May 2026, on the other hand, has little in the way of competition for Mortal Kombat 2, since the primary competition for New Line and Warner Bros. in the month will be Final Destination: Bloodlines. Other companies’ productions with a similar release window include Is God Is by Amazon MGM Studios, and an untitled movie by Neon.

This decision also comes down to the fact that the upcoming sequel is hotly anticipated, with over 107 million views globally for its red-band trailer. Despite these views, however, the October release window would have been troublesome for the film owing to movies like Springsteen Deliver Me From Nowhere and Regretting You.

Mortal Kombat 2 is set to pick up where its predecessor left off, and will feature Karl Urban in the role of Johnny Storm. The movie will also star Adeline Rudolph, Jessica McNamee, Josh Lawson, Ludi Lin, Mehcad Brooks, Tati Gabrielle, Lewis Tan, Damon Herriman, Chin Han, Joe Taslim, and Hiroyuki Sanada.

The first movie in the revival series came out back in 2021, and despite middling critical reception, it ended up being incredibly popular. The movie made its theatrical debut with $23.3 million in its opening weekend alone.

While a new Mortal Kombat movie is on the way, NetherRealm Studios is also looking towards the history of the fighting game series thanks to the upcoming Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection developed by Digital Eclipse and published by Atari. The collection will include a host of classic Mortal Kombat games, with a trailer from last month also confirming that Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero and Mortal Kombat: Special Forces will also be included.

Digital Eclipse has previously confirmed some of the other titles that will be available in the collection. The list includes a host of classics and their spin-offs, including Mortal Kombat (1992), Mortal Kombat 2 (1993), Mortal Kombat 3 (1995), Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 (1995), Mortal Kombat 4 (1997), Mortal Kombat Advance (2001), Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance (2002), and Mortal Kombat: Tournament Edition (2003).

The trailer confirming the return of Mythologies also gave us a glimpse at some of the more historical content that will be available in the collection, including full 3D models of the arcade machines that many of the classic titles were originally made for. There will also be high-quality scans of concept art and design documents, as well as interviews with various members of the games’ development teams over the years.

Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection is coming to PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch and the Switch 2. The title doesn’t yet have a release date, however. Rumours have indicated that it might come out by the end of September.

Yves Lachance has been promoted to senior vice president of development for Warner Bros Games Montreal, where the studio will work on games based on Game of Thrones and Harry Potter. NetherRealm, headed by vice president of development Shaun Himmerick, will continue to work on Mortal Kombat games. Warner Bros. Games New York, on the other hand, will be headed up by Steven Flenory as vice president of central tech and services, as well as central tech and services. The studio will focus on QA, user research, and customer service.

The trio will work directly under Warner Bros Discovery’s CEO of global streaming and games, J.B. Perrette. Internally, teams working on production and tech will report to Lachance and Himmerick. The publishing division at WB Games will continue to be under Perrette.

“Our company is home to some of the biggest franchises in the world, and we are optimizing our team structure to develop long-term franchise roadmaps to delight players and fans of Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, Mortal Kombat and DC games,” Perrette said about the move. “We are very fortunate to have a strong stable of development and technology talent, and Yves, Shaun, and Steven are respected leaders with excellent track records in their areas of expertise. I’m looking forward to working closely with them and the team as we work to make the best games possible for our key franchises.”

Back in March, Warner Bros. had reaffirmed this plans to focus on its big four franchises in a letter to its shareholders. According to the company, it wants WB Games to “refocus our resources and capital on proven IP and games from proven, world-class studios.”

“As we have previously said, 2024 was a disappointing year for our Games business, and we have recently announced a restructuring plan to refocus our resources and capital on proven IP and games from proven, world-class studios,” wrote the company in the letter. “We are focusing our Games business around four tentpole franchises that have each generated over $1 billion in consumer sales in past years: Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, Mortal Kombat, and DC – particularly top tier characters like Batman.”

Warner Bros Discovery CEO David Zaslav had first spoken about this plan to focus on Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, Mortal Kombat, and DC back in November 2024. Talking about the company’s relatively bad year in the gaming market, Zaslav also spoke about how the gaming division at Warner Bros. will bounce back.

