NetherRealm Studios' upcoming fighting game Mortal Kombat 1 is only a few months away, which feels like a relief to many. The game has been a terribly-kept secret, partially owing to the unusually long absence of a new NetherRealm title across the past four years. Mortal Kombat 1 is set to pick up the plot threads left by Mortal Kombat 11 and its Aftermath DLC, showing Fire God Liu Kang's version of the Mortal Kombat universe. Fans are excited to see more of that, and the new Kameo Fighter mechanic should keep the roster feeling full.
One outstanding story question is what has happened to the other realms in Mortal Kombat's mythos. Mortal Kombat has always been a multi-dimensional story, with time travel creeping in across the 2011 reboot trilogy. For hundreds of years, Earthrealm has fought with Outworld in the deadly Mortal Kombat tournament, all while other realms sit to the side or get pulled into Outworld. It's unclear exactly how Mortal Kombat 1's new story setup will affect this aspect of the setting, though some leaks and vague hints may point to a particular realm finally getting its due.
Havik's Return in Mortal Kombat 1 Is Likely
The biggest evidence of a new realm taking center stage comes in the form of an unconfirmed playable roster leak. More than one fighter leak has been seen so far, though some of the more believable share a suspicious number of characters. One surprising figure common among them is Havik, the skull-faced Cleric of Chaos. Notably, Havik is the only playable character in the franchise to be a native from Chaosrealm, even though the original timeline eventually saw some Black Dragon members migrate there.
Havik has made some appearances in various character endings such as the Joker's, played a fairly major role in Mortal Kombat X's comics, and was name-dropped alongside Chaosrealm in Mortal Kombat 11 Aftermath. It's evident that NetherRealm Studios still remembers this quirky character and his underused realm exist, and MK1's reboot marks a perfect time to do something with them. Demand for Havik to return is high, as he is one of the better-received 3D gameplay era characters. However, a leak is not the only reason why Havik and Chaosrealm's return feel likely.
Chaosrealm Perfectly Opposes Liu Kang’s Order
Fans have noticed something about all the released Mortal Kombat 1 footage so far, that being its suspicious brightness and cleanliness. There is a decent chance that Liu Kang has not recreated Earthrealm as it was, but instead incorporated elements from several realms that he favored, including Edenia and Orderrealm. Combining that with the general tone of MK1's advertising being about Liu Kang fighting to maintain his peaceful world, it appears that MK1 may involve several interdimensional factions.
Liu Kang leading an order-infused Earthrealm is an obvious one, and Shang Tsung has already surfaced as a clear Outworld representative. However, the third major faction may involve an expanded Chaosrealm cast with Havik either leading them or acting as their benefactor. This would line up with the character selection screen being divided into three parts, and would be an interesting spin on the Mortal Kombat tournament's concept. It would also invite a story mode where players are given a lot of choice over whom to side with, and significantly different results coming from each faction prevailing. More details should become available very soon, but fans shouldn't be surprised when they see Havik and Chaosrealm among them.
Mortal Kombat 1 will be released on PC, PS5, Switch, and Xbox Series X/S.
