'Mortal Kombat 1' Confirmed, Will Feature New "Kameo Fighters"

Source: NetherRealm Studios / Mortal Kombat 1

It’s official, the next installment in the MK franchise is indeed Mortal Kombat 1, and it totally wipes the canvas clean.

Thursday, NetherRealm Studios and Warner Bros. Games started our days with a kick-ass and very bloody cinematic trailer for Mortal Kombat 1.

As we speculated, the game will serve as a timeline refresh for the iconic fighting game franchise following the events in 2019’s Mortal Kombat 11, where Lui Kang becomes a fire god.

A brief description of the game on NetherRealm’s YouTube page reads, “It’s In Our Blood. Discover a reborn Mortal Kombat Universe created by Fire God Liu Kang. Mortal Kombat 1 ushers in a new era of the iconic franchise with a new fighting system, game modes, and Fatalities!”

We see plenty of fatalities happening in this trailer after Lui Kang talks about his peaceful timeline giving us glimpses of characters like Kung Lao, possibly Lui and Kung’s great descendent The Great Kung Lao, Raiden Princess Kitana, her bodyguard Mileena, Scorpion, and Sub-Zero. Johnny Cage is also on the roster of playable fighters in the game, but he is not in the trailer.

Source: NetherRealm Studios / Mortal Kombat 1

The peace is interrupted when a portal opens up, and young Shang Tsung arrives to bring nothing but pure chaos and issue out soul snatching fades before Lui Kang uses his godly abilities to dispose of the sorcerer.

We don’t see the new combat system coming to Mortal Kombat 1. Still, with PlayStation, Xbox Showcase, and Summer Game Fest on the horizon, there is a possibility gameplay footage will arrive.

What’s New In Mortal Kombat 1?

Along with the new combat system, bone-crushing fatalities, and story, MK 1 will introduce “Kameo Fighters,” which are “a unique roster of partner characters that can assist during matches, creating expanded gameplay possibilities for players,” the press release explains.

“We’re also introducing our Kameo Fighter system, which brings a unique roster of partner characters into the mix, and we are looking forward to showing this feature as well as more new elements of the game very soon,” Mortal Kombat Co-Creator and Chief Creative Officer, NetherRealm Studios said.

Mortal Kombat 1 Release Details

There will be a $109.99 Premium Edition that will give players early access to the game beginning September 14, along with 1,250 Dragon Krystals, the in-game currency used to purchase things like cosmetics, and the Kombat Pack that will include a Jean-Claude Van Damme skin for Johhny Cage (at launch) early access to six new playable characters and five new Kameo fighters, post-launch.

A $249.99 Mortal Kombat 1 Kollector’s Edition will be available at select retailers and will include all Premium Edition content, and early access, along with a 16.5-inch Liu Kang sculpture designed by COARSE, and an inspired Liu Kang in-game character skin, three exclusive art prints, a steel case, and 1,450 additional Dragon Krystals (2,700 total).

All Mortal Kombat 1 pre-orders will include access to Shang Tsung as a playable character, and those who pre-order the game on PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X|S will get access to the Beta coming in August.

As expected, the tweets are rolling in, and gamers are excited to issue some bloody fades in Mortal Kombat 1 when it arrives on September 19, 2023, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PC.

You can see those reactions in the gallery below.

—

Photo: NetherRealm Studios / Mortal Kombat 1

1. True, very true.

2. We so understand

3. So lit

4. LOL

5. Wise move

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.