Warner Bros. Games has announce Mortal Kombat 1 and some sources are already claiming that DC’s Peacemaker and Homelander from The Boys will be guest fighters.
After the events of Mortal Kombat 11, Liu Kang became the Fire God and remade the universe in the hopes of it being more peaceful. Yet, it appears both potential endings for the Aftermath expansion are canon, as Shang Tsung is seen attempting to conquer the realms.
We hear Liu Kang describe how the “New Era” is full of potential for peace and prosperity in the announcement trailer, but also inevitable violence. While Kitana, Kung Lao, and even Mileena seem unchanged, Scorpion and Sub-Zero both appear human. Raiden now seems to be mortal, as per the events of the prior game.
Voice actor Andrew Bowen had also previously hinted his return as Johnny Cage.
The video description and official website state, “Mortal Kombat 1 ushers in a new era of the iconic franchise with a new fighting system, game modes, and fatalities!”, along with an “immersive story campaign.”
One of the new features are “Kameo Fighters.” Players “Choose from a unique roster of Kameo fighting partners to assist you in battle,” which may suggest these characters will purely perform assist attacks without being playable.
The official FAQ provides far more details. While NetherRealm Studios will develop the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S versions of the game, QLOC is handling PC versions for Steam and the Epic Games Store, while Shiver Entertainment and Saber Interactive are collaborating on the Nintendo Switch version.
The prices and special editions were also unveiled. Mortal Kombat 1 is $69.99 (SRP) and, based on information on the other special editions, it seems it will have some form of in-game currency on top of that. Whether this is premium currency is unknown.
The Premium Edition will cost $109.99, granting the base game, and the “Kombat Pack.” The latter is five days early access to the game, 1,250 Dragon Krystals, a Jean-Claude Van Damme skin for Johnny Cage at launch, early access to six new characters post-launch, as well as an additional five post-launch Kameo Fighters.
The Mortal Kombat 1 Kollector’s Edition will only be available physically at select retailers for $249.99 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. Along with all the Premium Edition content, it features a 16.5″ Liu Kang sculpture designed by COARSE, and a Color Variant skin inspired by it, three art prints, a steel case for the game, and 2,700 Dragon Krystals.
The closed beta will begin this August for those who pre-order the game on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. Those who pre-order will also get Shang Tsung as a playable character.
Based on the official website, it seems Shang Tsung is a “pre-order exclusive,” and will be unplayable without it. Yet, he is mentioned in the FAQ alongside other characters without further distinction. The FAQ also mentions in passing “Yes, Mortal Kombat 1 will have rollback netcode to support online gameplay.”
Mortal Kombat 1 is set to launch September 19th.
This is not where the story ends however. Windows Central reported on a leaker discussing the game’s name, platforms, and prices — which they corroborated with their own sources — before NetherRealm Studios made the announcement official.
Further, the outlet added that their sources claim the game would launch in September (which came true) and that the character pass would feature other characters from Warner Bros. properties. This would include Peacemaker from DC, and Homelander from The Boys.
Both characters have a proclivity for extreme violence and NetherRealm Studios previously worked on DC’s Injustice series. The latter would allow them to use some animation assets from the likes of Superman, Black Adam, and others to ease development.
Mortal Kombat is also no stranger to unexpected cameos. The previous entry featured Robocop, Spawn, The Joker, The Terminator T-800, and Rambo as guest fighters. As long as they have a penchant for violence, Warner Bros. and NetherRealm Studios seem to be able to pull from a wide pool of characters.
