Highlights

  • Mortal Kombat 1 was initially well-received, but controversy surrounds its expensive microtransactions and balance issues.
  • The addition of Kameo Fighters as assist characters in Mortal Kombat 1 risks impacting the game's balance and limited roster.
  • Turning classic characters into Kameo Fighters rather than playable fighters in future Mortal Kombat games could alienate long-time fans and overshadow the series' own identity.

Mortal Kombat 1 was a critical success upon its launch last September, but has since become controversial with many fans. The game feels good to play and looks great on most platforms, but it is plagued with expensive microtransactions and balance issues. Kameo Fighters, a newly added assist mechanic, have transformed the series. Concerns about the impact of Kameo Fighters on Mortal Kombat 1's balance are among the hottest points of discourse around it right now, but their addition runs the risk of impacting other elements of the game. The inclusion of assist fighters could harm one of the series at large's greatest assets: its roster.

Kameo Fighters work differently from the assist mechanic in many other fighting games. In games like Dragon Ball FighterZ and BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle, players choose a second character whom they can switch to and call in to perform assists. Every character in the game is a complete fighter with assist abilities as well. Mortal Kombat 1, on the other hand, has a secondary roster of Kameo Fighters. There is some overlap with the main roster of Kombatants, but the Kameos are different versions of those characters. Moreover, there are Kameo Fighters who do not appear in the roster of primary fighters, meaning that some cast members are restricted to being assist characters.

A screenshot of Baraka and the Kameo version of Kung Lao in Mortal Kombat 1.
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Mortal Kombat's Best Feature is Its Roster

The Mortal Kombat franchise has helped to define the fighting game genre. The original game was released in 1992, and the series has gone on to be one of the most recognizable ones in the gaming medium. This can be attributed in large part to its memorable cast of characters. Scorpion and Sub-Zero are synonymous with the genre itself. With over 70 playable fighters featured throughout the series, NetherRealm has crafted dozens of iconic warriors. Mortal Kombat has also frequently included guests from other famous franchises, which has contributed just as much hype to the series as its original characters. Unfortunately, Kameo Fighters run the risk of turning guests into a double-edged sword.

Kameo Fighters Could Impact MK1 and MK2's Roster Negatively

The addition of Kameo Fighters means that NetherRealm can include more characters in each game, which sounds like a good thing, but it could mean that some fighters are restricted to only being assists. This could extend to some of the rumored characters in Kombat Pack 2, including guests from other series. Assists in MK1 are novel right now, but repeatedly relegating series veterans to Kameo Fighter status across future entries could begin to annoy fans, especially if it is done to make more room for guest characters. On the other hand, making a popular guest character a Kameo Fighter rather than a fully-fledged one could also make their inclusion less of an event.

How Should Mortal Kombat 2 Handle Kameo Fighters?

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If the Kameo system is to be reprised in Mortal Kombat 2, the game must build on the feature. One option is to have players choose a Kameo Fighter from the standard roster, making every character capable of serving both roles. This might make the overall roster smaller, but it would be the most effective way to avoid potential controversies over which characters are made into Kameo Fighters. As the system exists now, every spot on the primary roster given to a guest is one that isn't filled by a character from the MK franchise. The guest characters that have transformed each new MK game into an event now run the risk of eating away at the series' own identity if it means more original characters are made into Kameos.

MK1's Kameo Fighters have transformed the Mortal Kombat series in a controversial way. MK11's PC player count is often higher than that of its successor, and unless NetherRealm is careful with its handling of the Kameo system going forward, it runs the risk of alienating long-time fans. Seeing the system used to make room for guest fighters over important characters from the series would do more harm than good. The balancing issues introduced by Kameo Fighters are reparable, and the system works well, but it could annoy fans in Mortal Kombat 2 if it is used to sideline too many beloved characters to make room for guests.