing a whopping 100,000 signatures at the time of this writing. The petition has become so big that Mortal Kombat 11 game director Ed Boon took to Twitter to weigh in on the situation.
Boon has likely been bombarded with Shaggy requests from fans since the petition came online, and finally decided to respond to a fan asking for classic cartoon character. Unfortunately for anyone holding out hope to see Mystery, Inc.’s Shaggy join the ultra-violent Mortal Kombat 11, Ed Boon has more or less dashed any hope that it could become a reality.
Let me know how that works out for you… https://t.co/0da0D4GJte
— Ed Boon (@noobde) January 28, 2019
However, Boon has also been playful about the sensation, playing to the Shaggy meme and the Scooby-Doo‘s character seemingly overnight boost in popularity.
Hi? Lo? Mid? Grab? I will mix your shit up in fighting games! pic.twitter.com/nzCq4iskj7
— Ed Boon (@noobde) January 28, 2019
It’s likely that few people who signed the Mortal Kombat 11 Shaggy petition actually expected it to result in anything actually materializing. While it’s true that Warner Bros. owns both NetherRealm Studios and the rights to the Scooby-Doo franchise, making such a ridiculous crossover technically possible, it’s unlikely to put a kid-friendly character into an extremely violent video game. Furthermore, it’s hard to see how Shaggy would actually fit in with the rest of the Mortal Kombat 11 fighters.
Having said that, it’s possible that some reference to the meme and the hugely popular petition will make its way into Mortal Kombat 11 in some capacity. The Mortal Kombat games often have easter eggs and the like, so maybe there will be some sort of reference to the Shaggy meme in the final product, even if it’s not in the form of Shaggy being a DLC fighter.
In the meantime, it will be interesting to see which DLC fighters are actually announced for the game for real. Right now rumors point to comic book character Spawn being part of the lineup, but otherwise we haven’t heard much in regards to guest combatants. Mortal Kombat 11 fans will likely hear more on that front in the weeks leading up to the game’s April release.
Mortal Kombat 11 launches on April 23 for PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