“We’re through some of the worst — and it hasn’t been pretty on the gaming business — but we have four games that are really powerful and have a real constituency that loves them, and we’re going to focus on those four primarily,” he said. “We’re going to go away from trying to launch 10, 12, 15, 20 different games. I think we have a real chance now with focus to have the gaming business be steadier.”

“We have four strong and profitable game franchises with loyal, global fans: Hogwarts Legacy, Mortal Kombat, Game of Thrones, and DC, in particular Batman. We are focusing our development efforts on those core franchises, with proven studios to improve our success ratio.”

The company describes its games business as “a strategic differentiator” since studios under the WB Games banner can tap into the various IPs owned by the company to make games. It also says that the gaming market is “one of the fastest growing media segments”, thanks to its “over three billion global gamers.”

“As we have previously said, 2024 was a disappointing year for our Games business and we have recently announced a restructuring plan to refocus our resources and capital on proven IP and games from proven, world-class studios,” said the studio in the letter. “We are focusing our Games business around four tentpole franchises that have each generated over $1 billion in consumer sales in past years: Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, Mortal Kombat, and DC – particularly top tier characters like Batman.”

Hogwarts Legacy was one of the big video game releases name-dropped in the letter. Thanks to the open-world game’s massive success, Warner Bros. has described it as one of only three of its franchises in the last 15 years to have become one of the year’s best-selling games.

“Just two years ago, our Games team broke through with Hogwarts Legacy and created a completely new gaming franchise that was the best-selling game of the year – a result that only three other franchises in the last 15 years have achieved,” the letter continues.

“That gives us confidence that with our re-focused strategy, we can get back to producing high-quality games built for long-term consumer engagement, which we expect to propel our Games division back to profit in 2025 and emerge as a more significant contributor to growth in the years ahead.”

The letter reiterates what Warner Bros. Discover CEO David Zaslav told shareholders back in November 2024. Acknowledging the company’s stumbles in the gaming business, Zaslav said that studios under the WB Games banner would focus on its four major IPs.

“We have four strong and profitable game franchises with loyal, global fans: Hogwarts Legacy, Mortal Kombat, Game of Thrones, and DC, in particular Batman,” said Zaslav. “We are focusing our development efforts on those core franchises, with proven studios to improve our success ratio.”

More recently, in a bid to refocus its efforts, Warner Bros. closed down a trio of studios: Monolith Productions, Player First Games, and WB Games San Diego. Along with the closure of the studios, the company also cancelled the long-in-development video game adaptation of Wonder Woman.

“This is a strategic change in direction and not a reflection of these teams or the talent within them,” said the studio.

For more on the current state of Warner Bros. Games, here are our thoughts on what has been happening with the company.

Caught by IGN, during the company’s recent quarterly earnings call, Warner Bros. Discover CEO David Zaslav acknowledged the aforementioned stumbles, before stating that the company intends to reduce its output going forward, while also zeroing in on four “really powerful” franchises with significant fanbases in Hogwarts Legacy, Mortal Kombat, Game of Thrones, and DC- Batman in particular, as per Zaslav.

“We’re through some of the worst — and it hasn’t been pretty on the gaming business — but we have four games that are really powerful and have a real constituency that love them, and we’re going to focus on those four primarily,” he said. “We’re going to go away from trying to launch 10, 12, 15, 20 different games. I think we have a real chance now with focus to have the gaming business be steadier.

“We have four strong and profitable game franchises with loyal, global fans: Hogwarts Legacy, Mortal Kombat, Game of Thrones, and DC, in particular Batman. We are focusing our development efforts on those core franchises, with proven studios to improve our success ratio.”

With Batman: Arkham developer Rocksteady Studios having been behind Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, Zaslav singling out Batman and mentioning “proven studios” is certainly interesting, especially amidst reports that Rocksteady is looking to revert to single-player games, and that the studio has started working on a new Batman game.

Meanwhile, it was recently officially confirmed that a sequel to Hogwarts Legacy is in development, while previous reports have claimed that a Hogwarts Legacy Definitive Edition is also in the works, and due out sometime in 2025 with 10-15 hours of new content.

Guacamelee 

Developed by Drinkbox Studios, Guacamelee is a side-scrolling action platformer that puts you in the shoes of a wrestler who must become the man of the hour and embark on an epic adventure to save the president’s daughter. The game takes a lot of inspiration from Mexican culture, which makes the world look and feel rich with details oozing out of every frame. As for the gameplay, Guacamelee employs a simple but enjoyable combat system, but what makes it so special is the excellent understanding of when to dish out new obstacles and enemies – which is the true mark of a great platformer.

