An old tweet from Ed Boon has fans excited over the prospect that Mortal Kombat 1 will have a longer shelf life than any other game in the franchise's history. Asked about the length of Mortal Kombat 11's post-launch support, Boon countered that the game had the longest life cycle in NetherRealm's history, but Mortal Kombat 1 could go for even longer.
The release date announcement trailer for Mortal Kombat 1 confirmed that the game would be a soft reboot for the franchise. September 19, 2023, was the date given for Mortal Kombat 1's release, with NetherRealm going the route that is becoming more common for AAA studios, to announce a title within the same year as its release. The trailer showcased a pseudo reset to the franchise, with Liu Kang ascending to godhood at the end of Mortal Kombat 11's Aftermath expansion to reshape the timeline as he sees fit.
Months before any concrete information regarding Mortal Kombat 1 was revealed, Ed Boon took to Twitter to answer fan questions regarding NetherRealm's past and future titles. Asked about his plans for post-launch support for Mortal Kombat 11, Boon asserted that the game was the longest the studio had kept with a title in terms of DLC content and balance patches, but that its next game, which at the time of the answer was unknown to the public, would break that record for longest-running post-launch support. Between the admission from Boon and the ambitious reboot highlighted by the Mortal Kombat 1 trailer, it is clear that NetherRealm has big plans for its next title.
With more information surrounding Mortal Kombat 1's new features coming soon, anticipation for the game is at a fever pitch. With the announcement of rollback netcode, a new Kameo Fighters gameplay system, a soft reset to the narrative, and a commitment to long-term support, fans are eager to learn more about Mortal Kombat 1 as its release date looms. With Summer Game Fest and the PlayStation Showcase close at hand, a gameplay reveal may come sooner than many think.
The question posed by the fan back in December was somewhat critical of Mortal Kombat 11's post-launch support, which some feel lacked in comparison to its peers in the fighting game genre. Ed Boon's response suggests that NetherRealm has taken that criticism to heart, with the intention to keep Mortal Kombat 1 relevant long past its September 19 launch.
Mortal Kombat 1 launches September 19 for PC, PS5, Switch, and Xbox Series X.
