Highlights
- Mortal Kombat 1 is set to bring major changes to the franchise, including aerial combat, kameo fighters, and a rebooted timeline.
- Sub-Zero and Scorpion are expected to be strong choices in the new game, known for being reliable and versatile fighters.
- Characters like Kitana may struggle initially due to weaker close-range capabilities, while other characters, such as Johnny Cage, might be overpowered with their new abilities.
Mortal Kombat 1 is promising to be the biggest shakeup to the Mortal Kombat franchise in a long time. With an increased focus on aerial combat, the addition of kameo fighters, and a reboot to the timeline, this new entry is an exciting one. One thing that every new fighting game in a storied franchise brings is a new meta. Strong fan favorites from previous entries could now be weak, and characters that were dismissed in previous entries as not competitively viable could dominate online play and prove to be a real nuisance; Mortal Kombat 1 will be no different.
Mortal Kombat has been around for decades, and as a result, it has had dozens of playable fighters. While a characters' strength game to game will frequently change and predicting a game's tier list in its early days often proves futile, Mortal Kombat has certain characters that tend to be fairly reliable. This is a trend across most fighting game franchises, especially with characters that are integral to said franchise. The result of this is that while there is no way to know who will be strong in Mortal Kombat 1, one can predict the strength of a couple of the characters during the launch window before the first Kombat Pack.
Who Will Be Strong In Mortal Kombat 1?
For the most part, in a new Mortal Kombat, one can assume that Sub-Zero and Scorpion will be powerful. While they are seldom top tier characters, since Mortal Kombat 9, Sub-Zero and Scorpion have been decent characters that perform well against most of the roster, and this will likely remain the same in this new entry. In the recent server test for the game, Sub-Zero proved to be one of the stronger characters, boasting strength as an all-rounder. Sub-Zero and Scorpion tend to be flexible, and as such are strong choices, especially around the launch of the game where simpler characters that are easier to pick up tend to perform well.
Liu Kang seems to be a solid all-rounder in this game, with a strong selection of combos at different ranges. Kenshi was also strong during the performance test with an oppressive set of close-range offensive skills. Kitana, on the other hand, seems like she might be weak in this game. While she has a lot of aerial moves and ranged options, her close range capacity seems to be weaker than the competition. Zoners like Mortal Kombat 11's Cetrion can be really powerful, but strategies around Kitana may take time to develop, meaning she probably won't be too strong around the game's launch.
Some Mortal Kombat 1 Characters Might Be Broken
While the other characters are harder to make guesses about, there are still some reasonable predictions to make. Shang Tsung was a really well-balanced character in Mortal Kombat 11 and as such it would be unsurprising to see him play similarly here and remain strong but fair. In contrast, Johnny Cage could be overpowered, given his new Hype Meter in Mortal Kombat 1, which lets him fire out special moves in rapid succession. Baraka was weak but balanced in Mortal Kombat 9 and 11, so it would be unsurprising to see that trend continue here. Mileena was one of the worst characters in MK11, so she should receive buffs in this entry.
Much of the rest of the cast are a mystery. Kung Lao varies greatly game to game, as do Raiden and Rain. Tanya, Li Mei, and Smoke are true wild cards. Smoke's Mortal Kombat lore is changing a lot, meaning the character could be vastly different, while Li Mei and Tanya haven't been playable in a modern Mortal Kombat title yet. Because of the developers focus on player freedom, it is possible that most characters will feel stronger than previous entries, even if they are relatively weak in this new game. Only time will tell how Mortal Kombat 1's meta will actually pan out, especially since a large Kombat Pack is already announced for post-launch.
Mortal Kombat 1 is scheduled to release September 19, 2023, for Nintendo Switch, PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