Minecraft: PS Vita Edition 

Minecraft might just be one of the most popular games of the last couple of decades, and you can enjoy this sandbox on almost every modern computing platform – which obviously includes the PS Vita as well. Minecraft on PS Vita looks and works about as well as you would expect it to, and it’s a perfect game to be played in short bursts. Minecraft is one of those games that puts player creativity at the forefront of its gameplay mechanics, which makes it a highly replayable and endlessly enjoyable experience. 

Mortal Kombat 

Mortal Kombat is one of the most prestigious fighting franchises of all time, and the long-running series has been through multiple timeline resets as of late. Mortal Kombat on PS Vita is the 2011 reboot of the series that was released in 2012, and it’s one of the best options if you are looking for a fighting game on the console. And that can be credited to the excellent mixture of a compelling setting, a diverse cast of fleshed out characters, and a combat loop that features immense depth in terms of its mechanics. 

Telltale’s: The Walking Dead: Season 1

Telltale is a developer that has proven itself more than capable of delivering compelling narratives that twist and turn depending on player choices, and Telltale’s The Walking Dead is strongly emblematic of those strengths. If you’re new to the series, Season 1 is obviously the perfect starting point – but it’s also one of the more emotionally charged and universally acclaimed narrative games on the PS Vita. The writing, character development, and choice and consequence mechanics are all top-notch – which makes it a consistently enjoyable experience through and through. It’s the perfect game to sit back and enjoy without having to be attentive to enemy attack patterns and the like, and it’s also highly replayable since you could do multiple playthroughs and reach quite different endings every time.

Hotline Miami 

Hotline Miami is all about embarking on a huge murder spree across a wide variety of labyrinthian levels, and it’s one of those games that have a very strong grasp on game design. Developed by Dennaton Games, Hotline Miami presents its world with a simple yet beautiful pixel art style and neon colors that really capture the spirit of Miami and its flamboyant party culture. The gameplay in a similar vein relies heavily on proper audio and visual feedback to make it look appealing, and it all works excellently in conjunction with one another. Hotline Miami can be a brutally violent game at times, but the satisfying gunplay and appealing visual presentation give enough reasons to make that sadistic pleasure of murdering dozens upon dozens of people justifiable.

Axiom Verge

Axiom Verge is yet another Metroidvania that thrusts you into an alien world where you must blast through hordes of aliens as you try to uncover the planet’s deepest and darkest secrets. The Metroid influences are pretty clear here, and the developer doesn’t shy away from revealing those inspirations. Axiom Verge is essentially the developer’s take on Metroid 2, and it’s a really amazing game that nails the sense of flow without compromising on the sense of mystery that comes from exploring an alien world. The visuals hearken back to the NES and SNES days, and it all feels like a rose-tinted nostalgia trip to the past.

Lumines: Electronic Symphony

Lumines: Electronic Symphony might look like yet another Tetris game at first glance, but what makes it so special is the sheer attention to detail in terms of visual and audio presentation. Each stage in Lumines has been crafted with the utmost care, and that results in a breathtaking experience for what is essentially a simple gameplay loop of matching the same colour blocks. In a similar vein, the audio also consistently impresses with the variety of tracks and its ability to match the tempo and themes of the currently playing stage. Of course, it’s a game that’s designed to be played in short bursts – which makes it a match made in heaven for a console like PS Vita.

OlliOlli 2

Roll7’s OlliOlli series features some slick skateboarding action that rarely gets any stale, and OlliOlli 2 is a great choice for lovers of this adventure sport. But even if you are not super involved with skateboarding, OlliOlli 2 will be able to impress you with its creative suite of levels that consistently introduce new kinds of obstacles for you to overcome. Add to that a gorgeous art style, and you have a formula ripe for success.

Fez

Fez was developed by Phil Fish, and it’s a game that’s all about seeing the world from a bunch of different perspectives. These themes are beautifully reflected in Fez’s core gameplay loop that revolves around shifting the level and the perspective to reveal new things and ultimately find the solution to the obstacle. The levels look absolutely gorgeous, and a lot of that can be attributed to the excellent art direction on display. It’s definitely one of the best puzzlers that you can play on the platform, and if you haven’t tried it out – you owe yourself to give this one a shot.

