The Surprising Secrets Behind Mortal Kombat 1's New Characters: Unraveling the Homelander vs Omni-Man Saga

Highlights

Ed Boon confirms there is a plan in place to make Homelander and Omni-Man in Mortal Kombat 1 feel unique despite their similarities.

NetherRealm Studios has the goal of diversifying the abilities of each character in order to avoid creating clones or making them too similar to Injustice Superman.

Acknowledging that fans may assume both characters will be identical, the developers are prepared to refute this by ensuring distinctive gameplay experiences through their primary attacks.

During his speech at Gamescom, Ed Boon from NetherRealm Studios discussed how Homelander and Omni-man will be distinct from each other, despite their similarities. Mortal Kombat 1 has had a busy week, unveiling a new trailer at the annual Gamescom event in Germany. Sindel and General Shao were announced as additions to the main roster, while Motaro and Shujinko were introduced as cameo fighters.

As the release date for Mortal Kombat 1 draws near, NetherRealm Studios has been generous in sharing new information about the game. They have confirmed a new single-player mode called Invasion, which offers a more interactive version of the Krypt. Players can visit this mode to unlock new cosmetics, customization options, and more. Alongside the introduction of new characters and game modes, Ed Boon provided an update on the post-launch plans for Mortal Kombat 1, including the previously announced DLC characters.

One of the questions posed to the Mortal Kombat co-founder revolved around Homelander and Omni-Man, two characters with a striking resemblance to Superman. They share similar abilities such as super strength, laser eyes, and the power of flight. Given these similarities, people were curious about how NetherRealm would ensure that they have their own unique feel. In response, Boon confirmed that there is a plan in place to prevent them from being mere clones of each other or too similar to NetherRealm's Injustice Superman.

Boon mentioned that the studio plans to divide the abilities between Homelander and Omni-Man, with some assigned to each character. The goal is to ensure that they have distinct gameplay experiences, particularly through their main attacks. Boon did not provide further details on this matter. The NetherRealm developers are aware that fans of Mortal Kombat 1 may assume that both characters will be identical, but they intend to prove them wrong.

After the reveal of Kombat Pack 1, many fans immediately took an interest in the three guest fighters: Homelander, Omni-Man, and DC's Peacemaker. Some fans expressed disappointment with the updated appearance of the fan-favorite character Ermac, a classic red ninja. Ermac's design deviates significantly from the traditional ninja style, as he no longer wears a face mask and appears more like a mummy. Fans are hoping that NetherRealm will make some adjustments before his debut or, at the very least, offer alternative costumes that resemble his initial Scorpion color variation.

Mortal Kombat 1 releases September 19 for PC, PS5, Switch, and Xbox Series X/S.

Source: IGN