Original
Overview
Fire God Liu KangMortal Kombat 1 is a 2.5D fighting game developed by NetherRealm Studios and published by Warner Bros. Games for the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PC on September 19, 2023, with early access on September 14.
The twelfth main installment of the Mortal Kombat series, Mortal Kombat 1 continues the story of Mortal Kombat 11 with another timeline refresh, featuring reimagined versions of several of the series' characters. It also features an updated air combo system and an assist system (with players choosing a "Kameo Fighter" in addition to their main fighter).
It is set in the series' second alternate timeline after Liu Kang becomes a Fire God and forges a "New Era" through the machinations of Kronika's Hourglass of Time. Although the realms are at peace with his design, he learns that the two sorcerers he pacified (Shang Tsung and Quan Chi) are being influenced back to their original villainous state and sends his champions to investigate, putting the entire timeline at risk.
Characters
The game includes twenty-two playable characters at launch plus one available via DLC or pre-order. All of the characters in MK1 are returning from previous Mortal Kombat games. Additional characters will be released as DLC, including guest characters from other media franchises.
Unlike the previous reboot, Mortal Kombat 1 features a reworked backstory for several characters.
Playable Fighters
Base Roster
Ashrah
AshrahA demon from the Netherrealm who, after noticing the beauty and peace of other realms, decides to purify herself using an enchanted kriss that restores a bit of her soul for each demon she kills.
Voiced by Susan Eisenberg.
Baraka
Formerly a renowned merchant of Outworld, Baraka became an outcast after contracting the incurable Tarkat plague and now spends his last sane moments fighting to better the lives of his fellow Tarkatans.
Voice by Steve Blum
General Shao
General ShaoOutworld's greatest champion and a decorated war hero, molded into the perfect soldier by his father's harsh conditioning. Despite his sworn duty to serve the Empress, his loyalty is with the realm above all else.
In the previous timelines, he is known as Shao Kahn.
Voiced by Ikechukwu Prince Amadi.
Geras
An artificial construct and the guardian of the Hourglass, reconstructed by Liu Kang to enforce his timeline.
Voiced by Phil LaMarr.
Johnny Cage
Like in all other timelines, Cage is a vain movie star who seeks a career boost by joining the champions of Earthrealm. He is often the game's comic relief, using every opportunity to make movie quips.
Voiced by Andrew Bowen, with a special alternate DLC appearance featuring the voice and likeness of Jean-Claude Van Damme.
Kenshi Takahashi
Kenshi TakahashiA former Yakuza member who seeks to restore the ancient Takahashi family's honorable name through the revered sword Sento.
Like in other timelines, he becomes a blind swordsman. Although here he becomes afflicted through a different path.
Voiced by Vic Chao.
Kitana
The younger of the twin princesses of Outworld, working to prepare her older sister Mileena for her role as the heir to the realm despite rumors of replacing her.
Voiced by Kari Wahlgren.
Kung Lao
A fieldworker from the village of Fengjian, seeking a greater purpose as a glorious warrior.
Voiced by Sunil Malhotra.
Li Mei
Li MeiFirst Constable of the Outworld capital's rough and tumble police force. She seeks to redeem herself after a tragedy involving the murder of Emperor Jerrod led her to quit the Umgadi.
Voiced by Kelly Hu.
Liu Kang
A Shaolin monk and former Champion of Earthrealm, who became a Fire God after winning control of Kronika's Hourglass of Time and used it to rewrite history in a more peaceful image.
Knowing of Kronika's madness as the Keeper of Time, he discards the role and now serves Raiden's former role as Protector of Earthrealm, hiding his past from the others.
Voiced by Matthew Yang King.
Mileena
MileenaThe older of twin princesses of Outworld and the rightful heir to Outworld's throne, despite her impulsiveness and secret affliction with the dreaded Tarkat disease.
Voiced by Kari Wahlgren.
Nitara
A winged vampiress from the realm of Vaeternus, whose people had run most of the species of their realm into extinction to survive. She now scouts the other realms seeking her race's survival, even if it means allying with dark forces to do so.
