Summer Game Fest 2023: Mortal Kombat 1

The summer gaming conference and convention season is in full force. Although the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) was officially cancelled this year, plenty of other showcases are quickly filling the void. Geoff Keighley, the showrunner of The Game Awards, is leading the pack with his Summer Game Fest showcase, which includes over two hours of game announcements. Among them comes a new look at Mortal Kombat 1.

Writer’s Note: Spoilers for Mortal Kombat 11.

Mortal Kombat Director Ed Boon Joined the Showcase

Keighley gave us both a demo and director interview. In the demo, we got multiple samples of classic bone breaking moves and fatalities. Additionally, we also got looks at the cameo system, where another character jumps in and attacks alongside the player.

Boon detailed why the new entry restarted a number count. Mortal Kombat 11 ended with Liu Kang ascending to godhood, and starting a new universe. Even though this game uses familiar characters, it still starts that new universe’s story.

Keighley asked about the cameo system as well. There are two character menus before a fight. First is your main fighter, next is your cameo. The cameo can be any fighter who will lend their skillset to your main fighter. Players press a specific button to bring in the cameo, which can happen anytime, mid-combo or not.

You can double up on the same character between your fighter and cameo.

To conclude the interview, Boon promised future looks throughout the summer, leading up to the game’s release on September 19th, 2023.