'Surprise' Mortal Kombat 1 Character Reveal Could Be…

Summary

NetherRealm Studios has been consistently revealing new information about Mortal Kombat 1, and the next character reveal is expected to happen soon.
The upcoming Kombat Kast, titled "Revenge of the Banished," is coming sometime next week and focuses on characters Li Mei and Smoke, with a surprise fighter also set to be showcased.
Fans are speculating that the surprise fighter could be Baraka, although the use of the word "surprise" would suggest otherwise.

The next character reveal for Mortal Kombat 1 could be happening very soon, and it will highlight a "surprise" fighter to boot. NetherRealm Studios has been providing fans with steady streams of information regarding the next game in the long-running franchise. There was the Umgadi faction trailer shown off at SDCC, third-party guest DLC fighters have been officially revealed, and insight has been provided on the stories of several characters in the game's new timeline. This momentum for character reveals seems to be continuing onwards as well, with the next "Kombat Kast" showcase seemingly set to deliver an unexpected debut.

Kombat Kast is an in-depth look at the various fighters that Mortal Kombat 1 has to offer, usually hosted by NetherRealm's senior staff members, including Ed Boon. The first Mortal Kombat 1-focused Kombat Kast aired in July, which gave fans details about Johnny Cage and Scorpion, complete with an exhibition match between the two veteran fighters. The next one is coming up soon, and with some details about its contents being revealed before the official premiere date.

One fan posted on the r/MortalKombat subreddit, that they had noticed some details regarding the next Mortal Kombat 1 Kombat Kast. They posted a screenshot that shows the YouTube stream ahead of time, which is titled "Kombat Kast 2 – Revenge of the Banished." The video description states how it will focus on the "banished" characters, Li Mei and Smoke. Alongside that, it also teases a "surprise kombatant" that will be featured in the upcoming stream.

Another poster on the website, u/MistahJ17, shared a similar screen, albeit this one stemming from NetherRealm Studio's Twitch channel, which had a stream scheduled ahead of time under the same name. When going to the Twitch channel now, the stream has been scrubbed, now no longer promoting the upcoming Mortal Kombat 1-focused Kombat Kast.

Ed Boon himself also chimed in on Twitter, where he said that a new Kombat Kast would be coming within the week. The "surprise" Kombatant has gotten fans speculating as who could be showcased alongside Li Mei and Smoke. Theories are pointing toward the classic fighter Baraka, who was present alongside the other Takartans in the latest Mortal Kombat 1 trailer, though the "surprise" aspect puts that theory under scrutiny. Regardless, fans should wait till more information about this stream is revealed later on.

Mortal Kombat 1 launches September 19 for PC, PS5, Switch, and Xbox Series X.