Voiced by Megan Fox for her dialogue, and by Cristina Valenzuela for her fight vocals.
Raiden
RaidenA kind fieldworker from the village of Fengjian who reluctantly trains as a Shaolin monk to become Earthrealm's greatest champion.
In this timeline, he is no longer a Thunder God due to Liu Kang's ascension as a Fire God, and instead takes over Liu Kang's former role. However, he is granted his other timelines' lightning powers through the Dragon Medallion.
Voiced by Vincent Rodriguez III, with the Thunder God version from other timelines being voiced by Travis Willingham.
Rain
A revered Outworld mage with a mastery of water magic, earning him the nickname "Rain". He seeks to learn the realm's most powerful sorcery, even if it means working with darker forces.
Voiced by Noshir Dalal.
Reiko
ReikoGeneral Shao's loyal second-in-command and an exceptional soldier. In his youth, he was captured during the Kafallah War, and became Shao's squire after being witnessed exacting bloody revenge during his liberation.
Voiced by Derek Phillips.
Reptile
A member of the camouflaging reptiloid race of Zaterrans, Reptile (better known as "Syzoth") possesses a unique mutation: the ability to shape-shift into a human form at-will. This mutation left him an outcast in his race, forcing him to make his future elsewhere.
Voiced by Andrew Morgado.
Scorpion
ScorpionA revered warrior of the Lin Kuei, specializing in fire-based abilities. Unlike his older brother Sub-Zero, he remains loyal to the clan's traditional duties.
In this timeline, Scorpion is not Hanzo Hasashi, but instead Kuai Liang, better known as the second Sub-Zero in other timelines.
Voiced by Daisuke Tsuji.
Sindel
The Empress of Outworld and the mother of Kitana and Mileena, whose early reign after her marriage to the Outworld noble Jerrod brought forth a new Golden Age. After Jerrod was murdered, she fights to protect her family and empire against conspirators.
Voice by Mara Junot.
Smoke
A stealthy warrior of the Lin Kuei, using practical smoke-based magic as he lacks the elemental abilities of his adopted brothers Sub-Zero and Scorpion.
Voiced by Yuri Lowenthal.
Sub-Zero
Sub-ZeroGrandmaster of the Lin Kuei, an ancient and secretive warrior clan that trains to defend Earthrealm from invaders. Specializing in ice-based abilities, Bi-Han tires of the clan's stagnation and seeks to re-establish it as a world power.
Voiced by Kaiji Tang.
Tanya
A high-ranking member of the Umgadi, an elite force of warrior priestesses tasked with protecting Outworld's royal family. She is secretly in a forbidden relationship with the heir to the throne, Mileena.
Voiced by Cherise Boothe.
Unlockable & Pre-Order Bonus
Havik
HavikHailing from the orderly realm of Seido, Havik is a downtrodden agent of chaos who sets out to break Seido's social order and replace it with total anarchy.
He is the game's sole unlockable fighter, and is only available after completing Story Mode. He can also be purchased as DLC.
Voiced by Jacob Craner.
Shang Tsung
An accomplished conman from Outworld, Shang Tsung was approached by a mysterious stranger and was offered the chance to become a powerful sorcerer. It was an offer he gladly accepted.
Although he is playable in the game's Story Mode, he is only available for other modes as a pre-order bonus or if purchased separately as DLC.
Voiced by Alan Lee.
Kombat Pack 1 (DLC)
Omni-Man - Released on November 9, 2023
Omni-ManA Viltrumite warrior and one of his realm's most powerful champions, Nolan Grayson fights to protect his adopted home as the superhero "Omni-Man". However, his intentions are less benevolent.
He is a guest character from Robert Kirkman's comic book series Invincible, and is voiced by J.K. Simmons, who voiced him in its animated television series adaptation.
Quan Chi - Released on December 14, 2023
A lowly miner in Outworld, he was plucked from obscurity by a fallen god and given the ability to become a powerful sorcerer.
Voiced by Sean T. Krishnan.
Peacemaker - Released on February 28, 2024
A loner and patriot who believes himself as the greatest expert in weapons and warfare, Christopher Smith fights to bring peace into the realms as the vigilante "Peacemaker".
