Since its debut in arcades in 1992, the Mortal Kombat franchise has been a staple of the fighting game genre, with over 20 titles being released over the last 30 years. While Mortal Kombat is best known for its 2D one-on-one fighting titles, the series has experimented with a variety of genres over the years, from third-person beat-em-ups, to action-adventure games. Next year, the Mortal Kombat franchise is set to experiment with genres once more, with Mortal Kombat: Onslaught being a mobile-exclusive RPG.
Announced last month by NetherRealm Studios, Mortal Kombat: Onslaught is set to be a mobile RPG set in the Mortal Kombat universe. Details are extremely scarce right now, but both NetherRealm and Warner Bros. Interactive have specified that the game is intended to be a fully-fledged Mortal Kombat experience, regardless of its status as a mobile game. Along with boasting highly detailed and immersive cinematics, Mortal Kombat: Onslaught is set to bring together a wide range of fan-favorite characters. Despite some leaks surrounding Onslaught, NetherRealm itself has only confirmed a handful of stars so far.
Mortal Kombat: Onslaught's Roster So Far
While Mortal Kombat: Onslaught is promising a wealth of classic characters from across the history of Mortal Kombat, only a handful of them have been confirmed so far, revealed by the key art released to promote the game. With no details given about Mortal Kombat: Onslaught's actual gameplay, it's impossible to speculate on how each of these characters will play compared to their arcade and console versions, but their usual powers and abilities are sure to play a key role in the game's combat.
First up are the two flagship characters of the Mortal Kombat franchise: Scorpion and Sub-Zero. These orange and blue ninjas have been the face of the franchise since its debut in 1992, and they once again appear front and center, being the most obvious characters on Mortal Kombat Onslaught's key art. On the poster, Sub-Zero can be seen summoning his iconic Ice Ball attack, while Scorpion wields his infamous spear. Much like the rest of the characters on the key art, it seems as though Mortal Kombat: Onslaught's Sub-Zero and Scorpion are taking heavy visual cues from NetherRealm's most recent Mortal Kombat entries, with the characters donning similar outfits to their mainline counterparts.
In the center of the key art, just behind Scorpion and Sub-Zero, Kitana can be seen fighting with her stepfather, the tyrannical Shao Kahn. Kitana is wielding her bladed fans, while Shao Kahn is shown to just be using his fists. Shao Kahn is often seen wielding a hammer throughout Mortal Kombat's history, but one doesn't appear in this piece of key art. It's entirely possible that NetherRealm hopes to explore a new set of skills for Shao Kahn, although nothing is certain yet.
At the back of Mortal Kombat: Onslaught's key art, four more iconic fighters can be seen. On the left-hand side, the Thunder God Raiden can be seen delivering a lightning kick into Shinnok's chest. First appearing in Mortal Kombat Ultimate 3, Shinnok is one of the lesser-known characters in this key art, though he did play a large role in Mortal Kombat X, where he acted as the game's primary antagonist. On the right side of the poster, Jade and Quan Chi can be seen. Jade is using her staff while Quan Chi appears to be summoning a green ball of energy. While these eight characters are the only ones confirmed for Mortal Kombat: Onslaught so far, it seems extremely likely that this mobile RPG will bring together iconic fighters from across Mortal Kombat's back catalogue.
Mortal Kombat: Onslaught is slated for release on mobile in 2023.