Undertale

Undertale is a game that puts players in the teeny tiny shoes of a child by the name of Frisk who ends up being transported to a magical underground realm inhabited by monsters and talking plants. The story is pretty charming for the most part, but what makes Undertale different from its peers is how the combat is structured. Instead of having to whittle down an enemy’s health bar, players have to participate in a wide variety of minigames and use the power of love to turn the tables in your favor. It’s a fresh spin on the tried and tested formula, and it doesn’t really waste much time with meaningless exposition and dialogue dumps. It knows what it wants to say, and says that in a very brief timespan.

#30. KOTAL KAHN

First introduced in Mortal Kombat X, Kotal Kahn is one of the freshest faces in this list, but one that has made a big enough impact to warrant a place. As a strong, decisive, yet honourable ruler of Outworld, he sets himself apart from his predecessors in some interesting ways, while his personal arc – which sees him trying to get a brewing civil are under control – is also a strong one. Sure, he can be a bit stupid sometimes, but this is Mortal Kombat– everyone can be a bit stupid sometimes.

#29. RAIN

One of several instances of someone in Mortal Kombat starting out as a joke character and somehow managing to find their way into the inner circle (or close enough), Rain is probably a better character than his standing in the series’ hierarchy would make you believe. His backstory is an exceedingly interesting one (at least once you really dig into it), and his abilities (he can literally make it rain) also make for an interesting wrinkle.

#28. ERRON BLACK

What do you get when you combine a gunslinger from the American Frontier with the Mortal Kombat franchise’s knack of portraying its characters in the coolest way possible? You get a guaranteed good character, that’s what. Erron Black might not be as prominent or have as much screentime as many of his peers do, but when he shows up, you can’t help but be glued to every single thing he does or says.

#27. NIGHTWOLF

From his unique and intriguing backstory as a shaman to the way that translates to his fighting style in terms of actual gameplay, Nightwolf has consistently been one of Mortal Kombat’s most unique and intriguing characters for years. Playing as someone whose style emphasizes defence nearly as much as offence might feel a bit unnatural in a Mortal Kombat game at first, but once you grasp how to use him, he can be incredibly fun to play as.

#26. FUJIN

There was plenty wrong with Mortal Kombat 4, but the introduction of Fujin was inarguably one of its unquestionable wins. Arriving as a counter-part to Raiden and putting bringing his own unique twists with his focus on wind-based abilities instead of electrically infused ones, Fujin struck the perfect balance between feeling completely fresh and quite familiar. Hopefully, future Mortal Kombat games will use him more prominently than they’ve done in recent years.

#25. KABAL

Kano might be the far more popular Black Dragon member (more on him in a bit), but Kabal is another one you can’t help but love. Not only does he sport excellent visual design (thanks in large part to his respirator and the horribly scarred face he hides underneath it), he’s also one of the deadliest and most enjoyable characters to play as. His absurd speed and agility can be a bit tricky to get to grips with, but once you do, Kabal can be pretty much unstoppable.

#24. QUAN-CHI

We’ll be charitable here and call Quan-Chi’s debut an underwhelming one, but there’s no doubting that, over time, he evolved into a really good antagonist. The fact that he could kill Liu Kang for good – something that not even Shao Kahn himself has ever been able to do – alone makes him one of the series’ best villains, but you add to that his other existence-shattering exploits when he was part of the famous deadly alliance with Shang Tsung, and he becomes even more memorable.

#23. SEKTOR

Mortal Kombat boasts plenty of memorable cyborg characters, and one in particular that stands out in memory is Sektor. Easily the most blatantly evil of all characters in that group, Sektor is a character that the series’ fans love to hate. There’s also the fact that playing as him and using his crunching abilities has never not been fun, which just makes us appreciate him even more.

#22. CYRAX

Cyrax may have been a bit of a tough sell when he was first introduced in Mortal Kombat 3 (much like Sektor was), but overtime, he’s become a proper fan-favourite. With his eye-catching armour and his braids, he’s got a visual design that stands out in memory, while it’s also a lot of fun to use his net and his detonators in combat. He’s also been at the center of some of Mortal Kombat’s most interesting character-specific stories.

