Ever since it was announced, Mortal Kombat 1 has promised to be unlike anything fans have ever seen. From its new kameo fighter system to the reveal of Homelander and Peacemaker as DLC kombatants, NetherRealm Studios seems to be pulling out all the stops for Mortal Kombat's newest entry. What's proven to be the most intriguing aspect of Mortal Kombat 1 is its narrative, as the story that began with 2011's Mortal Kombat is being rebooted in favor of Fire God Liu Kang's new era following the events of Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath. With MK1's release steadily approaching, many pieces of this new era are falling into place.

Thanks to a generous number of trailers released over the last couple of months, NetherRealm's vision for MK1's timeline is becoming clearer. In true Mortal Kombat fashion, the peace of Fire God Liu Kang's new era is becoming destabilized, but it's the kombatants caught in the crossfire that really signify how MK1 will be unlike anything the franchise has seen in years. Familiar faces like Sub-Zero and Scorpion are returning as anticipated, but for every Mortal Kombat mainstay, MK1 looks to include unexpected names from Mortal Kombat history.

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Mortal Kombat 1's New Timeline Is Bringing Out The MK Deep Cuts

Mortal Kombat 1 started its marketing by showing how the franchise's most iconic fighters have changed in the new timeline. Sub-Zero and Scorpion are brothers, Mileena is afflicted with a lethal disease, and Raiden is now a champion of Earthrealm. A new status quo is in place, but it doesn't stop with revised stories for MK's most well-known names. Mortal Kombat 1 is digging deep into the franchise's history to bring back kombatants who were introduced in MK's 3D era about 20 years ago. It's an era that hasn't gotten much love in recent years, but fans should expect to learn a lot about it.

Mortal Kombat's 3D era started with Mortal Kombat 4 and lasted until Mortal Kombat Armageddon. As the name would imply, this period was marked by MK's transition to 3D graphics, but the experimentation didn't stop there. That era's Mortal Kombat developer Midway expanded the fighting beyond its 2D plane and gave players a 3D arena to move around in, and it also gave players more kombatants to use than ever before. Dozens of new characters were introduced to the series, and while not all of them were particularly remarkable, a handful of them made a strong enough impression to justify inclusion in Mortal Kombat 1.

The first 3D era fighters to officially join MK1's roster are Li Mei and Tanya; the former hasn't been in an MK game since Mortal Kombat Armageddon. MK1's newest trailer went even further to reveal two more kombatants who were all but forgotten by the series, Ashrah and Havik, and altered their origins somewhat to help them fit into Liu Kang's new era. While these certainly aren't new characters to the series, their considerable absence makes them feel like it, giving newer fans something fresh to enjoy and longtime fans an invigorating blast from the past.

With a few roster spots still unfilled in Mortal Kombat 1, it's possible NetherRealm Studios could have a couple more forgotten 3D era fighters in its back pocket. There's also MK1's Kombat Packs, which have historically been fertile ground for unexpected additions. Fans already know to expect iconic kombatants like Ermac and Quan Chi in the first Kombat Pack, but NetherRealm could use future DLC to bring back even more unfamiliar faces. Whatever the case may be, Mortal Kombat 1 is currently proving to be a celebration of the franchise's long and varied history.

Mortal Kombat 1 releases September 19 for PC, PS5, Switch, and Xbox Series X/S.

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