Mortal Kombat 1 release date and everything we know

Mortal Kombat 1 is finally here. After a long four year wait, developer NetherRealm has unleashed one of the best fighting games of the modern era. While it's easy to get lost in all the blood and guts strewn across its stages, beneath the gore is an exceptional, confident fighting game that shouldn't be ignored. 

Below you'll find everything you need to know about Mortal Kombat 1. Including details on the Mortal Kombat 1 release date, full character roster, platform availability, and the DLC that we expect to see land in the future. 

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Mortal Kombat 1 release date

The Mortal Kombat 1 is out now. The game released on September 19, 2023 following a period of Mortal Kombat 1 early access which began on September 14 for players who purchased the Premium or Kollector's Edition.

Mortal Kombat 1 platforms

Mortal Kombat 1 is available on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X, and Nintendo Switch, with a Mortal Kombat 1 PS4 release that's sadly absent. NetherRealm has confirmed that it is handling the new-gen versions of the game in-house, while it will be collaborating with external developers for the other editions. Shiver Entertainment and Saber Interactive are collaborating with the Mortal Kombat creators on the Switch version, while QLOC is handling the Epic Games Store and Steam versions of the game. 

Mortal Kombat 1 price and editions

There are three Mortal Kombat 1 editions available, some of which will allow access to Shang Tsung as an in-game playable character. The Mortal Kombat 1 price and editions are as follows: 

• Mortal Kombat 1 Standard Edition ($69.99) pre-order will give you access to the August beta and make Shang Tsung a part of the in-game roster. 
• Mortal Kombat 1 Premium Edition ($109.99) contains everything in the Standard Edition, and will give you early access to the entire game beginning September 14. The Premium Edition also contains 1,250 Dragon Krystals and the Kombat Pack, which will give you a Johnny Cage skin modeled on Jean-Claude Van Damme and eventual early access to six new playable characters and five new Kameo Fighters. 
• Mortal Kombat 1 Kollector's Edition ($249.99) is only available on PS5 and Xbox Series X. The limited physical collection includes everything available in the Premium Edition, along with a 16.5-inch Liu Kang sculpture, a unique Liu Kang in-game character skin, three exclusive art prints, a steel case, and an additional 1,450 Dragon Krystals. 

Mortal Kombat 1 roster

NetherRealm has revealed the Mortal Kombat 1 characters list, although this will expand over time through DLC. Below you'll find the full MK1 roster that is available in the game at launch:

• 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 Kameo Fighter System

NetherRealm is introducing a brand new way to play Mortal Kombat, through the introduction of the Kameo Fighter system. This is designed to bring "a unique roster of partner characters into the mix," as series creator Ed Boon explains it. What this essentially means is that you'll be able to team characters from the main roster up with a selection from a special secondary roster – based on a klassic versions of the characters pulled from over 30 years of Mortal Kombat history – and call them into battles to fight along side you.

You could team up two Sub Zero variants, or Scorpion with Goro (whatever combination you want), and then make use of special offensive and support-based moves. You'll use one button actions to activate attacks from your Kameo fighter, all of which can be used pretty much anytime you want to create new and unique combos – including devastating Fatal Blows, brutal Fatalities, and defensive Breakers. Oh, and don't worry about imbalance or attack spam, there's a meter governing usage of Kameo fighters. 

Mortal Kombat 1 Kameo Fighters roster 

• 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 DLC

NetherRealm is yet to detail the shape of Mortal Kombat 1 DLC, although it has been confirmed that Kombat Packs will be launching in the future. Included in the Premium and Kollector's Edition versions of the game is early access to six new playable characters and five new Kameo Fighters, so expect this to be just the beginning. This DLC rollout follows a similar trajectory to MK1's 2019 predecessor, with Mortal Kombat 11 gaining six additional characters as part of the first Kombat Pack release shortly after launch, which was later followed with the Aftermath story expansion and a second Kombat Pack. 

Mortal Kombat 1 system requirements

NetherRealm has confirmed that Mortal Kombat 1 system requirements, and you might want to spend the next couple of months improving your rig to get the most out of this fighting game. Particular attention will need to be paid to your hard-drive, as it would appear that the Mortal Kombat 1 install size runs 100GB. 

Minimum specs: 

• OS: Windows 10 64-bit
• Processor: Intel Core i5-6600 / AMD Ryzen 3 3100 or Ryzen 5 2600
• Memory: 8 GB RAM
• Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 980 / AMD Radeon RX 470 / Intel Arc A750
• DirectX: Version 12
• Storage: 100 GB available space

Recommended specs: 

• OS: Windows 10 / Windows 11 64-bit
• Processor: Intel Core i5-8400 / AMD Ryzen 5 3600X
• Memory: 8 GB RAM
• Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 Ti / AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT / Intel Arc A770
• DirectX: Version 12
• Storage: 100 GB available space