He is a guest character from the DC Universe and is voiced by John Cena, who also provides his likeness as portrayed the film The Suicide Squad and its spin-off television series Peacemaker.
Ermac - Released on April 16, 2024
An amalgamation of souls bound to one being by Quan Chi's dark magic (after using a soulnado to harvest lost souls from the Living Forest). With no one soul in direct control, Ermac must use his telekinetic powers to find a future worth fighting for.
Voiced by Jamieson Price.
Homelander - Released on June 4, 2024
The leader of an elite superhero team known as The Seven, Homelander's benevolence is a cover-up for being a murderous, narcissistic sociopath whose lust for power does not stop with his realm.
He is a guest character from the comic book series The Boys. Unlike the depictions of Omni-Man and Peacemaker, Homelander is not voiced by his television series depiction (Antony Starr) but instead Jake Green.
Takeda Takahashi - Released on July 23, 2024
A Yakuza member who, after a failed attempt at assassinating Kenshi for betraying his masters, ends up inspired by the Shirai Ryu clan into forming his own crusade against the entire criminal underworld.
In this timeline, Takeda is no longer Kenshi's son, and is instead his cousin. Despite being born decades prior, he still ends up trained in the same way by Scorpion.
Voiced by Parry Shen.
Kombat Pack 2 (DLC)
Sektor - Released on September 24, 2024
The Lin Kuei's Master Armorer and Sub-Zero's most trusted lieutenant, using advanced cybernetics to force the clan to evolve.
In this timeline, Sektor is now female and wears cybernetic armor.
Voiced by Erika Ishii.
Cyrax - Released on September 24, 2024
A Lin Kuei warrior and martial arts prodigy whose success led her to serve under Sektor, despite being insubordinate.
Like Sektor, Cyrax is female in this timeline and wears cybernetic armor.
Voiced by Enuka Okuma.
Noob Saibot - Released on September 24, 2024
Formerly the Lin Kuei Grandmaster Sub-Zero, Bi-Han was killed by a godly Havik from another timeline and was resurrected as Noob Saibot: the perfect agent of chaos.
Unlike the spectre in other timelines, this version of Noob Saibot was not transformed by Quan Chi as his henchman.
Voiced by Kaiji Tang.
Ghostface - Released on November 26, 2024
The identity of a deranged serial killer whose spree throughout the town of Woodsboro was cut short due to forcibly being brought into Earthrealm, although they still managed to start an even deadlier murderous spree throughout the realm (with the help of the Black Dragon gang).
Ghostface is unique as players can switch between three "Ghostface" characters, each with their own unique movelists, in a pseudo-tag team capacity. The two other ones, Black Dragon Enforcer and Black Dragon Assassin, are somewhat implied to be Kobra and Kira from the original timeline.
It is a guest character from the Scream film franchise, and is voiced by Roger L. Jackson, who voiced the various incarnations throughout the series. In addition, the likeness of the main Ghostface, when unmasked, features the likeness of the original fim's villain.
Conan the Barbarian - Released on January 28, 2025
A mighty Cimmerian warrior from Earth's pre-historical "Hyborian Age", Conan travels to the modern Earthrealm to aid its defenses against those who mean to conquer it.
He is a guest character from the book series Conan the Barbarian. Although his depiction resembles that from the 1982 Conan the Barbarian film (with the likeness of Arnold Schwarzenegger), he is voiced by Chris Cox.
T-1000 - Released on March 25, 2025
Part of the "Terminator" line of android assassins, the T-1000 is made up of a mimetic polyalloy that allows it to shapeshift itself, both into other people for mimicry and into bladed weapons for combat. Resembling the one that traveled back to kill John Connor, it poses a threat to the realms.
It is a guest character from the Terminator film series, and features both the voice and likeness of Robert Patrick, the character's original actor from the 1991 film Terminator 2: Judgment Day.
Kameo Fighters
MK3 Cyrax backing up SmokeThese characters are chosen as a secondary character in each fight and can assist the main fighter in a myriad of ways. Each Kameo Fighter is designed (both visually and with their move sets) to be in line with a version of the character from a specific previous game in the series.
