In a surprising turn of events at the 41st Golden Joysticks Awards, Mortal Kombat 1 swept kick its way into winning the “Best Multiplayer Game” award. But, instead of being met with joy and jubilation, even the fans are casting doubt about why and how a game like MK1 won such a prestigious award. This unexpected accolade for the latest installment in the iconic fighting game series overshadowed what many anticipated would be a night dominated by RPG juggernauts such as Baldur’s Gate 3, which indeed swept away several major awards, or maybe even Diablo 4 or its contemporary, Street Fighter 6.
Despite Mortal Kombat’s longstanding popularity and its entrenched position within mainstream gaming culture, more so among casual audiences, this particular award has raised more eyebrows than it has celebrated triumphs. The initial announcement, made on the official Golden Joysticks Twitter page, drew criticism, with many players pointing out that MK1 didn’t deserve to win. Specifically, MK1 lacked several key multiplayer features, including crossplay, online lobbies, online training modes, and other functionalities that are integral to a modern multiplayer experience.
Naturally, the ever-vocal fighting game community couldn’t help but draw comparisons to Street Fighter 6, which is a far more deserving title after garnering critical acclaim earlier this year for its robust combat mechanics and endearing characters as well as a comprehensive suite of multiplayer features. The stark contrast in the multiplayer capabilities between Mortal Kombat 1 and Street Fighter 6 has left many questioning the criteria for award selection at the Golden Joysticks.
While Mortal Kombat 1 has been received positively by critics and fans, its shortcomings in the multiplayer domain are undeniable. The game’s lack of advanced multiplayer elements and its relatively inferior netcode compared to SF6 or even its predecessors, haven’t gone unnoticed. Furthermore, the criticism extends beyond just the gameplay aspects. Players have also expressed dissatisfaction with the game’s monetization strategy, particularly concerning the recent controversy over the pricing of seasonal Fatalities, which were seen as overly expensive additions to a game already demanding a high purchase price.
It’s worth noting, however, that Mortal Kombat 1 has been an extremely successful game commercially as it has outsold Street Fighter 6 despite being the newer game. If nothing else, this proves the massive appeal Mortal Kombat continues to have among casual fans. But, for a fighting game to succeed, it needs to be a superior title in a competitive genre. It may have walked home with an award, but the fighting game community believes that Street Fighter 6 is a far more successful title, especially based on Steam, where it has more concurrent players and a higher peak, as well as a better chances at thriving in the competitive scene.
Interestingly enough, Diablo 4 was also up to receive the same award, and, unlike Mortal Kombat 1, the latest entry in the iconic dungeon crawler series is an even more commercially successful product.
It’s unclear what else NetherRealm Studios has in store for Mortal Kombat 1 outside of completing the initial DLC pack that has already brought Omni-Man into the game and will bring Homelander (sans Antony Starr’s voice) in the future.
