July 2024

Is Mortal Kombat's New Game Doomed? The Truth Is Complex

🟣 Content Overview :

Mortal Kombat 1's EVO registration numbers are low compared to SF6 and Tekken 8.
Steam concurrent players for MK1 are nearly half of MK11's.
Community reactions are mixed, with some criticizing the Kameo support characters.
MK1's competitive scene is smaller due to various factors, including regional bans.
NetherRealm continues to support MK1 with new DLC characters.

Mortal Kombat 1 is the latest entry in one of the most iconic fighting game franchises.

Compared to other major players like Street Fighter 6 and Tekken 8, its registration numbers for EVO, the biggest fighting game tournament in the world, are minuscule, coming in at 645 compared to SF6's 5265.

On top of this, its concurrent Steam players are nearly half that of the last entry, Mortal Kombat 11.

For fans, this isn't that surprising, though it's definitely concerning.

Community Reactions

The conversation about MK1's status started when Hungrybox, a prolific Super Smash Bros player and previous EVO winner, noted Mortal Kombat 1's lackluster EVO turnout compared to most other games being hosted at the event.

He also pointed out that several reactions to competitive player Alex "Dyloch" Ruiz's property-destroying popoff over the weekend were dunking on the game.

Did the community reject Mortal Kombat 1?

According to folks with knowledge of the scene, it's a bit more complicated than that, but the game has been divisive for a handful of reasons.

Expert Opinions

Commentator Saki Sakura argues that Mortal Kombat's in-person competitive scene has always been small, with a majority of players staying online.

She also says many NetherRealm players fight on consoles as opposed to Steam, so PC concurrents aren't the best gauge for player retention.

Others, like longtime competitive NetherRealm champion SonicFox, note that since the game is banned in places like Japan, it can't pull from the country's fighting game community, which is a major region for other fighting game communities.

They weighed in and said while MK1 has issues, Mortal Kombat's lower standing in tournament sign-ups is likely the effect of years of community members dunking on the series, not just a potential dissatisfaction with the latest game.

This has been ongoing for years, they said in a tweet.

"I genuinely believe the game is incredibly good and is arguably in its best spot yet, but folks do not stop talking about it in a negative light, especially from figureheads who don't even play the game."

Player Feedback

One of the major changes in Mortal Kombat 1 included the implementation of Kameo support characters, who provide assist attacks to the primary character in a fight, which has split the community.

Part of the drop in concurrent players can probably be traced to casual players not feeling the grind.

Maintaining a high player count requires just as much attention to be given to people not looking to throw down at their local tournament.

"Yeah, since release, I've only spent 45 hours on this game according to my stats," MANavarro17 wrote on Reddit.
"The combat and Kameo mechanics are great, but as a casual, the grind is just ass and doesn't feel as rewarding compared to previous games. Invasions isn't fun at all, most times frustrating and tedious."
"The kameos were a bad idea imo," Exciting_Passenger39 wrote. "I thought it was going to be like a tag team setup, not this bs we got."
"For all intents and purposes, I'm a mega fan of this franchise, but I must say, yeah, I'm not super enthralled with MK1," RealmJumper15 wrote. "The gameplay is fun and the Kameo system is neat, but outside of that, the game doesn't really have anything to keep me around."

Competitive vs Casual Play

Some argue that Mortal Kombat 1 and the franchise broadly isn't built for long-term competitive play, and that's what makes it approachable compared to its contemporaries.

"I think it's probably because of the entirely competitive side of things," ChemistryTasty8751 wrote.

"Other fighting games like Street Fighter and Tekken pride themselves on balancing for pro play and competitive trying to outdo each other with high-budget tournaments. Meanwhile, Mortal Kombat doesn't mess with that. Mortal Kombat is a game that prioritizes casual fun because it's the only fighting game I would actually recommend to newbies."

Future of Mortal Kombat 1

In the broader competitive landscape, is it not concerning that Mortal Kombat 1 is trailing so far behind not only its direct competitors but its own games?

"This is actually hilariously pitiful," NatiHanson wrote regarding Mortal Kombat 1's registration numbers on Reddit. "People are gonna come up with different forms of copium, but this is sad. Year 2 MKX had more entrants than this. NetherRealm were completely caught off guard with the competition T8, SF6, and I don't think Kameos caught on like they hoped."

Ultimately, Mortal Kombat 1 might not be dead, but it is clearly in an odd spot in both its competitive and casual scenes.

What lessons will NetherRealm learn from this, if any?

Is the lesson that the studio should make Injustice 3 instead?

That's what I would like to see.

NetherRealm is still actively supporting MK1 and has several DLC characters still lined up to join the roster. Some of them are returning fighters, while others are crossovers from other media.