#21. SINDEL

As Sindel has proven time and time again, she can be one of Mortal Kombat’s most devastating characters. She’s often left behind a massive body count in her wake, and has also served as the catalyst for some of the series’ biggest narrative arcs. Over the years, she’s also oscillated between being an antagonist and one of the good guys, and regardless of how she’s been portrayed, she’s remained a compelling character.

#20. SHAO KAHN

The ultimate big bad of the Mortal Kombat franchise, Shao Kahn is pretty much guaranteed a spot in any list like this one. From his intimidating debut and how tough of a character was to beat to his excellent visual design, from his crunching, deadly fighting style to the fact that he outright tells you that you suck (in as many words) while he’s pounding you with his giant hammer, there’s no shortage of things that we love about the Outworld Emperor.

#19. REPTILE

A fan-favourite who has almost never gotten the sort of attention and prominence many feel he deserves. Whether it’s his dinosaur-like reptilian form you’re talking about or his human one, Reptile has captured the hearts of Mortal Kombat fans time and time again. Is it sad to see him be treated like a doormat by the series’ story time and time again? Most definitely- but we also can’t imagine a Mortal Kombat universe without a Reptile.

#18. GORO

Goro has clearly grown significantly less important to the series as a whole as time has gone on, but we won’t ever forget the pure fear he evoked when we first laid eyes on him in the original Mortal Kombat. With his hulking form and his four muscular arms, the Prince of the Shokan was a terrifying sight to behold, and sure enough, taking him on in one-versus-one combat lived up to that billing. It’s been a long time since Goro’s debut, but even now, he remains one of Mortal Kombat’s most iconic and recognizable characters.

#17. ERMAC

Starting out as one of Mortal Kombat’s many ninja palette swaps, it wasn’t long before Ermac had been cemented as one of the series’ most fascinating characters. Not only is the character’s core premise of having a multitude of souls inhabiting a single body an instantly compelling one, Ermac is also an absolute blast to take control of in fights. Combining telekinetic abilities and agile attacks, this red ninja is a fan-favourite for good reason.

#16. KUNG LAO

Not to be confused with the Great Kung Lao, his namesake has certainly endeared himself to MK fans over the years, even if he hasn’t become as popular as Liu Kang, his best friend and rival. Not only has Kung Lao had some of the best Fatalities in Mortal Kombat games over the years, he’s also a blast to play as, thanks in large part to his ability to dismember and behead his enemies using his razor-sharp hat.

#15. BARAKA

The general of the Tarkatan horde was Mortal Kombat 2’s attempt to one-up the pure intimidation factor of Goro, and it has to be said, it was a pretty darn good attempt. Not only does Baraka look like an absolute walking nightmare, his fighting style also backs that up, from his brutal, pounding attacks to the visceral Fatalities he dishes out to the retractable bone blades in his arms.

#14. JAX BRIGGS

A mainstay of the Mortal Kombat universe, Jax has been around for a long, long time, and like most MK fans, we can say that we’ve always been big fans. Narratively, NetherRealm’s rebooted trilogy bolstered him with excellent characterization, thanks in large part to the dynamic he shares with the characters around him (like Sonya and Jacqui), while on a gameplay level, he’s a solid character to use as well, thanks to his bionic arms.

#13. SMOKE

Yet another Lin Kuei warrior who has held a special place in the hearts of Mortal Kombat fans for years, Smoke feels like one of the most unique ninjas and cyborgs in the series. And that’s not just because he can transform into smoke, though that honestly would have been reason enough. He might not be one of Mortal Kombat’s most prominent or narratively important characters, but both in and out of combat, he has been widely beloved by the fanbase each time he has shown up.

#12. JADE

There aren’t a lot of characters that are as fiercely loved by the Mortal Kombat community as Jade. Striking the perfect balance between speed and strength, Jade and her devastating staff make for one of the most enjoyable characters to play as in the series. Narratively, she didn’t have too many interesting things going on for the longest times, but recent years have seen her grown in importance and get roped into some captivating arcs.

#11. MILEENA

Kitana’s genetically engineered twin, Mileena has to be one of Mortal Kombat’s most fearsome antagonists, which is saying a lot (especially after her excellent portrayal in the NetherRealm trilogy). She’s been at the center of some of the series’ most memorable stories in recent years, while the fact that she can literally bite her enemies’ heads off in the blink of an eye also makes her a fan-favourite on the battlefield.

