‘Mortal Kombat 1’ Is Coming to All Major Platforms This Fall (Video)

The bloody franchise reboot has been teased for months by creator Ed Boon

“Mortal Kombat 1” was officially announced by Warner Bros. Games Thursday after months of teasing by franchise co-creator Ed Boon.

The title will debut Sept. 19 on all major platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X & S, Nintendo Switch and PC (Steam as well as the Epic Games Store). Worth noting: PS4 and Xbox One are not included in the platform lineup, despite other 2023 fighters such as “Street Fighter 6” going the cross-generation route.

The high-profile reboot resets the “Mortal Kombat” sequel lineage, as the last installment was “Mortal Kombat 11” in 2019. Now the franchise is back to “one.” This isn’t the first time a publisher has utilized this number trick to avoid numeric “sequelitis” fatigue — “Battlefield 1” did the same thing, releasing after “Battlefield 4” and before “Battlefield V.”

Expect fresh designs for franchise-favorite characters such as Scorpion and Mileena, new fatalities, and the same-old degree of over-the-top, copious gore that’s persisted throughout the series.

Though the fighting game formally releases in September, pre-orders for the title start Friday. If you pre-order, you’ll score character Shang Tsung and receive beta access, meaning early access to the game. Important note: In fine print, it’s stated that beta access will only be available for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X & S.

The standard edition of the game will cost $70 USD. The premium edition will cost $110 and include in-game currency as well as a special character skin, early post-launch character access, and five “Kameo” characters. The $250 “Kollector’s Edition” will feature all of the aforementioned content as well as extra in-game currency and a couple physical goodies: a 16.5-inch Liu Kang sculpture, three exclusive art prints and a steel case.

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