One of the most controversial video game series of all time is finally middle-aged, as Mortal Kombat is celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2022. While not as old as its contemporaries, with Street Fighter celebrating its 35th anniversary in 2022, the Mortal Kombat franchise is no less important to the history of the industry, if mostly for reasons outside its gameplay.
Mortal Kombat is a series of fighting games that are known for their ultra-violent content. The original Mortal Kombat in the arcade shocked audiences with its blood and gore, with players able to perform violent “Fatalities” on defeated foes. The violence is what drew in the crowds, but it also brought a ton of scrutiny from parents and lawmakers, which extended to the industry at large. Along with games like Doom and Night Trap, Mortal Kombat was a catalyst for creating the age rating systems for video games in the ’90s, which are still used to this day, though its legacy persists in story and iconic characters as well.
The original Mortal Kombat arcade game cabinet was released to the public in 1992, with its many console ports coming the year after. The 30th anniversary of the Mortal Kombat franchise will take place on October 8, 2022. An Amazon leak originally confirmed what the plans are for the anniversary, but there is hopefully more on the way.
How NetherRealm Studios Could Celebrate Mortal Kombat’s 30th Anniversary
It has been confirmed that a bundle called Mortal Kombat: The 30th Anniversary Bundle will be released to celebrate the anniversary of the series. This bundle contains a copy of Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate, as well as a Blu-Ray of the 2021 Mortal Kombat movie. This bundle hasn’t been received well by fans, as many were expecting a collection of the older games in the series. A company called Arcade1Up is releasing a Mortal Kombat 30th Anniversary Edition arcade cabinet, but this is an expensive collector’s item, costing $499.99. There is currently no way to play the classic Mortal Kombat games on modern systems, unlike the Street Fighter series, so a retro collection would have been a great way to celebrate the anniversary.
Mortal Kombat 11 launched in 2019, so it’s still way too soon for any information about the next entry in the series. Fighting game series tend to have long gaps between releases, with the modern Mortal Kombat games usually having around four years between releases. As such, fans shouldn’t expect anything other than the briefest of teasers for Mortal Kombat 12 on the anniversary of the series. Mortal Kombat co-creator Ed Boon has said that Mortal Kombat 12 hopes will like stay dashed and news isn’t likely to come soon, so fans might have to be satisfied with Mortal Kombat: The 30th Anniversary Bundle.
