Mortal Kombat 1's Place In The Franchise's Timeline Has Us Konfused

One day after Mortal Kombat 1 was revealed to the world, series co-creator Ed Boon and NetherRealm Studios community manager Tyler Lansdown took to Twitch to comment on the announcement. One particular comment from Boon, however, has raised some questions about where this game falls in the greater MK timeline.

When asked why the team chose Mortal Kombat 1 as the title, Boon remarked that MK1 is"the beginning of a universe" and that the game "is not a continuation of the Mortal Kombat 11 story." He then continues by saying that characters will be "re-introduced in new roles and new relationships" throughout MK1.

(Spoilers for Mortal Kombat 11 below.)

The direction of this new game seems to fall in line with where the story of Mortal Kombat 11 left off, however, as Raiden is forced to give up his godhood and bestow it upon Liu Kang, which makes him a new Elder God. After defeating Kronika--and Shang Tsung's attempt to usurp her powers in Aftermath--Liu Kang then sets out to create a brand-new universe. That new universe is all but confirmed to be where Mortal Kombat 1 takes place, as Liu Kang references his new creation multiple times in the reveal trailer.

This is one of two sources of recent confusion for the Mortal Kombat community, as an Amazon Italy listing for the MK1 Premium Edition seems to have leaked the contents of the game's first DLC Kombat Pass. There, Johnny Cage is listed as a Kameo Fighter--a special selection of fighters that aren't fully playable but can assist players in battle--whereas the game's main website lists him as part of the main roster.

Mortal Kombat 1 will launch September 19 for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and PC. Preorders for all versions of the game, including the Premium and Kollector's Editions, are available now.