HHW Gaming: Everything You Need To Know About ‘Mortal Kombat 1’ Before Launch Day

It’s almost time for Kombat.

Mortal Kombat 1 is just days away from launch, and we know so much, yet so little about the game that will serve as a complete reboot of the franchise we have come to know and love for over 31 years.

Ahead of MK 1’s release, here is everything we have learned about what is easily the biggest Mortal Kombat game since its announcement in May.

Mortal Kombat 1’s Kameo Fighter System

The violence in MK 1 is still as violent and bone-crushing as ever. But for this game, it gets taken to another level thanks to the new  Kameo Fighter system.

The Kameo Fighter system is a unique roster of partner characters from all of the MK games that players can call on to assist in matches, and they serve many functions. They can be anti-air, extend combos, assist in fatalities, and more.

We’re still not 100% clear how these characters tie into Mortal Kombat 1, but we are sure we will find out once we get our hands on the game.

Here is a list of known Kameo Kombatants:

• Cyrax
• Darrius
• Frost
• Ferra (Kombat Pack 1)
• Goro
• Khameleon (Kombat Pack 1)
• Johnny Cage (Kombat Pack 1)
• Jackson “Jax” Briggs
• Kano
• Kung Lao
• Motaro
• Mavado (Kombat Pack 1)
• Sareena
• Sektor
• Scorpion
• Shujinko
• Sonya Blade
• Stryker
• Sub-Zero
• Tremor (Kombat Pack 1)

Mortal Kombat 1’s Confirmed Roster of Playable Fighters

Already stacked with Kameo Fighters, MK 1 has an impressive roster of playable characters to dish out fades in Fire God Lui Kang’s new timeline.

2019’s Mortal Kombat 11 launched with 25 characters and expanded to 37 with Kombat Packs. That will be the same case for Mortal Kombat 1.

As of now, there are 28 confirmed playable fighters at launch, and that includes the first Kombat Pack coming to Mortal Kombat 1, which consists of the usual fan service additions The Boys’ Homelander, Invincible’s Omni Man, and DC Comic’s Peacemaker.

Jean-Claude Van Damme is finally coming to Mortal Kombat as a character skin for Johnny Cage.

• Ashrah
• Baraka
• Ermac (Kombat Pack 1)
• General Shao
• Geras
• Homelander (Kombat Pack 1, available 2024)
• Havik
• Johnny Cage
• Kenshi
• Kitana
• Kung Lao
• Li Mei
• Liu Kang
• Mileena
• Nitara
• Omni-Man (Kombat Pack 1)
• Peacemaker (Kombat Pack 1)
• Quan Chi (Kombat Pack 1)
• Raiden
• Rain
• Reptile
• Scorpion
• Shang Tsung (pre-order exclusive)
• Sindel
• Smoke
• Sub-Zero
• Tanya
• Takeda Takahashi (Kombat Pack 1)

Mortal Kombat 1’s Story

Mortal Kombat 1’s story takes place after the events of Mortal Komabt 11: Aftermath. After defeating Kronika, who somehow returns in MK1, Lui Kang becomes a Fire God and the keeper of the hourglass, which Geras also helps him protect.

Fire God Lui Kang resets the timeline, changing the backstories of many of the characters in the game. For example, Hanzo Hasashi is no longer Scorpion in this game; the honor goes to Bi-Han, the original Sub-Zero in the old timeline, and later becomes Noob Saibot.

In MK 1, Sub-Zero and Scorpion are brothers and are proud members of the Lin Kuei clan. It remains a mystery if Hasahi or his clan are in this game, but NetherRealm has been very tight-lipped.

Also new in MK 1, Shao Khan is back but no longer emperor. But he is still a major player and is one of Empress Sindel’s most formidable generals in her army.

Other notable changes to the timeline include Mileena being the heir to the throne and suffering from a disease called Tarkat that gruesomely disfigures your face, eventually turning the victim into a feral monster.

Raiden is no longer the god of thunder and lightning but is now under the guidance of Fire God Lui Kang and will eventually become Earth Realm’s champion and is buddies with Kung Lao.

Invasion Mode

MK 1 will see the return of the story mode and classic towers, but gone is The Krypt, and taking its place is a new mode called Invasions.

Invasions will become available after you beat the story mode, and players must protect their realities from invaders. Like the classic Krypt, players can acquire unlockables to personalize their characters by playing the mode.

NetherRealm promises to update the mode seasonally, keeping it fresh and content.

Launch Details

MK 1 launches on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S | X, Nintendo Switch, and PC on September 19. MK fans are playing right now because they bought the  $109.99 Premium Edition, which allowed early access to the game beginning September 14.

Premium Edition owners also got 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.

There is also 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 pre-orders of the game come with Shang Tsung as a playable character.

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Photo: Warner Bros. Games/ NetherRealm Studios