The latest in NetherRealm Studios' iconic fighting game franchise, Mortal Kombat 1 is still only just getting started following the September launch of its base game. A series that is no stranger to strong support in the form of additional content, Mortal Kombat 1's first set of DLC characters in the form of Kombat Pack 1 will begin their rollout when Invincible’s Omni-Man is released on November 9. As another highly anticipated guest character is confirmed to be closer on the horizon than expected, however, fans have been left puzzled by NetherRealm’s unexpected roadmap regarding one of the remaining DLC fighters.

Despite being the third-party franchise representative that has generated the most hype so far, The Boys' Homelander has been confirmed to have a strange place in the first Kombat Pack’s scheduled releases. Officially stated to be arriving before MKX’s Takeda, Homelander has turned out to not actually be the final member of the first batch of DLC after all. While it may seem natural to some that a character of his popularity is better off reaching players sooner, there are several reasons players initially assumed otherwise.

RELATED: MK1's Halloween Controversy Should Teach Mortal Kombat 2 One Major Lesson

Kombat Pack 1's Trailer May Have Given Many Mortal Kombat Fans the Wrong Impression

Homelander's Status as the Final Reveal

In Kombat Pack 1's initial trailer, fans were delighted with the announcement of three rumored guest characters at once. While Omni-Man and Peacemaker appeared among the initial group of fighters, Homelander appeared as the final reveal when he dramatically floated into the frame. Between the weight with which he was presented, the obvious parallels between Homelander and Omni-Man, and NRS’ history with handling DLC, many fans naturally assumed these two characters would be positioned at opposite ends of the Kombat Pack’s release order.

Mortal Kombat Has Already Set a Precedent with Guest Characters

A franchise that has featured many guest characters over the years, MK has developed somewhat of a pattern when it comes to their releases. In the case of Mortal Kombat 11's own first Kombat Pack for example, The Terminator was available earlier on before the Joker and Spawn rounded out the DLC season with their hyped launches. Aftermath and Kombat Pack 2 would proceed to feature multiple characters that were released simultaneously, but MK1 seems to have disregarded both of these previous structures in the end.

The Surprising News of Mortal Kombat 1's Kombat Pack Release Schedule

NetherRealm's NYCC Announcement Regarding Mortal Kombat's DLC

Contrary to what many fans likely predicted, NetherRealm confirmed that Homelander won't actually be the final member of the Kombat Pack to make it into the game. A strange decision given the series' past in terms of guest characters, the dark Superman analogue was confirmed to be coming in the Spring of next year ahead of the final character’s release in the Summer. Given the synergy that Omni-Man’s upcoming launch has with the recent availability of Invincible’s latest season, there is a possibility that Homelander’s own release could coincide with new developments surrounding The Boys. It’s unknown what motivated NRS’ scheduling choices, but many players are excited to be receiving Homelander sooner than anticipated.

The Earlier Release of Homelander May Give Takeda Takahashi a New Chance to Shine

With Takeda having taken up the final release slot in favor of Homelander, the new interpretation of Mortal Kombat X's Shirai Ryu could see his most important iteration yet. It would be anticlimactic if there wasn’t a greater significance to the end of the first Kombat Pack, and the new origin behind MK1’s seemingly aged-up version of the fighter could have more weight behind it than players ever could have expected from a Kombat Kid.

Mortal Kombat 1

Franchise

Mortal Kombat

Platform(s)

PC , PS5 , Switch , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S

Released

September 19, 2023

Developer(s)

NetherRealm Studios

Publisher(s)

Warner Bros. Games

Genre(s)

Fighting

ESRB

M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language

How Long To Beat

7 Hours

Metascore

84

PS Plus Availability

N/A

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