Mortal Kombat 1: Release date, trailers, beta & more
Mortal Kombat 1 is mere moments away, with the release date coming in just a few days. Mortal Kombat fans have been eagerly awaiting this new beginning for the franchise since it was revealed earlier this year.
The release date, platforms, trailers, roster details, and more are below, so you can get up to speed with the game before it launches soon. Here is everything you need to know about Mortal Kombat 1.
- It can be confusing to figure out where Mortal Kombat 1 fits into the timeline, so we have broken down how it all plays out
Mortal Kombat 1 release date & pre-order details
Click to enlargeMortal Kombat 1 will dragon-kick its way into release on September 19, 2023. As is becoming a bit of a tradition for Mortal Kombat, the turnaround time from announcement to release is gracefully short. Fans only have a handful of months to wait to get their hands bloody.
Dedicated fans can get their hands on the game a few days early, as anyone who buys the Premium Edition can get early access starting September 14, 2023.
Mortal Kombat 1 is available for pre-order, with rewards available such as Shang Tsung as an exclusive playable character, a Jean-Claude Van Damme skin for Johnny Cage, and access to the closed beta test.
- Here are all the fighters we know who are coming to Mortal Kombat 1 so far, including how the Kameo system works
Mortal Kombat 1 platforms
Click to enlargeMortal Kombat 1 is coming to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC via Steam and the Epic Game Store, and the Nintendo Switch. Fans who have yet to make the jump from last-generation consoles will miss out, but at least there is still plenty to choose from when it comes to platforms.
Whether the game will come to all platforms at once is not yet known, as ports to less powerful consoles like the Switch can often take more time.
- You'll be able to play Mortal Kombat 1 early by getting one of two special editions
Mortal Kombat 1 trailer
Click to enlargeThe announcement of Mortal Kombat 1 came alongside the first trailer for the title, the Official Announcement Trailer. This CGI trailer sets the scene for this rebooted MK universe, following the events of Mortal Kombat 11 which saw Liu Kang ascend to godhood before remaking the universe.
In the trailer, we see series staples like Raiden, Kitana, Sub-Zero, and others. Raiden in particular is an interesting appearance, as he is no longer the god he once was. The trailer depicts a peaceful universe as designed by Liu Kang, a peace threatened as always by Shang Tsung.
The second trailer was an extended gameplay and story trailer that debuted at Summer Game Fest 2023. It showed more of the characters in the game, along with multiple Fatalities (including the iconic spine rip from Sub Zero).
The third trailer, titled the Official Lin Kuei Trailer, gave us more details about the story and the place of the Lin Kuei in this new universe. Smoke and Rain were confirmed as fighters in this trailer, with Frost, Cyrax, and Sektor confirmed as Kameo characters.
This Mortal Kombat trailer shows off the Umgadi, highlighting some of the new characters coming to the game as well as some of the major changes we can expect in this new version of the world we love. For example, the Tarkatans are facing a fresh threat to their livelihood whilst their origin seems different too, which has repercussions on Mileena's origin too.
This trailer is fully focused on the Keepers of Time, introducing Geras to the game, who is making only his second appearance in the series. The trailer also gave us a much better look at Liu Kang in MK1 now that he is a god. We even got an insight into his reality-altering fatality - it no doubt sets a new standard for gruesome in the series.
Another trailer for Mortal Kombat 1 dropped at EVO and brings some old faces back to the series after it feels like they may have been forgotten. We got a good look at Ashrah, Havik and Reptile who were all announced for the game.
Most interestingly in this trailer, is the fresh take on Reptile. In the past, he has always been a reptilian humanoid, but now he appears as though he can turn into a man and his reptile form is much more monstrous than before. It should make for some great gameplay changes to a classic character.
Our most recent gameplay trailer for Mortal Kombat 1 was shown at Gamescom Opening Night Live, giving us a brief glimpse at more of the story and characters we'll be playing as. And of course, we also saw plenty of gruesome gameplay action, complete with new combos and finishers.
Just ahead of the launch, the classic Mortal Kombat TV ad has been reimagined. Starring Dave Bautista, this live-action trailer features throngs of people gathering around Dave, screaming Mortal Kombat. This trailer also announced the early access period beginning on September 14, 2023.
Recently, a trailer was released revealing that Nitara will be on the game's roster, and will be voiced by none other than Megan Fox. Seemingly, the vampiric nature of the character is what drew the Jennifer's Body star to the role, with a cheeky reference thrown in to confirm it.
Finally closing the loop, Jean-Claude Van Damme has made his official debut in Mortal Kombat, as the Bloodsport star appears as an alternative skin for Johnny Cage. The trailer above shows off his appearance in the game, including voice lines from the man himself.
Just ahead of the launch of the game, the Launch Trailer dropped. This final pre-release look at the game showed off some more story details, and snippets of gameplay. Also included were a first look at Reiko and Shang Tsung in action.
- Here is everything we know about the Mortal Kombat 1 multiplayer and co-op game modes
Do we know what Mortal Kombat 1's roster is?
Click to enlargeThe initial roster of fighters for Mortal Kombat 1 has not been officially revealed outside of characters shown in trailers, so we can only really go off of that. So far, the characters we have seen in Mortal Kombat 1 are:
- Liu Kang
- Kung Lao
- Raiden
- Kitana
- Mileena
- Sub-Zero
- Scorpion
- Shang Tsung (Pre-order exclusive)
- Johnny Cage
- Smoke
- Rain
- Baraka
- Li Mei
- Tanya
- Geras
- Reptile
- Havik
- Ashrah
- Nitara
Who are the Mortal Kombat 1 DLC fighters?
At SDCC, we got the official roster reveal of the six fighters arriving in the first DLC fighters pack for Mortal Kombat 1.
While it's hard to tell just how many different fighter packs there will be right now - as it usually varies from game to game - we do know who will be featured in this first pack. Here are all six DLC fighters arriving in the first expansion:
- Ermac
- Homelander
- Omni-Man
- Peacemaker
- Quan Chi
- Takeda
When was the Mortal Kombat 1 beta?
Click to enlargeThe Mortal Kombat 1 beta took place in August of this year, giving many players their first taste of what is to come.
It featured online play, and also some single-player Towers gameplay so players could try the game out before jumping online. A small selection of the cast was available, including Sub Zero, Kenshi, Li Mei, Kitana, and Johnny Cage, while Frost, Jax, Kano, and Sonya Blade were featured in the Kameo roster.
- For more fighting game goodness, check out our rundown of the Street Fighter 6 characters list
Are there any gameplay details for Mortal Kombat 1?
Click to enlargeThe first gameplay for Mortal Kombat 1 was shown during Summer Game Fest 2023 in a gameplay trailer. It featured the standard fighting we've come to aspect, but the Mortal Kombat website states that Mortal Kombat 1 will have "a new fighting system", meaning it may feel much different when we get to try it ourselves.
A new feature is the Kameo Fighters system, which will allow players to "choose from a unique roster of Kameo fighting partners to assist you in battle". This sounds a lot like an assist function, similar to Marvel vs Capcom, but the word "unique" may suggest that these characters are not characters from the roster - perhaps instead something like the assist trophies from Super Smash Brothers.
While it seems likely that Mortal Kombat 1 will shake up the formula of Mortal Kombat and make some significant changes, we will just have to wait and see how different the game will be. One thing we can say for sure is that Mortal Kombat 1 will have an "immersive story campaign", something that the series and Netherrealm Studios have become synonymous with.
That is everything we currently know about Mortal Kombat 1. For all the news on this upcoming game as and when it happens, stick with GGRecon.
