Summary
- The Mortal Kombat franchise is facing some controversy with paid DLC and microtransactions in MK1.
- Eyeballistic's teaser images hint at a possible remaster of the original Mortal Kombat trilogy.
- Fans are concerned about potential AI use in the remaster and Warner Bros. Has not confirmed the project yet.
It’s fair to say that the past few months have been a mixed bag for the Mortal Kombat franchise. While Mortal Kombat 1 has been quite a financial boon for WB Games, there's been some controversy about MK1's paid DLC and microtransactions. The franchise could certainly use another boost, and a remaster of the franchise's original trilogy can do just that.
The original three Mortal Kombat games have not been reissued for modern platforms, with their last re-release coming on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2011. Initially, the Mortal Kombat Trilogy came along in the late 1990s as a re-issue on the then-modern fifth-generation platforms. Since then, the Mortal Kombat Arcade Kollection has been its only re-release, and this version is not backward compatible with modern platforms.
Is A Mortal Kombat Remaster Trilogy On The Way?
Eyeballistic's Mortal Kombat Teasers Have Turned Heads
Recently, however, a report from Insider Gaming claimed that a remaster of the Mortal Kombat trilogy was on the way. Joe Tresca, the CEO of developer Eyeballistic, even took to Twitter to fan the flames of this rumor by posting pictures of the classic Mortal Kombat games appearing to be newly remastered. It's not clear whether these images are indicative of a simple remaster or a larger remake/reimagining, but Tresca's cryptic tweets indicate that the team is hard at work on bringing the classic Mortal Kombat games back in some way.
This is not the first time Eyeballistic has been involved in the Mortal Kombat series. On the company’s website, it’s noted that the team was at one point given the go-ahead to create Mortal Kombat HD as a fan project under Warner Bros.’s watch. Sadly, the project didn’t make it out, as Warner Bros. Feared its release would cannibalize the sales of the then-recent Mortal Kombat 11. While the website notes that Eyeballistic is working on its own fighting game, it appears the team may be pivoting back to the Mortal Kombat franchise.
It's not clear whether these images are indicative of a simple remaster or a larger remake/reimagining, but Tresca's cryptic tweets indicate that the team is hard at work on bringing the classic Mortal Kombat games back in some way.
Mortal Kombat Re-Release's Potential AI Use Is Worrying
Though this concept seems promising, the teases have not seen a positive reaction from everyone. Social media users have analyzed the screenshots and have pointed out that they appear to be using AI art to re-create these characters. This is especially evident in Sub-Zero’s hand, which seems to now have six fingers, a common mistake of most AI art tools. Generative AI art is a hot-button topic, especially in the gaming world, and it appears classic Mortal Kombat fans don’t want the technology to take over a remake of the classic entries.
It does not help that Tresca did not explicitly confirm or deny whether this alleged remaster used AI in any way. In response to a fan noting that they didn’t want “AI trash” in their fighting games, Tresca simply said he would “take [that] opinion into consideration.” While this shows that Eyeballistic is aware of the negativity surrounding AI art in gaming, this doesn’t necessarily confirm whether the technology was used in any way in these screenshots.
Warner Bros. Has Not Confirmed The Mortal Kombat Remaster
It’s also worth noting that Tresca’s screenshots should still be taken with a grain of salt. It’s not entirely clear whether these are finalized gameplay screenshots, and they could simply be concept photos and not representative of what the game will eventually look like. After all, Warner Bros. Has not currently commented on these images, thus it's not currently clear whether the publisher is on board and has given the team the green light to properly work on it.
Nevertheless, this should be very exciting news for longtime Mortal Kombat fans. While Mortal Kombat 1 has proven to be fantastic, the originals are classics that deserve to be preserved on modern hardware. Furthermore, the fact that they haven’t seen a proper re-release on modern platforms means that now is as good a time as ever to bring these games back for a new legion of players.
Mortal Kombat 1
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 84 /100 Critics Rec: 87%
- Released
- September 19, 2023
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- NetherRealm Studios
- Publisher(s)
- Warner Brothers Games
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 4
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer
- Cross-Platform Play
- PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S
WHERE TO PLAY
Welcome to a new era of Kombat. NetherRealm Studios ushers in a new era of the iconic fighting franchise with a total reset that changes the entire world as we know it. Following the thrilling climax of Mortal Kombat 11, the all-powerful Fire God Liu Kang has created a New Era in the hope of bringing peace to Earthrealm and beyond. Through the series' most cinematic story mode yet, you'll be reintroduced to a cast of legendary warriors as you've never seen them before. Expect twists on classic friendships and rivalries, as well as new backstories that will change everything you think you know about your favorite Kombatants. Discover a host of new offline and online game modes as you master a revitalized fighting system that boasts bone-crunching Fatal Blows, defensive Breakers and the most creatively vicious Fatalities yet.
- Franchise
- Mortal Kombat
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS5, Switch, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Genre(s)
- Fighting
- How Long To Beat
- 7 Hours
- PS Plus Availability
- Extra & Premium
