Mortal Kombat 1 Guide#
Mortal Kombat 1 is a fighting game developed by NetherRealm Studios and published by Warner Bros. Games. It launched worldwide on September 19, 2023 as the twelfth mainline entry in the series and its third reboot. In story terms, the fire god Liu Kang has remade the Mortal Kombat universe, opening the third mainline timeline; the plot takes place after the events of Mortal Kombat 11.
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, PC (Steam and Epic Games Store) | Release date: September 19, 2023 (Premium Edition early access began September 14)
Note: there is no PS4 or last-generation Xbox version — the game ships only on the modern platforms listed above. Any page claiming the game supports last-generation consoles is passing along outdated or wrong information.
Guide Coverage#
This hub collects the site’s Chinese sub-guides for the game: a beginner’s page covering launch info, edition pricing, a quick tour of the core systems, and platform-choice advice; a full character encyclopedia with the 24-fighter launch roster, Kombat Pack additions, and health-group data; a combo guide covering Kameo-assisted extensions, Fatal Blow windows, and defensive mechanics; a deep dive on the Kameo Fighters system — support moves, throws, defense breakers, and health modifiers; a story-mode guide to Liu Kang’s new timeline, the Outworld tournament, and the two endings; an Invasions guide to the interactive map, character builds, and six-week seasons; an online-play guide to rollback netcode, the series’ first cross-play, and cross-progression; a fatalities page covering trigger rules, the return of Animality, and how to look up inputs; an achievements guide that states plainly what is and is not verified; an endgame guide to the ending choice, the Khaos Reigns branch, and seasonal content; and a tips page on health groups, perfect-block frame windows, and Fatal Blow timing. Extra pages cover challenges, controls, the gallery, lore and worldview, practical resources, version updates, and a full walkthrough.
Game Overview#
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Title | Mortal Kombat 1 |
| Developer | NetherRealm Studios |
| Publisher | Warner Bros. Games |
| Series position | 12th mainline entry, third reboot, third mainline timeline |
| Director / creator | Ed Boon |
| Designer | Paulo Garcia |
| Art | Steve Beran, Joe Berger |
| Music | Wilbert Roget II |
| Engine | Unreal Engine 4 |
| Release date | September 19, 2023 worldwide; early access September 14, 2023 (Premium Edition only) |
| Platforms | PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, PC (Steam and Epic Games Store) |
| Ports | PC version developed by QLOC; Switch port by Shiver Entertainment and Saber Interactive |
| Online | Rollback netcode; 2-8 players online |
| Total sales | Over 8 million copies |
Editions and Pricing#
| Edition | Contents | Launch price |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Edition | The base game | $69.99 |
| Premium Edition | Base game + early access (from September 14) + Kombat Pack + 1,250 Dragon Krystals | $109.99 |
- All players who pre-ordered received the playable character Shang Tsung.
- The Kombat Pack includes a Johnny Cage skin with the voice and likeness of Jean-Claude Van Damme, plus early-access fighters Quan Chi, Ermac, Takeda, Peacemaker, Omni-Man, and Homelander, and Kameo fighters Ferra, Johnny Cage, Khameleon, Mavado, and Tremor.
- A major Khaos Reigns expansion and a Mortal Kombat 1: Definitive Edition followed, bundling crossover content from MK11 and Mortal Kombat X (Conan the Barbarian, Cyrax, Ghostface, MKII movie skins, and more). The exact list of what the Definitive Edition adds follows official announcements.
The Core Loop#
Every match pairs a main fighter with a Kameo assist. Kameo Fighters are the game’s signature new mechanic: Kameo characters sit outside the main roster, are selected before each match, and bring offensive and support special moves, unique throws, tools for breaking through an opponent’s defense, and powerful Fatal Blows. The design stretches traditional one-on-one fighting into a two-character resource game.
