Mortal Kombat 1 Pulled a Fatality… On Itself

by

As a dedicated gamer, I can confidently say that Mortal Kombat stands tall as one of WB Games’ most thriving franchises – a statement they wouldn’t argue with. Over the years, the series has been an unstoppable force, consistently dominating across multiple titles, making you think it was invincible to failure. But recent events have shown us that even giants can stumble.

Mortal Kombat 1, a game that’s sparked debate among fans since its release in 2023, has surprisingly cut short its post-launch support, leaving many of us surprised and disappointed. It’s a bittersweet ending for a game that seemed to struggle with making the right moves throughout its lifespan.

Upon its debut less than two years ago, the new version of Mortal Kombat faced skepticism from both critics and the public. The innovative Kameo fighters system failed to impress everyone, while its multiversal timeline reboot storyline seemed chaotic and confusing to many. Unfortunately, despite not being a guaranteed failure for a fighting game in today’s market, Mortal Kombat 1 also didn’t manage to improve following its launch.

To be frank, it seemed as if things just didn’t improve for Mortal Kombat 1 post-launch. The lukewarm response to additional DLC fighters and the game’s story expansion being widely deemed a letdown were certainly noteworthy. The Invasions update, which wasn’t exactly a crowd favorite to begin with, didn’t seem to fare any better. Add to that some questionable monetization decisions and other missteps, it felt like each move made by WB Games and NetherRealm Studios following the release of Mortal Kombat 1 was less favorable than the last from a fan’s perspective.

It’s understandable if the series of questionable decisions, criticisms, and controversies surrounding the game haven’t exactly boosted its popularity. However, it’s worth noting that despite these issues, Mortal Kombat 1 has managed to sell over 5 million copies worldwide by January, which is an impressive achievement for any game, even when considering a timeframe of one and a half years.

Compared to Mortal Kombat’s usual sales figures, it appears that Mortal Kombat 1 (MK1) has experienced a noticeable decline in sales. To put this into perspective, Mortal Kombat X and Mortal Kombat 11 have sold over 12 million and 15 million units worldwide, respectively. Although the sales of MK1 aren’t dismal by any means, it is evident that the game has been selling at a significantly slower rate. This slowdown may be attributed to the generally moderate reviews the game received, which likely affected its overall sales.

Not only did the original Mortal Kombat 1 game fail to meet WB Games’ sales expectations, but the expansion pack, Khaos Reigns, also underperformed due to mixed reviews and perceived high pricing. Consequently, the publisher decided to halt further content development for Mortal Kombat 1. In recent weeks, there have been rumors about the termination of post-launch support, which WB Games and NetherRealm Studios have now confirmed. With NetherRealm focusing on its upcoming project (potentially the next Injustice game), WB Games has decided to put future content plans for Mortal Kombat 1 on hold, instead channeling all efforts towards the new game in development.

It’s quite unexpected for several reasons. Firstly, considering Mortal Kombat 1 was launched just over a year ago, its apparent post-launch demise seems rather sudden. Previous Mortal Kombat games have continued longer, so the early closure of MK1 is unexpectedly disappointing. Additionally, comparing it to current major fighting game titles such as Street Fighter 6, Tekken 8, and Guilty Gear Strive, the post-launch support for MK1 seems notably lacking – a contrast that becomes even more striking when you consider that there were indications from official sources suggesting more post-launch content was on the way. It appears that NetherRealm Studios had planned to keep releasing new content for the game if it received positive critical and commercial response, but clearly, things didn’t go as planned.

It’s understandable if some believe that it’s for the best for Mortal Kombat 1 to be phased out, as this would allow NetherRealm Studios to learn from their mistakes with this game and focus on their future projects, which they hope will offer a superior and well-thought-out gaming experience. However, many might question if the flaws in Mortal Kombat 1 were so severe that it warranted such an early retirement. There have been games far worse, more broken, and seemingly beyond repair, but they managed to bounce back spectacularly. So, it would be hasty to assume there was no chance for NetherRealm Studios to regain player’s favor with Mortal Kombat 1. Nonetheless, we can understand why Warner Bros. Games is deciding to move on.

It’ll be intriguing to observe what lessons Warner Bros. and NetherRealm Studios, the publisher and developer of Mortal Kombat 1, will draw from its missteps. Given the current sentiment, it appears that fans might be experiencing a bit of Mortal Kombat exhaustion. If reports are true that they’re planning Injustice 3 instead of another Mortal Kombat game, that seems like a wise move at this time. Additionally, one would expect that they’ll have more compelling post-launch content for their next project and will adopt fairer, less aggressive monetization strategies. If they don’t address these issues, there’s a chance the next release could fall short of the successes seen in Mortal Kombat X and Mortal Kombat 11.

Regarding Mortal Kombat 1, it’s unfortunate that the game seems to be facing some issues. Despite being a significant intellectual property for Warner Bros, the Mortal Kombat series will undoubtedly continue to hold importance. The upcoming Mortal Kombat game is bound to raise curiosity about how it will address or possibly reboot the storyline of Mortal Kombat 1. Will NetherRealm Studios choose to carry forward the game’s narrative, potentially building upon its divisive reception, or will we witness another restart? Whatever the case may be, it appears that the developer will need to navigate several challenges, a task they didn’t seem to accomplish with Mortal Kombat 1. Here’s hoping for brighter days ahead for the franchise.

Note: The opinions stated within this piece are those of the writer and may not align with the perspectives of GamingBolt as a whole.

Read More

2025-05-29 05:11