Summary
An integral figure inMortal Kombat 1’s development has hinted that there may potentially be a sequel already in the planning stages. The imminentMortal Kombat 1sees Fire God Liu Kang reboot the timeline after the conclusion of 2019’sMortal Kombat 11.This fresh installment in the legendary fighting game franchise will feature a new Kameo system which allows players to call in fighters from a separate roster to assist with specific attacks.
Part of the road leading up toMortal Kombat 1’s launch in September has been the filling out of both the base and Kameo rosters with trailers and reveals. Since its unveiling in May, fans eagerly anticipatingMortal Kombat 1have been treated to reveals for long-forgottenMortal Kombatcharacters such as Li Mei, Ashrah, Tanya, and Havik, along with the return of characters introduced in more recent entries like Geras and Kenshi. At Geoff Keighley’s recent Gamescom Opening Night Live,Mortal Kombat 1revealed the return of Sindeland Shao Kahn as well. Additionally, NetherRealm confirmed thatThe Boys’Homelander,Invincible’s Omni-Man, and DC’s Peacemaker, alongsideMortal Kombat’s own Quan Chi, Takeda, and Ermac, will join the roster post launch as part of Kombat Pack 1.
RELATED:Ed Boon Acknowledges Fan Demand For Jade in Mortal Kombat 1
WhileNetherRealm’s road beyondMortal Kombat 1remains unclear, the game’s narrative director provided a small bit of vague insight. In an interview with ComicBook, Story Director Dominic Ciancolo brought up how 2011’sMortal Kombatreboot seemed to have rushed its character development to fit the stories of the first threeMortal Kombatgames into one title. Ciancolo followed that up by callingMortal Kombat 1a “springboard” for these freshly rebooted characters to develop. He also mentioned howMortal Kombat 1is “the first step on this road,” implying that NetherRealm may already be in the early stages of planning a sequel.
“And so we’re going to obviously see the characters develop, they’re going to change, things are going to happen, but this is not the end. This is just the beginning. And so that’s going to be something we hopefully will evolve as we go forward.” - Mortal Kombat 1 Story Director Dominic Ciancolo via ComicBook
The early-mid 2010s saw NetherRealm alternating betweenMortal Kombatand DC’s popularInjusticegames. With NetherRealm about to serve up its secondMortal Kombattitle in a row, one must wonder about the future of the studio’s belovedInjusticeseries. With Ed Boon recently speaking on hisnotepad of ideas for the potentialInjustice 3, Ciancolo’s statements seem to conflict with what would seem like NetherRealm’s next move. SinceMortal Kombat 1will likely see several years of post launch support just like itsMortal Kombat 11predecessor, this potential sequel will likely be many years away; even longer if NetherRealm tacklesInjustice 3next.
It’s already been a huge year for fighting games withStreet Fighter 6releasing to critical acclaim earlier in the Summerand the much anticipatedTekken 8sneaking out into January 2024. Even with theBloodborne-inspired SoulslikeLies of Pstepping on its toes on September 19,Mortal Kombatwill undoubtedly have a huge release as part of 2023’s one-two punch of blockbuster fighting games behindStreet Fighter 6. What NetherRealm does next is still very much a mystery.
Mortal Kombat 1is coming on September 19 to PC, PS5, Switch, and Xbox Series X|S.