| Mechanic | Verified rules |
|---|---|
| Fatal Blow | Unlocks once your health drops to 30% or below; performed jointly by your fighter and your Kameo; deals up to 35 damage in a single hit; landing one uses up your only attempt for the match, and if it is blocked you must recharge it |
| Fatality | Triggers when the opponent’s health reaches zero; most characters have two (Fatality 1 / Fatality 2); some characters also have an Animality |
| Animality | This mechanic debuted in Mortal Kombat 3 and returned here via a free update released alongside the Khaos Reigns expansion |
| Invasions | A progression-based single-player mode: cross between realms on an interactive map, experiment with different character builds, and clear large batches of challenges for rewards; themed seasons rotate roughly every six weeks |
| Cross-play | Cross-platform play and cross-platform progression are series firsts; the Switch version lacked them at launch and gained cross-play on February 27, 2024 |
Health Groups#
Most characters have 1,000 HP, and the Fatal Blow unlocks at 300 HP — 30%. A few characters sit in exception groups:
| Health | Characters |
|---|---|
| 1,100 HP | General Shao, Havik, Conan |
| 1,000 HP (the baseline for most of the roster) | All remaining main-roster fighters |
| 950 HP | Geras, Johnny Cage, Sindel, T-1000 |
| 900 HP | Nitara, Quan Chi |
Some Kameo change the team’s health: Jax and Shujinko add 100; Darrius, Ferra, Sareena, Sub-Zero, and Tremor add 50; Goro, Kano, Stryker, Khameleon, and Mavado subtract 50. Team health ranges from 850 to 1,200.
Launch Roster#
The official press release lists 24 playable characters at launch and names 23 of them:
| # | Character | # | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liu Kang | 13 | Tanya |
| 2 | Scorpion | 14 | Baraka |
| 3 | Sub-Zero | 15 | Geras |
| 4 | Raiden | 16 | Reptile |
| 5 | Kung Lao | 17 | Ashrah |
| 6 | Kitana | 18 | Havik |
| 7 | Mileena | 19 | General Shao |
| 8 | Johnny Cage | 20 | Sindel |
| 9 | Kenshi | 21 | Reiko |
| 10 | Smoke | 22 | Shang Tsung (pre-order bonus character) |
| 11 | Rain | 23 | Nitara (voiced by actress Megan Fox) |
| 12 | Li Mei | — | The remaining fighter per the in-game roster page |
Reception and Sales#
| Item | Verdict |
|---|---|
| Sales | Over 8 million copies |
| Windows / PS5 / Xbox Series versions | Rated “generally favorable” on Metacritic |
| Switch version | Panned by media for graphics, load times, performance, and bugs (ported by Shiver Entertainment and Saber Interactive) |
| Steam store page | Rated “mostly positive” (per the live Steam page) |
Which Platform to Buy On#
| Platform | Notes |
|---|---|
| PS5 / Xbox Series X|S | The official flagship versions; critics rate them generally favorable |
| PC (Steam / Epic) | Developed by QLOC; critics rate it generally favorable |
| Nintendo Switch | Ported by Shiver Entertainment and Saber Interactive; widely panned by media (graphics, loading, performance, bugs), and no cross-play at launch |
Game Modes#
| Mode | Description |
|---|---|
| Story Mode | Cinematic narrative: Liu Kang gathers fighters for the latest Mortal Kombat tournament in Outworld against an alliance assembled by Titan Shang Tsung |
| Invasions | Progression-based single-player mode with an interactive map and six-week themed seasons |
| Online play | Rollback netcode; cross-platform play and progression (added to Switch after launch) |
| Local multiplayer / Tournament | Local multiplayer, online multiplayer, and tournament modes are all supported |
What This Hub Does Not Cover#
This section sticks to official press materials and verifiable sources. Exact move inputs for each character, a chapter-by-chapter story walkthrough, each Kameo’s specific move commands, exact achievement unlock conditions, the online ranking algorithm, skin unlock conditions, per-season Invasions themes and reward lists, and the definitive list of Definitive Edition additions are not fully documented in official or verifiable material, so this site does not speculate — the relevant sub-pages all note “subject to official sources and hands-on testing.”
Related Games#
- Tekken 8 — the current 3D fighting benchmark, with its own aggressive offensive systems
- Street Fighter 6 — the latest entry in the genre’s flagship series and MK1’s biggest rival
- Sifu — a martial-arts action game about hand-to-hand combat with real depth
- Sekiro — a duel-driven action game built on parries, timing, and mastery under pressure
Related Rankings#
Hardest Bosses · Best Soulslike Games
Full Guides#
In-depth sub-guides — beginner basics, the full character roster, combo routes, the Kameo cameo system, story mode, Invasions, online play, fatalities, achievements, endgame content, practical tips, controls, lore, resources, version updates, and a full walkthrough — are available in Chinese on NTGame’s Mortal Kombat 1 section.