At a time gaming has become increasingly interconnected and platform boundaries have become close to nonexistent, fans of NetherRealm Studios' Mortal Kombat 1 are increasingly becoming more vocal about their desire for the game to have cross-platform play capabilities. This feature has become a standard expectation among today's games, especially the ones that are multiplayer-centric, like the eminent fighting games that attract both dedicated and casual players. With the game having launched without cross-play, a significant portion of the fanbase has expressed disappointment, a sentiment that the studio seems poised to address.
NetherRealm's commitment to enhancing the Mortal Kombat 1 experience post-launch is evidenced by the recent poll conducted by Ed Boon, the co-creator of Mortal Kombat and current Creative Director at the studio. The poll, which is presenting a clear message, proved that 75.5% of the nearly 58,000 participants voted prioritizing the currently-nonexistent cross-play above other online features, such as ranked play adjustments, ping, and WiFi filters. This level of demand indicates the feature's critical importance to the players, significantly overshadowing other considerations and placing a spotlight on the studio's roadmap for updates.
The incessant calls for cross-play is hardly surprising. Many of Mortal Kombat 1's contemporaries, like Street Fighter 6, and the upcoming fighting game, Tekken 8, each feature seamless cross-platform interaction, heightening expectations for all multiplayer games to follow suit. Mortal Kombat 1, with its robust following, seems close to finally making fans happy, with Boon's poll results indicating that the studio recognizes cross-play as a priority in their ongoing development efforts.