Mortal Kombat 1's Omni-Man Is Cheaper Than His Own Announcer Pack

Mortal Kombat 1 has been criticized again by fans for its high level of monetization, as its first guest character DLC, Omni-Man, is cheaper to buy than the game's Halloween Fatality. This paid-for fatality can be bought for 1,200 Dragon Crystals--a bundle of 1,250 Dragon Crystals will cost you $10--was a sore point for owners of the game, which has an MSRP of $70.

In comparison, Omni-Man comes off as a better value proposition as he has a pair of gruesome fatalities lifted straight from the animated series adaptation. You'll still need to pay extra to get the full Omni-Man experience, as the character's announcer pack that features his voice actor, JK Simmons, costs 1,000 Dragon Crystals, which again, is higher than the price of the character DLC. Inconveniently, Dragon Crystals are sold in bundles of 500, 1,250, 2,700, and 5,900, so there's no option to buy just the number that you need.

This is a common tactic in games that have their unique currencies--like Destiny 2 and Fortnite--as you'll often end up buying more of the premium currency than you need and you'll never have enough of what's left over to buy something else from the respective storefronts. Thus, you'll need to buy more of that currency and the cycle continues.

Fans of the properties that fall under the Warner Bros. Games umbrella can also brace themselves for even more aggressive monetization in the future. As part of a recent investors briefing, Warner Bros. CEO David Zaslav confirmed that the company's video game projects will be focused on driving "engagement and monetization of longer cycles and at higher levels."

2023 saw the release of Hogwarts Legacy--the number-one best-selling game of 2023 so far-- and Mortal Kombat 1 from Warner Bros. Interactive. The new fighting game from NetherRealm has already sold almost three million copies since its launch in September. After a lengthy delay, Rocksteady's Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League will launch on February 2, 2024 and is heavily focused on providing a live-service experience that pits Task Force X against Brainiac-controlled versions of Superman, the Flash, and Batman.