#10. KANO

A character we all just love to hate, Kano has been a thorn in the sides of Mortal Kombat’s good guys for as long as Mortal Kombat has been a thing. There’s never been an end to his depravity and hateful cunning, and time and time again, he’s proven to be a major hurdle for the heroes- and that’s what made him such a compelling character. His ages-long feud by Sonya Blade and Jax has taken many a turn over the years, but he’s somehow always managed to remain one of Mortal Kombat’s most interesting characters.

#9. SONYA BLADE

We’re now entering the arena of the veterans, and among those veterans, Sonya Blade is obviously a fan-favourite. The Special Forces elite operative has been a focal point of Mortal Kombat stories ever since the outset, and has only grown in prominence as time has gone on. Her relationships and interactions with characters like Johnny, Jacqui, Jax, and Kano have also cemented her place in the hearts of Mortal Kombat fans that much more.

#8. KITANA

We could talk endlessly about the things that make Kitana one of Mortal Kombat’s most iconic characters. Her bladed fans that she uses to great effect, the long-standing rivalry that she has with her evil clone Mileena, her excellent visual design, the fact that, in spite of being associated so strongly with Outworld, she’s always been one of the good guys. Ever since her inception, Kitana has been one of MK’s best characters, and that stands true even today.

#7. RAIDEN

In many ways, Raiden is the centerpiece of the Mortal Kombat storyline, and that’s been true time and time again over the years (though it looks like Liu Kang is now about to step into that role). Raiden has led the charge against the Mortal Kombat universe’s bad guys time and time again, and has served the role of commander even at his worst (though at his worst, he wasn’t a very good commander, to say the least). Putting him this high on the list is a bit of a no-brainer, honestly.

#6. JOHNNY CAGE

Who doesn’t love this absolute goofball? Seeing a Hollywood actor who loves martial arts amongst a roster full of crazy, fantastical characters was enough to set him apart from everyone else even back in the first game, and over time, Johnny has only grown in popularity. We can’t help but love his charismatic attitude, or the way he interacts with other characters, or the way he grows and evolves into an actual leader as time passes. A true MK legend in every sense of the word.

#5. SHANG TSUNG

Shao Kahn might be the big bad of the Mortal Kombat universe, Quan-Chi may be the only one to have bested Liu Kang, Onaga may have been the catalyst for the destruction of the universe, and Kronika might be the one who led to the creation of an entirely new timeline, but as the franchise’s very first primary antagonist, Shang Tsung holds a special place in our hearts the way no other Mortal Kombat baddie does. His soul-sucking, his accelerated ageing, the way he keeps finding ways to mess things up for the good guys time and time again- Shang Tsung has no shortage of attributes that make him such a wonderfully deplorable villain.

#4. LIU KANG

Arguably, the true protagonist of the Mortal Kombat universe. Raiden might be the protector of Earthrealm, but almost every single major threat that the good guys have faced in the series over the years has been defeated by Liu Kang. Time and again he’s proven to be Earthrealm’s strongest warrior, and time and again he’s been pivotal to some of the series’ most crucial storylines.

#3. NOOB SAIBOT

Mortal Kombat fans have been fascinated by Noob Saibot forever, and that stands true to this day, even if his character doesn’t have the air of mystery he did in his earliest days. In life, he was Sub-Zero, but after being killed by Scorpion, former Lin Kuei warrior Bi-Han returned in revenant form as Noob Saibot, and proved to be one of the most intimidating and enigmatic characters in the series. His moveset, his character design, his backstory, and the behind-the-scenes details of how the character came to be make him one of MK’s most magnetic personalities.

#2. SUB-ZERO

For those not in the know, we’re talking about Kuai Liang here, who has been Sub-Zero since his introduction in Mortal Kombat 2, where he took up the mantle after the death of his predecessor (and older brother) Bi-Han. To call Sub-Zero iconic would be a massive understatement, and his status has only grown as time has gone by. From his ice-infused moveset to his rivalry and growing dynamic with Scorpion to his story with the Lin Kuei and their cyber initiative, Sub-Zero is easily one of the series’ most compelling characters.

