Mortal Kombat 1 (MK 12): all characters, best fighters and system requirements

Information is current as of September 2026.

Mortal Kombat 1 is a reboot of the legendary fighting game series from NetherRealm Studios and Warner Bros. Games. The game was released on September 19, 2023 and, despite the name, is the twelfth numbered part of the series - that’s why many are looking for it as “Mortal Kombat 12” or “MK 12”. If you googled “mortal kombat 12”, this is it. The plot begins from scratch: the fire god Liu Kang restarted the universe and created a New Era, where each hero has a new destiny. Scorpion and Sub-Zero are brothers here, and Raiden and Kung Lao are simple farmers who have yet to become champions.

What platforms was the game released on and where is it played?

• PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S ;
• PC (Windows 10/11) - Steam and Epic Games Store;
• Nintendo Switch - with noticeable graphical compromises.

Sales exceeded 8 million copies . The main audience of Mortal Kombat traditionally lives on consoles: fighting games are historically a “couch” genre, and according to analysts, most of MK1 sales came from PS5 and Xbox. PC is played by an active community on Steam - matchmaking is lively thanks to cross-play between PC, PS5 and Xbox Series. If you choose a platform today, take the version for PS5/Xbox Series or PC: even the reviewers did not regret the Switch version.

Mortal Kombat 1 fighters: who is in the game

The base roster includes 23 fighters , including new versions of classics and guests from other universes. Plus the Kameo-fighters system: 20+ support characters who are called up for one move right in battle.

Main roster: Liu Kang, Scorpio, Sub-Zero, Raiden, Kung Lao, Johnny Cage, Kenshi, Kitana, Mileena, Sindel, Li Mei, Tanya, Reiko, General Shao, Shang Tsung, Reptile, Smoke, Rain, Ashra, Nitara, Geras, Havik, Baraka.

DLC fighters (Kombat Pack 1 and 2): Omni-Man, Peacemaker, Homelander, Quan Chi, Ermac, Takeda, Cyrax, Sektor, Noob Saibot, Ghostface, Conan the Barbarian, T-1000.

Kameo fighters: Goro, Jax, Sonya Blade, Kano, Stryker, Frost, Cyrax, Sektor, Motaro, Sarina, Shujinko, Darrius, Tremor, Mavado, Chameleon, Ferra, Janet Cage, Madame Bo and others.

Top 5 Mortal Kombat 1 heroes: signature moves

Scorpio

Series symbol. In the New Era, under the mask of Scorpio - Kuai Liang, brother of Sub-Zero, a loyal warrior of the Lin Kuei clan. One of the strongest characters based on the final balance patches.

Signature blows: the legendary harpoon spear Spear with the cry “Get over here!” - attracts the enemy to finish off; Flame-Port - a fiery teleport with a strike that punishes zoners; fiery combo boosts that set the opponent on fire.

Sub-Zero

Big Brother and Grand Master of the Lin Kuei. In MK1, he is one of the most dangerous characters near the wall: his combos drive the enemy into a corner and do not let go.

Signature attacks: Ice Ball - an ice projectile that freezes the enemy in place; Slide - the famous sweep-slide that breaks through high attacks; ice blade Ice Klone - an ice clone trap that turns an attempt to attack Sub-Zero into a mistake.

Johnny Cage

Hollywood action star, in the New Age - an actor whose career is going through difficult times. In battle, he is one of the simplest and at the same time powerful characters: the top tier according to the results of the final patches.

Signature blows: Shadow Kick - a lightning-fast kick with a green trail across the entire screen; Nut Punch - the famous “low blow” in the splits; Hype Meter system - the more spectacular Johnny fights, the stronger his techniques become, up to the cancellation of animations and wild combos.

Kenshi Takahashi

A blind swordsman with the family katana blade Sento, in which the souls of ancestors live. One of the most technically complex and spectacular fighters in the game.

Signature Strikes: Spiritual Samurai Ghost Sento Stance - Kenshi summons an ancestor ghost that attacks at the same time as him, effectively doubling the pressure; long-range attacks with a blade across half the screen; telekinetic throws that open up long combos. He is considered one of the strongest characters on the base roster.

Geras

The immortal guardian of time, returning from MK11. In the New Era, he makes sure that history goes according to Liu Kang's plan. The horror of any tournament: unpredictable and punishing.

Signature strikes: time stop - freezes the enemy right in the air for a free finish; sand grabs that cannot be blocked; the ability to rewind one’s own position , resetting someone else’s combo. One of the best grapplers in the game.

Character rating: tier list after the final patches

The developers have completed active support for the game, so the balance has settled down. Summary rating for tournament tier lists of pro players (including Final Kombat and Evo participants):

An important nuance: the gap between the ranks in MK1 is small - at Evo 2025 the player reached the top 5 exclusively on Scorpio, which many considered average. For a normal game, take someone you like visually: skill matters more than the tier list.

Mortal Kombat 1 System Requirements for PC

The game is not easy: 140 GB of disk space and a decent video card are needed due to the detailed models of fighters and cinematic fatalities. But the fighting game is not demanding on the processor, and for stable 60 FPS (the gold standard of the genre) the recommended configuration is sufficient.

Frequently asked questions

Is this Mortal Kombat 12? Essentially yes: MK1 is the twelfth main game in the series, NetherRealm just called it a “unit”, emphasizing the restart of the universe. Requests for "Mortal Kombat 12" lead specifically to this game.

Is there crossplay? Yes, between PC, PS5 and Xbox Series (called Krossplay). Switch does not participate in cross-play.

Will there be new content? Active support has ended: the Khaos Reigns story expansion and two battle packs have been released; The complete Definitive Edition includes all content.

Is it difficult for a beginner to play? No: there is training, simple characters (Johnny Cage, Liu Kang) and gentle matchmaking. And spectacular fatalities are performed with just three buttons.

Useful

• Game nickname generator - come up with a battle nickname for MK1 online modes.
• All games - complete list of guides and cheats A-Z