The Pros and Cons of Mortal Kombat 1's Impressive Roster

Mortal Kombat 1 boasts one of the largest rosters since Deadly Alliance, featuring a grand total of 41 fighters. However, this number is divided into two separate rosters: the main roster containing playable characters and the Kameo Fighters who can assist players in combos and X-Rays. Ed Boon explained at Summer Game Fest that Kameo Fighters are tag-team characters who join in certain situations and their abilities remain constant throughout battles. While some characters are restricted to one roster or the other, some occupy both, making it difficult to determine the exact number of fighters in each roster. The character select screen at SGF revealed at least 24 base characters in the main roster, but it's unclear if this includes the pre-order bonus character. The Kameo roster consists of 16 characters, but there may be overlap with the main roster.

Mortal Kombat 1's Split Roster Means Split Characters

The debut of Mortal Kombat 1's gameplay showcased six new characters including Kenshi, Goro, Jax, Kano, Sonya Blade, and Stryker, in addition to the ones that were previously confirmed. Although Kano has a new design on the base roster, his more aged form is confirmed as a Kameo fighter. While Kenshi is currently only a base fighter, Goro is only confirmed as a Kameo fighter. This presents a challenge as classic characters on the Kameo roster may disappoint fans who want them on the base roster. It could also pose a problem for characters who appear on both rosters, albeit to a lesser extent. For instance, Goro fans may be thrilled to see him in the game but disappointed that they cannot play him fully. This could cause resentment among fans, especially if classic characters such as Ermac, Reptile, and Smoke are added to the game as Kameo fighters only after being absent from MK11. One perceived slight to a popular character in Mortal Kombat 1 could cause fans to voice their displeasure, as was the case with Mileena in MK11.

Mortal Kombat's Kameo Characters Could Be a Problem for Kombat Packs

The addition of Kameo Fighters to Mortal Kombat 1 brings both excitement and potential challenges. While it adds an interesting element to the gameplay, NetherRealm must carefully balance the representation and proper integration of two separate rosters. The return of 40ish characters, both old and new, is thrilling, but the inclusion of a highly demanded Kameo Fighter may pose problems. However, fans can rest assured that NetherRealm is taking risks to enhance the visceral gameplay of Mortal Kombat 1. Only time will tell how successful this addition will be.

Mortal Kombat 1 will be released on September 19, 2023, for Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.