Officially announced last month, Mortal Kombat 1 is among 2023’s most anticipated fighting games. Aside from a DLC character leak from Amazon Italy, additional information about the game had been scarce until now.
Mortal Kombat developer NetherRealm Studios presented a gameplay reveal trailer for Mortal Kombat 1 during Summer Game Fest 2023. The trailer primarily exhibited characters’ combat abilities and specials and how they perform alongside the new Kameo Fighter mechanic. In addition to the gameplay trailer, NetherRealm Chief Creative Officer Ed Boon appeared to discuss Mortal Kombat 1‘s features with host Geoff Keighley.
The Kameo Fighter system is Mortal Kombat 1‘s defining feature so far. Similar to Mortal Kombat 11‘s character assists, players can summon Kameo Fighters to help attack the opponent. They can perform combo attacks, special moves, X-Ray attacks, and fatalities alongside the player fighter; the type of attack varies based on button inputs. However, the Kameo Fighter attacks are time-based and must be recharged between uses. The Kameo Fighter roster is also separate from the main roster, which means players can customize fighter combinations. Additionally, some fighters are present in both rosters, like Sub-Zero and Scorpion. Other Kameo Fighters include iconic Mortal Kombat characters such as Jax, Sonya, Kano, and many others. Boon noted how the Kameo Fighters are nods to earlier Mortal Kombat entries, hence why they sport their older costumes.
Mortal Kombat 1‘s character select screens were displayed during the interview. The main roster select screen boasts twenty-four slots, meaning twenty-four playable characters will be available at launch.
The Kameo Fighter roster has a separate select screen that possesses sixteen slots, which indicates sixteen Kameo Fighters will be available at launch.
Mortal Kombat 1 is a soft reboot of the franchise, much like Mortal Kombat (2011). It takes place in Liu Kang’s New Era, which features reimagined versions of Mortal Kombat fan-favorites. For example, the game will explore Sub-Zero and Scorpion’s brotherhood, a younger Raiden’s journey, Kitana and Mileena’s royal conflicts, and many other new stories. During the interview, Boon announced that more Mortal Kombat 1 content will be revealed throughout the summer.
Mortal Kombat 1 launches on September 19th for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and Windows. Current pre-order bonuses include Shang Tsung and closed beta access.