#1. SCORPION

The undisputed face of the franchise, even if he isn’t as central to the larger narrative as Liu Kang, Scorpion has long been the most popular Mortal Kombat character, and we don’t see that changing anytime soon. His memorable Fatalities, his spear, his character design, Ed Boon yelling “get over here”, the captivating stories he’s been central to over the years- it’s easy to see why Scorpion is so widely beloved. Putting him at the very top of this list was a pretty easy choice in the end.

Sonya Blade

If you’re going to have a Mortal Kombat title with Liu Kang, Sub-Zero, Scorpion and Johnny Cage – the classics that defined an entire era of fighting games – then Sonya Blade has to be there. It would also make sense from a narrative perspective: Sonya sacrificed herself heroically in Mortal Kombat 11 and was absent for most of the story (not counting her younger, past self). Bringing her back, especially in an era of peace when she’s fought for so long, feels poetic.

Kano

Of course, if you’re going to have Sonya, then there’s no way Kano can’t be present. Aside from his fun fighting style, which incorporates knives, lasers and grappling, his personality has always provided some much-needed humor. The question, now, is how his story intertwines with Sonya’s, if at all, and whether he’s on the straight and narrow or up to no good in the New Era.

Reptile

It feels less like we should ask if Reptile will be in Mortal Kombat 1 and more like we should ask, “Which version?” The Saurian has adapted both human and reptilian appearances throughout the years, though he’s always worked at the behest of Shang Tsung and Shao Kahn. Still, his invisibility and acid spit helped him stand out amid the other ninjas and could make an excellent addition to the reboot’s roster.

Ermac

Ermac has had a long and storied history with the franchise, whether it’s being controlled by Shao Kahn or working with Kotal Kahn for the betterment of Outworld. His sheer range of abilities has always been great, using teleportation and telekinesis to overwhelm opponents. Again, how his fate will play out in the reboot remains to be seen, but if Outworld does become involved, it wouldn’t be odd to see him step up to the plate.

Shao Kahn

It’s unknown if Shao Kahn would come back – we could maybe see Liu Kang reviving Shang Tsung for laughs, but Shao Kahn? The all-conquering and cruel ruler of Outworld? Given the state of Edenia and its relative peace, he either doesn’t exist in Mortal Kombat 1 or hasn’t invaded it yet. Nevertheless, his status is iconic, and even if his entire history is different, it wouldn’t be a Mortal Kombat title without him.

Goro

Goro was last seen in Mortal Kombat 11 on his throne in the Krypt. The last time we saw him alive was in Mortal Kombat X, where he served as a DLC character who wasn’t involved in the main story. Given all the time resetting shenanigans, surely he would appear in some capacity, right? He’s about as iconic as Shang Tsung or Shao Kahn when it comes to villains, after all.

Kenshi

Debuting in Deadly Alliance, Kenshi has always been a cool character. A blindfold-wearing fighter with heightened senses who fights on the side of good and has a sword? Who could resist? His role in the Shirai Ryu, with his son being trained by Hanzo Hasashi, and freeing Ermac from Shao Kahn, may be completely different if he ever returned in the reboot. Heck, he may not even be blind anymore. Regardless, we’d like to see him return.

Kintaro

If Goro felt shafted post-Mortal Kombat 9, spare a thought for poor Kintaro. He debuted in Mortal Kombat 2 and returned in Deception and Armageddon. While he had a decent role in Mortal Kombat 9, he was defeated by Stryker, of all people. Even if he didn’t figure in Mortal Kombat X, his heroic death in the comic series warrants some resurrection – and reparation – in the reboot.

Kollector

The Kollector was always a curious character, using a variety of weapons and tools to dismantle fighters. Still, despite his obsession with, well, collecting, he has a creepy vibe that’s almost somewhat endearing. If the major villains in Mortal Kombat 1 need a henchman just running around, collecting body parts, Kollector could be an option, especially since he only really appeared in MK11.

Jax Briggs

Even if he didn’t debut in the first game with Sonya and Kano, Jax’s fate feels intertwined with the two. Regardless, given the horrors he went through in Mortal Kombat X, and his alliance with Kronika in MK11 before returning to the side of good, it feels like Jax is ready for a new story. Besides, his style of punching things with metal arms is still appealing.

