Mortal Kombat co-creator Ed Boon has explained how and why the team decided on naming the next entry in the franchise Mortal Kombat 1. Earlier this week, NetherRealm Studios finally revealed the newest entry in the long-running fighting game franchise. Up until its announcement, the existence of the title was leaked via an earnings call with WB higher-ups, which made this game arguably one of the worst kept secrets of 2023. Regardless, NetherRealm Studios' latest trailer for Mortal Kombat 1 unveiled quite a bit, including a release date for later this September.
Shortly after this reveal, NetherRealm Studios was quick to confirm a lot of new things coming to this game. This includes Mortal Kombat 1's early access plans and special editions, rollback netcode, and even a Marvel vs. Capcom style tag-team assist function known as Kameo Fighters. A few days after this initial announcement, Mortal Kombat co-creator Ed Boon and community manager Tyler Lansdown held a short livestream on the game's official YouTube channel, answering some questions regarding the game.
One of the questions that Boon answered was regarding the game's title and why they went with Mortal Kombat 1. According to the developer, the game is going to be the start of a new universe, as some fans might have suspected following the events of the Mortal Kombat 11 Aftermath DLC. Boon clarifies that it's not a continuation of MK11's story, as the characters in this game will have completely different roles compared to their previous timeline counterparts. He states that he wanted to emphasize this fresh start with the game's title.
He goes on to say that Mortal Kombat 1 is a brand-new beginning, with its characters being re-introduced in new roles and relationships, which was the "main catalyst" as to why the game is titled MK1. To continue with this emphasis on this being a fresh start, the series is breaking away from the tradition of including its most recognizable characters, Sub-Zero and Scorpion, on the cover. Instead, Fire God Liu Kang is front and center as the new face for this entry, with Boon stating it's to emphasize it being a new MK game and not just a continuation of 11.
In the meantime, there have been some leaks about the roster and DLC characters for Mortal Kombat 1. These include guest characters that fans have been requesting in recent years, such as DC Comics' Peacemaker and Invincible's Omni Man. There are only a few months before fans will get to partake in the blood-soaked action reboot later this year.
Mortal Kombat 1 launches September 19 for PC, PS5, Switch, and Xbox Series X.