The game's Story Mode includes several Kameo Fighters that are not available in other modes. These include mainline characters, as well as unique "elemental" representations for Raiden (Lightning Elemental) and Scorpion (Fire Elemental).
Base Roster
Unlockable
Although these are unlockable in-game, they can also be purchased as part of the Kameo Unlock Pack DLC.
Kombat Pack 1 (DLC)
- Tremor (MKX) - Released on November 20, 2023.
- Khameleon (MKT) - Released on January 16, 2024.
- Janet Cage (MK1) - Released on March 27, 2024.
- Mavado (MKDA) - Released May 7, 2024.
- Ferra (MKX) - Released on July 23, 2024.
Other DLC
- Madam Bo (MK1) - Released on March 18, 2025.
Invasion
New to the series is Invasion: a single-player RPG mode where players navigate their chosen warrior through an overworld to complete various challenging encounters and participate in mini-games while leveling up their fighters' stats and earning various rewards (such as in-game currency, character skins, and concept art).
Some features in this mode include elemental affinities, combat modifiers (such as new stage hazards to contend with), consumable items (or "konsumables"), and equippable items that grant bonuses (including Relics for passive buffs and upgradable Tailsmans for unique abilities).
Seasons
As noted by the mode's name, the game's central timeline is regularly invaded by a warrior from another timeline, constantly putting the main timeline in jeopardy. The game regularly adds new content in "seasons", adding new encounters and rewards while expanding the story.
Season 1: The Spectre
September 2023
A Scorpion (Hanzo Hasashi) has invaded this timeline in an attempt to reunite with his wife, Harumi, who was murdered by Quan Chi and Sub-Zero in his own timeline. After finding her already dead in countless other timelines, he discovers her alive in this one, but married to Kuai Liang, Sub-Zero's younger brother. This sends Scorpion into a vengeful rage that threatens the entire timeline.
In the end, Scorpion is defeated and captured. Fire God Liu Kang is able to find a timeline where Harumi is alive. In this timeline, it was Hanzo that was murdered and Harumi became the spectre known as Scorpion. Reunited, the couple vow to eliminate Quan Chi and all evil from that timeline.
Season 2: The Blood Moon
November 9, 2023
A Nitara from a timeline where Vaeternians rule Outworld has invaded this timeline. When this Nitara discovered that her people were struggling to survive in almost every other timeline, she leads an army of vampires on a warpath to liberate Vaeternians in all timelines.
Season 3: The Cryomancer
December 14, 2023
The third season focuses on a variant of Sub-Zero.
Season 4: The Huntress
February 28, 2024
The fourth season focuses on a variant of Mileena.
Season 5: The Storms
April 16, 2024
The fifth season focuses on a variant of Raiden.
Season 6: The Reptile
June 4, 2024
The sixth season focuses on a variant of Reptile.
Season 7: The Soul Eater
July 23, 2024
The seventh season focuses on a variant of Shang Tsung.
Season 8: The Dark Dragon
September 24, 2024
The eighth season focuses on a variant of Liu Kang.
Stages
Each fighting locale consists of two versions, which can be simply day and night or based on weather conditions.
Kombat Pack
The Kombat Pack includes six additional playable characters and five Kameo fighters. It is included with the Premium Edition of the game as well as being sold separately as downloadable content.
Special Editions
Premium Edition - $109.99 USD
- Shang Tsung playable character
- Access to the Beta
- 6 DLC characters via the Kombat Pack
- 5 Kameo characters
- 1 week early access to DLC characters
- Jean-Claude Van Damme skin for Johnny Cage
- 1250 Dragon Krystals (in-game currency)
Kollector's Edition - $249.99 USD
- Shang Tsung playable character
- Access to the Beta
- 6 DLC characters via the Kombat Pack
- 5 Kameo characters
- 1 week early access to DLC characters
- Jean-Claude Van Damme skin for Johnny Cage
- 2700 Dragon Krystals (in-game currency)
- 16.5" Liu Kang sculpture by COARSE
- Art prints by COARSE
- Steel case
- In-Game Liu Kang color variant matching sculpture
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