One of the endings to Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath saw Liu Kang reboot the timeline while making changes. Now, it seems like NetherRealm Studios is going this route.
The longtime developers of the beloved fighting game franchise have been teasing an announcement, sparking rumors as well as speculations among fans. The most recent report suggests that this announcement will confirm the reboot of the series and that the next game will be named “Mortal Kombat 1.
Shortly after releasing a teaser showing the big bang but with sand instead of the cosmos, NetherRealm dropped a video showing a clock ticking down from 9 to 11 before skipping 12 and going straight to 1.
If that isn’t a confirmation that the Mortal Kombat timeline is starting anew, we don’t know what is.
A “soft reboot” of Mortal Kombat will give the game’s developers a chance to reintroduce characters from lesser-known entries that didn’t really fit in with the series’ former director, come up with new plots, and recontextualize the Mortal Kombat universe without forgetting its rich history.
What’s adding even more fuel to the excitement fire is that the leaks claim that the reboot is a lot closer to coming out than we think.
According to billbil-kun, which has since been verified by Windows Central, Mortal Kombat 1 will cost $69.99 on the PS5 and the Xbox Series S/X with a Nintendo Switch version available for $59.99.
Two other versions, The Premium edition and Kollector’s edition, will cost $109.99 and $249.99, respectively.
Furthermore, Windows Central’s sources claim that Mortal Kombat 1 has a September 2023 launch window but this might still change.
Finally, it definitely appears that DLC characters for Mortal Kombat 1 could include Peacemaker and Homelander.
All told, this info bomb suggests that Mortal Kombat 1 could be getting an official reveal sooner rather than later. Also, if you’re wondering if all this makes sense in the context of Mortal Kombat, yes, it certainly does. NetherRealm rebooted the series back in 2011 using pretty much the same premise, so doing the same thing again over a decade later makes a bit more sense. But, hey, if it works, why bother fixing it, right?
Mortal Kombat is one of Warner Bros. Discovery’s most successful franchises, right there alongside the likes of Game of Thrones, Hogwarts Legacy, as well as LEGO and DC games. Previously, the series alternated releases with Injustice, another fighting game franchise by NetherRealm. It’s presumed that the recent changes over at DC Studios affected the initial plans. It’s unclear if NetherRealm will ever get a chance to release a third Injustice game.
