Mortal Kombat 1 release date – MK1 trailers, story, gameplay, editions

It’s time to get bloody, as the Mortal Kombat 1 release date has been confirmed, bringing the goriest fighting series around back once again. Despite the name, this will be the 12th entry in the long-running series – the name comes from the fact it’s another semi-reboot, with Lui Kang resetting a new timeline following the events of the last game.

A series that’s never been known for subtlety, it feels right that we’d be getting a new Mortal Kombat game this year. Especially after a very successful and popular run of recent entries and a surprisingly decent new movie, with a sequel to that movie currently in production and adding The Boys’ Karl Urban to the cast.

But back in the world of games, here’s everything you need to know about the Mortal Kombat 1 release date and what else we know about the game so far.

Mortal Kombat 1 release date

The Mortal Kombat 1 release date is September 19, 2023 for Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and PC. Once again, it will be developed by NetherRealm Studios. Sorry to those asking is is Mortal Kombat 1 on PS4? or the Xbox One – but there’s more blood and guts than the older machines can handle.

You can read more about the Mortal Kombat 1 pre order beta in our Mortal Kombat 1 pre order beta start date guide.

Mortal Kombat 1 trailers

Here are some MK1 trailers you may have missed:

The Mortal Kombat 1 Umgadi trailer showed off Tanya, Baraka, and Li Mei bust some sweet moves. Darrius also made an appearance as a Kameo fighter.

The MK1 Banished trailer revealed Reptile and his potent powers. Ashrah and Havik also got some time to show off some devastating combos and the trailer ended with a gory fatality.

The Lin Kuei trailer for MK1 gave us a good look at characters like Smoke, Rain, Cyrax and Sektor. Their potent abilities will be in players’ hands pretty soon.

Gamescom dropped the Rulers of Outworld trailer on fans, with General Shao and Sindel bringing in the heat. Motaro and Shujinko were also revealed as Kameo fighters.

Mortal Kombat 1 gameplay

We’ve now had the chance to see Mortal Kombat 1 a few times since it was announced. The first opportunity most of us got to witness the first gameplay was as part of Geoff Keighley’s Summer Game Fest show back in June. Ed Boon (co-creator of Mortal Kombat) himself started the event with the ‘first gameplay and in-engine footage’ of the game. It featured gory fatalities, the Fire God Liu Kang, and a surprising reveal that Sub-Zero and Scorpion were brothers to round out the showcase.

A unique roster of partner characters, known as Kameo characters, was the highlight of the gameplay reveal. This enabled a new fighting system that was more than having a partner tag in and out of a tournament. Reimagined versions of iconic characters meant that the classic characters you know and love now have received a facelift. Right from the announcement trailer, the talented team has been drip-feeding fans with more information about the game’s martial artist clashes.

Mortal Kombat 1 story

Mortal Kombat 1 isn’t a sequel and will include a brand-new timeline. It won’t be a continuation of the previous’ games story. Still, we can be sure to expect plenty of familiar faces we know and love from the series – and some new ones too. And yes, some main roster characters can play Kameo roles too. Ed Boon joked that you could team Sub-Zero up with a Sub-Zero Kameo.

Mortal Kombat 1 kicks off with fire god Liu Kang assembling champions to protect this new timeline. Sub-Zero and Scorpion are now brothers. Other characters have also had their backstories and dynamics tweaked. Mileena and Kitana also share a new backstory this time. The new Story mode also promises “a brand-new cinematic narrative featuring unexpected twists on classic rivalries and original backstories” according to NetherRealm Studios.

In the weeks and months following the reveal, the identity of the first characters coming as DLC as part of the Mortal Kombat 1 Kombat Pack 1 have now been revealed, including Homelander, Peacemaker and Omni-Man from Invincible, voiced by JK Simmons. Here’s a list of all the confirmed Mortal Kombat 1 characters, along with the Kameo characters too.

While we only saw a small glimpse of what is to come regarding fatalities, we have an idea of what to expect. Whether it’s eye gauging, heads being crushed to a pulp, or some insane ‘in-body’ camera that followed a head go through a torso, it’s safe to say that fatalities in MK 1 will play a huge part in the game. Expect them to be more bloody and gruesome than ever before. Our guide has a list (with gory images) of all the confirmed Mortal Kombat 1 fatalities so far.

Mortal Kombat 1 editions

Mortal Kombat 1 will be available on both the Epic Games Store and Steam, for those looking to pick it up on PC. You’ll be able to pre-order the game from May 19 at 10 am PT – doing so will give you Shang Tsung as a playable character and beta access. The game comes in multiple editions, which you can read about in more detail in our Mortal Kombat 1 preorder – bonus characters and special editions guide.

As a brief summary, the base game will cost you $69.99. Springing for the Premium Edition for $109.99 nets you five days of early access, a Kombat Pack, and 1,250 Dragon Krystals (premium in-game currency). This is all in addition to the standard edition content. The Kombat Pack consists of a Johnny Cage character skin with the likeness of martial arts movie star Jean-Claude Van Damme at launch, six new playable characters, and five new Kameo fighters post-launch.

The Mortal Kombat 1 Kollector’s Edition steps up the price and will be available physically at select retailers for $249.99 (SRP) on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. It includes all Premium Edition content along with a 16.5-inch Liu Kang sculpture designed by COARSE. The Kollector’s Edition also adds an inspired Liu Kang in-game character skin, three exclusive art prints, a glorious steel case, and 1,450 bonus Dragon Krystals (2,700 Dragon Krystals in total).

Mortal Kombat 1 online stress test

NetherRealm previously held an online stress test for Mortal Kombat 1 on June 23 at 8 AM PST / 11 AM EST / 4 PM BST and ended on June 26 at the same time. This pre-release phase was unrelated to the closed pre-order beta, so anyone could take part regardless of pre-order status.

While the stress test is now closed, those who wanted it required a Warner Bros Games Account – and registration did not guarantee entry, as they were selected at random.

Mortal Kombat 1 beta

While the full game launches on September 19, eager fighters can play the game a few days earlier, on September 14. To do so, you’ll need to go for the Mortal Kombat 1 pre-order bonus. Depending on which version of the game you get, you can get your hands on some exclusive skins, and even a real-life 16.5-inch model of Liu Kang.

Players also got a chance to try out the game’s closed beta during the August 18 to August 21 weekend. They got to pick from a handful of fighters, Kameo fighters, and arenas. Here’s when the MK1 beta end time was scheduled.

With an immersive story campaign and new game modes, Mortal Kombat 1 ushers in a new era for the reborn Mortal Kombat universe on 19th September. That’s all we know about the new Mortal Kombat, but make sure you check back as we’ll be keeping this page constantly updated with all the latest information as soon as it drops.

Is Mortal Kombat 1 out?

Mortal Kombat 1 releases on September 19, 2023.

Is Mortal Kombat 1 coming to PC?

Yes, Mortal Kombat 1 is coming to PC.

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