Wow. Never before has a Mortal Kombat trailer shocked with such luscious, polished visuals and eargasmic audio.
I have been a fan of Mortal Kombat for its entire 30 year run, and I can honestly say that NetherRealm Studios continues to be a force to reckon with. Most long-running franchises seem to give us more of the same, but somehow Mortal Kombat continues to remain fresh.
Just over an hour ago NetherRealm Studios dropped the official reveal trailer for Mortal Kombat 1, ending a long period of quiet from the studio. It was definitely worth the wait.
The trailer opens with the familiar sound of Matthew Yang King, who returns to voice Liu Kang. In his new era, Liu Kang speaks of a reality in which one can choose to live in quiet serenity or bloody strife.
While it’s early days and everything is simple conjecture at this point, we believe that the first two characters introduced are indeed Kung Lao and his ancestor the Great Kung Lao who was killed in the original timeline by Goro. Kitana and Mileena are then seen riding in a royal chariot amongst a shower of confetti, seemingly through the streets of Edenia. Scorpion and Sub-Zero make an appearance next, facing off before turning their attention to an eclipse forming on the horizon. It isn’t long before multiple kombatants notice the change in the sky; Fire God Liu Kang descends from the heavens soon thereafter. A youthful Shang Tsung then emerges from a portal, before a barrage of fatal attacks are thrown at the aforementioned kombatants. With intense fury, Liu Kang unleashes two fiery dragons from his arms, trapping the evil sorcerer before finishing him with an incredibly gory but satisfying Fatality.
Despite being redesigned for Mortal Kombat X, Mortal Kombat 1 sees another redesign of the famous dragon logo. Mortal Kombat 1 is set to release on September 19, with pre-orders beginning tomorrow. Those who pre-order will receive Shang Tsung as a bonus, as well as beta access when it drops in August.
Besides the trailer, more information can be found in the official press release from WB headquarters in Burbank. The game’s Story mode will return with an immersive narrative featuring unexpected twists on classic rivalries and backstories for a wide-ranging cast of fighters. Those returning include Liu Kang, Scorpion, Sub-Zero, Raiden, Kung Lao, Kitana, Mileena, Shang Tsung and Johnny Cage.
Mortal Kombat 1 will also introduce Kameo Fighters, a unique roster of partner kombatants that can assist during matches. Whether this will expand in the future into a fully-fledged tag team mode remains to be seen.
Mortal Kombat 1 marks a new beginning for the franchise and we couldn’t be more excited to share this original storyline and fresh take on classic characters with our fans,” said Ed Boon, Chief Creative Officer, NetherRealm Studios and Co-Creator of Mortal Kombat. “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.”
Ed Boon
The game will be available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC, and come in three editions as follows:
- Standard Edition: ($69.99 SRP)
- Premium Edition: ($109.99 SRP) – Features all Standard Edition content, along with the Kombat Pack, early access to the game beginning September 14 and 1250 Dragon Krystals to spend in-game. The Kombat Pack will feature a Johnny Cage skin with the likeness of the legend who inspired his character, Jean-Claude Van Damme, as well as early access to six new playable characters available post-launch. Five new Kameo Fighters will also be included.
- Kollector’s Edition: ($249.99 SRP) – Features all Premium Edition content, as well as 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 an additional 1450 Dragon Krystals. This edition is not available for PC.
Keep it locked to Kamidogu as we await further news regarding the future of Mortal Kombat. Be sure to join our incredible kommunity by joining our Discord server (partnered with the Netherkast) and following us on our social media accounts, which include Twitter, Instagram, Threads and YouTube.
