Gamers of all ages know Mortal Kombat as a fighting game. It has been a controversial title because of the gore and violent finishing moves that often end up in decapitation.
Well, the next Mortal Kombat game won’t be the traditional fighting-style game that we know. NetherRealm Studios has announced that it will be developing Mortal Kombat: Onslaught. It will be a spin-off of the fighting game franchise.
Mortal Kombat: Onslaught will be a "collection role-playing game" according to the studio and publisher Warner Bros. Games. The new game will be the successor to Mortal Kombat Mobile which has a huge following, with over 150 million installs on the iOS and Android platforms.
Mortal Kombat: Onslaught will feature a mobile-exclusive cinematic story experience. Players will build a team based on the characters from the fighting game and unleash them in real-time group battles.
According to Warner Bros Games President David Haddad, "Mortal Kombat is a legendary franchise and pop culture phenomenon, and it continues to engage players and advance the fighting genre across multiple platforms. Mortal Kombat: Onslaught is a testament to why Mortal Kombat has been a top gaming franchise for over 30 years, as the NetherRealm team continues to innovate and bring new gameplay to fans."
Ed Boon, Chief Creative Officer of NetherRealm Studios, describes the new mobile title as a "strategic team-based collection RPG with fast-paced, group melee combat that both new and existing fans can enjoy." He adds that the studio is "pushing the boundaries of Mortal Kombat to allow players to experience the franchise in new ways, while still staying true to its core visceral nature."
NetherRealm Studios is best known for developing Mortal Kombat 10 and 11. The studio also created the hugely popular Injustice fighting games based on DC characters.
Mortal Kombat's 30th Anniversary
The Mortal Kombat franchise is celebrating its 0th Anniversary this month. The first fighting game from the franchise was released in 1992 for Sega and Super Nintendo consoles.
The original Mortal Kombat was hugely successful and became one of the best-selling games of all time. Indeed, Mortal Kombat and its sequel are considered among the greatest games of all time.
The original games were also notable for the controversies they generated. There was a US congressional hearing centered around video game violence depicted in titles such as Mortal Kombat, in an attempt by senators to regulate video game content. This ultimately led to the creation of the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) which gives out ratings for video games to this day.
The series has spawned three live-action movies based on the franchise. The latest Mortal Kombat movie came out in 2021 and was a reboot of the original films. A sequel is being developed by Warner Bros.
Mortal Kombat: Onslaught does not have a release date but is slated for launch in 2023.
