Mortal Kombat 1 is right around the corner, becoming the second major release for 2D fighting games in 2023. Following the success of Street Fighter 6, the stage is set for NetherRealm Studios’ franchise to regain its place among the best fighting games.
The studio just released a launch trailer for Mortal Kombat 1 earlier today, showcasing snippets of the story mode and various characters from the roster, leading to one last boost to excitement ahead of release.
However, days before early access and the full launch, NetherRealm Studios has dropped a disappointing piece of information. According to the official Mortal Kombat Twitter account, the game will not launch with cross-play.
Why it matters: Cross-play has become the new standard for various games, and it was also expected for the latest iteration of Mortal Kombat, leading to disappointment among audiences.
Launch is just around the corner and we can’t wait for everyone to sink their teeth into #MK1. Regarding Kross-Play, it will not be available at launch, but know we are hard at work at implementing the feature into the game and it will be koming post launch. pic.twitter.com/M8Kvi4QkMe
— Mortal Kombat 1 (@MortalKombat) September 12, 2023
The Twitter account confirms work on cross-play is underway, and the feature will be released as soon as possible.
Earlier this month, the official Steam page for Mortal Kombat 1 hinted at cross-play for the game’s PC release. However, it appears this was a false positive, and no version of the game will feature cross-play at release.
This announcement is made even more disappointing by the fact that Mortal Kombat 11 already supported cross-play for consoles after a post-launch update. This led to expectations for the feature being included at launch for the upcoming title.
Additionally, competitors like Street Fighter 6 launched with full cross-play support between all platforms. The recent network test for Tekken 8 also supported gameplay between PS5, Xbox Series S|X, and PC.
Traditionally, Mortal Kombat has led new features and innovations in 2D fighting games. The franchise was among the first to popularize the use of the beloved rollback netcode, but NetherRealm Studios appears to be falling behind the competition with Mortal Kombat 1.
This, in addition to the fact that NetherRealm Studios waited so long to officially confirm this exclusion, has led to several negative reactions to the announcement, with some users also confused by the upcoming implementation.
The Twitter account has not confirmed if Mortal Kombat 1 will support cross-play between PC and consoles once the update is released. This question is important since Mortal Kombat 11 only supported cross-play between PlayStation and Xbox consoles, leaving out the Nintendo Switch and PC.
Nonetheless, more details are expected in the coming days.
Mortal Kombat 1 will be available to play for early-access buyers on September 14.
With just days left before release, leaks from the story mode and the Nintendo Switch version of the game have been making the rounds all over the internet. However, it would be best to avoid such leaks since the game will be out in just a few days.
Following early access, everyone else can jump into the action on September 19.
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[News Reporter]
Avinash is currently pursuing a Business degree in Australia. For more than three years, he has been working as a gaming journalist, utilizing his writing skills and love for gaming to report on the latest updates in the industry. Avinash loves to play action games like Devil May Cry and has also been mentioned on highly regarded websites, such as IGN, GamesRadar, GameRant, Dualshockers, CBR, and Gamespot.
