In early May,Mortal Kombatfans were shocked by the sudden announcement and subsequent digital release ofMortal Kombat 1: Definitive Edition, featuring all DLC fighters and story expansions. About a week later NetherRealm Studios confirmed that the release ofDefinitive Editionmarked the end of new DLC fighter and expansions forMortal Kombat 1, cutting its originally proposed years' worth of content short. While this news was disappointing to manyMortal Kombatfans, Sony’s June State of Play helped lessen the impact by announcing the development of Digital Eclipse and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment’sMortal Kombat: Legacy Collectionfor PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and PC platforms.
Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection Explained
On Wednesday, June 4, during Sony’s State of Play presentation, American developer Digital Eclipse announced that it was continuing its trend of producing modern compilations of fighting games withMortal Kombat: Legacy Collection. In an effort to ensure these classic games remain playable in the modern gaming world, Digital Eclipse has remasteredseveral classicMortal Kombatgamesfrom the 1990s and early 2000s to be played in local combat or online with rollback netcode. While not every game in the collection has been announced so far, the current game roster for theKollectionincludes:
The games available inMortal Kombat: Legacy Kollectionaren’t just the mainline arcade cabinet and console versions, as players will additionally be able to access the lesser-known portable variations ofMortal Kombattitles such as 1992’sMortal Kombaton Sega’s Game Gearand Nintendo’s Game Boy. On top of these game variations, theKollectionwill additionally include “interactive documentaries." These videos will feature in-depth behind-the-scenes content on the creation of classicMortal Kombatgames as well as new interviews with legendary developers and actors, including Ed Boon, John Tobias, John Vogel, Dan Forden, and more. In terms of interactive features, players will be able to view concept art, design documents, prototype materials, motion-capture sessions, and a timeline of theMortal Kombatfranchise.
Predicting the Release Date and Formats of Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection
WhileMortal Kombat: Legacy Kollectioncurrently has no exact release date, it is expected to release sometime later this year. WithMortal Kombat 1no longer receiving any major new content, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment may aim to haveKollectionreleased by October later this year to coincide with the theatrical release of New Line Cinema’sMortal Kombat 2film. This could potentially help increase sales from fans of the film and help keep pre-existingMortal Kombatfans entertained until news of NetherRealm Studios’ nextMortal KombatorInjusticegame is released. TheKollectioncan further help increase sales ofMortal Kombat 1: Definitive Editionfor new players who are interested in comparing the franchise’s origins to its modern form.
In terms of the formatsMortal Kombat: Legacy Kollectionwill release in, it’s expected that theMortal Kombatcompilation will at least initially debut on digital storefronts. Based on Digital Eclipse’s previous fighting game compilations, such as 2018’sStreet Fighter 30th Anniversary Collectionand 2022’sTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection, fans may expect theKollectionto release physically, just as the other aforementioned collections had previously. However, with several iterations of recent games such asThe Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion RemasteredandMortal Kombat 1: Definitive Editiononly releasing digitally, there’s a slight chance the upcomingKollectionmay be restricted to digital platforms.
Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollectionis the third collection package developed for the franchise, with the first being 2008’sMortal Kombat KollectionfeaturingMortal Kombat: Deception,Shaolin Monks, andArmageddon, and the second being 2011’sMortal Kombat Arcade KollectionfeaturingMortal Kombat 1-3.
WHERE TO PLAY
Step into the arena and choose your fighter!Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollectionincludes all the essential games from Mortal Kombat’s early years. Experience the legendary origins of the franchise with the iconic arcade classics that started it all—alongside a curated selection of most-loved home versions and rare, fan-favorite releases—a celebration of the franchise’s groundbreaking legacy.
Digital Eclipse’s interactive documentary format explores how Mortal Kombat changed the way society perceived video games. By using digitized humans as player sprites in an over-the-top, martial-arts fighter, the game thrilled players, shocked critics, and laid the foundation for a franchise that has thrived for more than 30 years. Hear firsthand from the original dev team of Ed Boon, John Tobias, John Vogel, and Dan Forden, along with other exclusive interviews, rare concept art, vintage marketing materials, and archival video footage.
Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection also lets players explore Mortal Kombat lore, with a timeline of the original series' storyline and comprehensive character histories that offer stories, secrets, and glimpses behind the scenes at their creation.
