A new game in the Mortal Kombat franchise has been officially announced – and with a trailer.

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The first game in the series since 2019's MK 11 will be called Mortal Kombat 1 in what looks like a reboot of the franchise. Warner Bros Games announced the new entry's title today (Thursday 18th May) with a beautifully gory trailer.

Fans have been itching for a new Mortal Kombat game, especially since the 11th entry in 2019 was hailed by many as the best in the series. And it seemed as if their prayers were about to be answered back in March, as Warner Bros Discovery's earnings call revealed that the 12th entry in the brutal fighting game would drop this year (2023).

No more information was revealed then, except that the game seemed to have the working title Mortal Kombat 12. Of course, this led fans to assume it was a sequel to Mortal Kombat 11.

However, today's announcement and trailer suggests the new game will act more as a reboot than a sequel. Check out the trailer below (but make sure there aren't any kids around!):

In the trailer, reimagined versions of our favourite fighters pop up in various scenarios, before the skull crushing begins. We know for sure that Shang Tsung (the trailer's narrator), Liu Kang, Raiden, Scorpion, Kitana, Mileena, and Sub-Zero are included – although we're sure there'll be plenty more.

The official Mortal Kombat website says the following: "The game will introduce a reborn Mortal Kombat Universe that has been created by the Fire God Liu Kang, featuring reimagined versions of iconic characters as they’ve never been seen before, along with a new fighting system, game modes, bone krushing finishing moves, and more."

Whether the game is a hard reboot or somehow connected to Mortal Kombat 11's time travelling ending is unclear. All we know is we're excited to get reacquainted with our favourite fighters in this new twist on the beloved franchise.

Mortal Kombat 1 will release on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC on September 19th this year (2023). Fans have to option to pre-order to get Shang Tsung and beta access on Friday 19th May.

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Authors

Ben Huxley, RadioTimes.com contributor
Ben HuxleyFreelance Writer

Ben Huxley is a freelance contributor to Radio Times, with bylines also in TechRadar, WhatCulture, GAMINGbible, and Live Science. A writer of fiction, too, he has a few short stories published and a novel on the way. He has a BA in English Literature, and an MA in creative writing.

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