Is Mortal Kombat 1 a Reboot? : Story Changes Explained

Dhruv Bhatnagar
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<div class="paragraphs"><p>Is Mortal Kombat 1 a Reboot? : Story Changes Explained</p></div>
Is Mortal Kombat 1 a Reboot? : Story Changes Explained

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Highlights
Mortal Kombat 1 changes everything you thought you knew about the fighting game franchise.
Co-creator Ed Boon has confirmed that Mortal Kombat 1 is a reboot, not a remake of the original game.


The team at NetherRealm Studios is back with Mortal Kombat! It’s time that you, as a fan, speed up and prepare yourself for what Mortal Kombat 1 has to offer.

While the game is technically a continuation of Mortal Kombat 11, it takes the series in a new direction with a complete timeline reboot and the creation of a new universe. However, it’s not a completely clean state with Mortal Kombat 1, which makes players ask, is Mortal Kombat a Reboot or something else entirely? We’re going to answer that for you.

Mortal Kombat 1: It’s a Sequel but a Reboot

Well, Mortal Kombat 1 is a reboot of the series, but there’s a catch. The last we saw of Mortal Kombat’s lore was the events of Mortal Kombat 11’s DLC, where Liu Kang defeats Shang Tsung and starts his ‘new era, ‘and that’s where MK 1 picks back up. Mortal Kombat 1 is a spiced-up multiversal sequel!

The game starts in a new timeline created by Liu Kang. It’s set in a new universe and takes a new twist on fan-favorite characters. For example, Sub-Zero and Scorpion are brothers in the Lin Keui clan, Shao Kahn is just General Shao, and Tarkatans are infected. There’s a twist like this for the entire main cast.

Even though it’s a new universe, it still has continuity with the previous batch of Mortal Kombat games.  Liu Kang and Geras know about the events of Mortal Kombat 1. As you progress through Mortal Kombat 1’s events, you’ll encounter more characters who know about MK 11’s events.

The series’ original co-creator, Ed Boon, talked about the new beginning of the series on a stream.

“Mortal Kombat 1 is the beginning of a universe,” He explains. “It is not a continuation of the Mortal Kombat 11 story, so the characters have completely different roles in this new timeline, and we really wanted to emphasize that with our title. This is Mortal Kombat 1, it’s a brand-new beginning. You’re going to be seeing these characters reintroduced with new roles, new relationships, and that’s the main catalyst for it.”

Mortal Kombat 1

Mortal Kombat 1 is the New Beginning for The Franchise

 Mortal Kombat 1 is an entirely new story to begin with, and it’s a logical decision, considering how some of the established characters, such as Johnny Cage or Lui Kang, are already of a certain age. The change does not only affect the storyline; we’re also going to see the introduction of mechanics and abilities. Mortal Kombat 1 will see the introduction of the Kameo system; it’s kind of similar to assistants from Super Smash Bros.

Hopefully, that clears up everything for you! Now that Mortal Kombat 1 is finally out, you can switch between your favorite fighter on PC, Xbox Series S/X, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch.


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