Image: NetherRealm Studios
Mortal Kombat 1 has been confirmed, and it's bringing back all the fan favourites with new backstories.
After much speculation, rumours and accidental slipups from Warner Bros. execs, NetherRealm Studios have finally confirmed its next game to be Mortal Kombat 1. The upcoming fighting game will be a franchise-wide soft-reboot that sees Fire God Liu Kang, the only remnant of his dead universe, create a whole new timeline filled with friends and foes alike - though there are a few key differences this time around.
The game will launch on September 19, 2023. Here’s the announcement trailer:
The trailer confirms an array of fan favourites returning to the fighting roster: Liu Kang, Raiden, Kung Lao, Scorpion, Sub-Zero, Shang Tsung, Kitana and Mileena. An official FAQ for the game also confirms that B-list celebrity Johnny Cage will also return, with a Jean-Claude Van Damme skin no less. This is something of a full circle moment for the character, given that Cage was originally based on Van Damme in the movie Bloodsport.
NetherRealm says that Mortal Kombat 1 will, “introduce a reborn Mortal Kombat Universe that has been created by the Fire God Liu Kang, featuring reimagined versions of iconic characters as they’ve never been seen before, along with a new fighting system, game modes, bone krushing finishing moves, and more.”
The trailer hints at this reborn Mortal Kombat universe, where Scorpion and Sub-Zero never became rivals and instead bonded as brothers, and Raiden is not a god but entirely mortal. Kitana and Mileena are younger and seem to be getting along well enough to be in the same carriage together, which is a slight improvement from their usually murderous relationship. Shang Tsung is once again back to wreak havoc, which is confusing, considering that Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath ended with Liu Kang wiping the villain from history altogether.
It’s worth noting that the game seems to be set long in the past compared to Mortal Kombat 11, which means the younger generation - Cassie Cage, Jacqui Briggs, Takeda and Kung Jin - never came to be. MK11 ended with Liu Kang using Kronika’s hourglass to wipe the slate clean and create a new universe, one where he could ensure an era of peace and bring back all of his long-dead friends. In Mortal Kombat 1, it looks like that time of peace is interrupted by Shang Tsung.
In the FAQ, NetherRealm promises more than just a new story campaign for this new entry. A new fighting system is also hinted at, and it includes something called ‘Kameo Fighters’. These fighters are described as, “a unique roster of partner characters to assist during matches, creating expanded gameplay possibilities for players. These characters are chosen separately from the main roster of fighters.” These sound like crossover characters, but we’ll have to wait and see.
Mortal Kombat 11 will launch on September 19, 2023, on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC and Nintendo Switch. The game will have rollback netcode, but there’s no word on crossplay yet.
