Unleashing the Ultimate Mortal Kombat: How a Groundbreaking Marketing Approach Revolutionized Fighting Games

Highlights

Revolutionizing the fighting game genre, the marketing strategy of Mortal Kombat 1 establishes an unprecedented approach by steadily unveiling trailers and gradually revealing information over a period of four months.

With its continuous presence and frequent release of fresh footage, Mortal Kombat 1 is effectively generating and sustaining excitement for its upcoming release in September. Other fighting game franchises, such as Street Fighter, may gain advantages by embracing a comparable tactic of gradually unveiling fighters, thereby captivating and maintaining the interest of fans leading up to the launch.

Video game marketing, like any other aspect of the entertainment industry, can be complicated and costly. While word of mouth is still effective, major AAA game releases cannot solely rely on it to recoup their investments. That's where trailers, convention appearances, and live announcement streams come into play. The marketing for big games requires a significant amount of attention, and although many titles have had successful campaigns, Mortal Kombat 1 is poised to set a new standard, particularly within the fighting game genre.

Fighting games are often perceived as being relatively simple, even though they may offer a variety of modes and mechanical intricacies. General audiences tend to oversimplify fighting games and expect repetitive gameplay. As a result, marketing for these games has often been minimal, with popular franchises releasing only a few trailers prior to launch. However, Mortal Kombat 1 has chosen to exceed expectations with its marketing efforts, and it seems that this approach will be successful.

Mortal Kombat 1's Marketing Strategy Should Set the Precedent

In the past, the Mortal Kombat franchise has typically followed the standard marketing approach of the fighting game genre. This includes releasing one or two trailers leading up to the game's launch. Recent Mortal Kombat games have followed a similar marketing pattern, with a CG trailer announcing the game and teasing the story, followed by a gameplay trailer, and finally a launch trailer showcasing the complete roster. However, Mortal Kombat 1 has taken its marketing strategy to a new level.

Mortal Kombat 1's marketing campaign has been hailed as one of the best in the fighting game genre. Over the course of four months, the game has gradually revealed information to fans. It kicked off in May with a CG trailer, which introduced the core premise and created excitement around a fresh new universe and story. Shortly after, the first gameplay trailer was released, showcasing a select group of fighters. In the following months, Mortal Kombat 1 continued to release trailers, consistently confirming additional fighters for the roster.

With its consistent release of trailers, Mortal Kombat 1 effectively maintains its presence in the gaming world and continues to generate excitement in anticipation of its September launch. Each new trailer reignites the intrigue and enthusiasm as the previous one fades. Furthermore, the announcement of thrilling DLC guest characters, along with the opportunities for players to participate in stress tests and betas, only add to the anticipation surrounding Mortal Kombat 1, making it perhaps the most eagerly awaited installment in franchise history.

Mortal Kombat 1 should serve as a starting point for a new marketing trend within the fighting game genre. While Street Fighter 6 employed a more straightforward marketing campaign, including an announcement trailer, story trailer, and launch trailer, it could have maximized interest before its release by adopting a similar approach to Mortal Kombat 1. Teasing the unveiling of fighters gradually would have kept fans guessing and engaged, potentially attracting even more attention to the game's launch.

Mortal Kombat 1 will release on September 19 for Nintendo Switch, PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.