Jade

While the relationship between Mileena and Kitana as sisters has always been complicated, Jade’s motives have usually been clearer. She may have been loyal to Shao Kahn in Mortal Kombat 9 but always cared for Kitana and tried to protect her. On seeing the latter suffer from her actions, Jade sought to make amends, even remarking to Mileena how she was more of a sister to Kitana. So it’s more than a little odd to see Mileena and not Jade opposite Kitana in the reboot. It doesn’t mean she’s completely absent, but her inclusion seems a given.

Motaro

Despite being somewhat of a boss (albeit not the final boss) in Mortal Kombat 3, Motaro has always felt even less appreciated throughout the franchise than Kintaro. He was summarily disposed of by Raiden in Mortal Kombat 9 and hasn’t been seen since. If ever there was a time to bring the Centaurian back and start with a clean slate, the New Era would be it.

Nightwolf

Even if his character design has had mixed opinions throughout the franchise’s history, Nightwolf did play a central role in Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath. Not only did he reject Kronika, but tried to stop Shang Tsung when his deception became clear. To that end, it feels like he has unfinished business with the sorcerer. The question now is whether he’s popular enough to get in over everyone else.

Havik

Of the many characters who never really made the jump to the previous timeline’s video games (not including the MKX comics), Havik has always felt underappreciated. Hailing from Chaosrealm, he’s an agent of chaos above all else, which plays into his erratic fighting style. Who else in the reboot could claim to snap their neck and then back to restore health? He could be an unexpected wild card in the new story.

Kabal

Besides looking cool, there are plenty of reasons to bring back Kabal. He’s always had a fun fighting style which mixes speedy attacks and grapples with his hook swords in awesome ways. Even if he was on Kronika’s side throughout Mortal Kombat 11, his connection to Kano could see him return in the reboot, one way or another. Whether that’s part of the Black Dragon or with Earthrealm and the side of good remains to be seen.

In its announcement press release for Mortal Kombat 1, WB Games announced that NetherRealm Studios’ series has now collectively sold over 80 million units worldwide across all platforms since its debut over 30 years ago.

Interestingly enough, as pointed out by TweakTown, that also means Mortal Kombat is the highest selling fighting series of all time, with Super Smash Bros. coming in at second place with a little over 72 million units sold.

Mortal Kombat 1 is set to launch on September 19 for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC. You can check out its PC requirements through here. Recently, the contents of the game’s post-launch character pass were also leaked via Amazon Italy- read more on that through here.

Clarifying the same on Twitter, chief creative officer Ed Boon said that the Mortal Kombat developer isn’t making any announcements during the event. “It’s time for Street Fighter and other great fighting games to be in the sun! Let’s enjoy that!”

Rumors have circulated about Mortal Kombat 12 being in development, whether it’s the “intentional leak” by senior production manager Jonathan Andersen or the tease by Andrew Bowen who voices Johnny Cage. The studio has yet to officially confirm its next title though. Boon has spoken about it breaking the pattern of releasing Injustice and Mortal Kombat titles, noting that there was a “reason for it” and that “when we announce our next game, it’ll make a lot more sense.”

Regardless, that announcement won’t be coming this week so we’ll have to continue waiting. In the meantime, there could be reveals for Guilty Gear Strive’s next Season Pass and cross-platform play, the next DLC team arriving in The King of Fighters 15, and more Street Fighter 6 gameplay. Stay tuned for more details in the meantime.

….except Mortal Kombat. Sorry. https://t.co/SkPZd2sEK6

— Ed Boon (@noobde) August 2, 2022

https://twitter.com/noobde/status/1554291337062645760

As spotted over on Reddit, r00r – a prominent Mortal Kombat leaker on the GameFAQ forums from back before Mortal Kombat 11 launched – recently re-emerged with a very cryptic tease that seemed to be “confirming” the return of Reiko in Mortal Kombat 12, before ending the message with “see you next year”.

Reiko first made his appearance in Mortal Kombat 4 back in 1997, and though he’s made cameo appearances in several recent instalments in the series, the last time he was present in a game’s roster in any significant capacity was in Mortal Kombat: Armageddon in 2006. If he is indeed coming back, it’ll be interesting to see how NetherRealm Studios handles that.

The fact that the leaker seems to be suggesting that Mortal Kombat 12 will launch next year is also interesting, especially with recent leaks strongly suggesting the same. NetherRealm, of course, has remained tight-lipped, so it might be a while before we have any concrete details. Stay tuned though, and we’ll keep you updated on any new info that comes our way.