Mortal Kombat 1 has sold less than half the copies of MK11

Contrary to its prior release schedule, NetherRealm went straight from MK11 to Mortal Kombat 1 – skipping their previous cadence of breaking up Mortal Kombat releases with a new Injustice game. So far, this seems to have not quite gone to plan, with MK1 ceasing its post-launch support prematurely. While far from the highs of Mortal Kombat 11, NetherRealm has now confirmed that MK1 has sold over 6.2 million copies.

Following the release of Mortal Kombat 1 Definitive Edition, and rumours claiming that further post-launch support had ended, NetherRealm has now released a surprise update for MK1. Though merely a balance patch, NRS head Ed Boon claimed that they’re “still committed to refining MK1 to be our most balanced game.”

Beyond this, Boon requested fan feedback regarding the post-launch strategy of MK1 and how it compares in the eyes of players to Mortal Kombat 11’s.

That said, perhaps the most interesting revelation was confirmation that Mortal Kombat 1 has officially sold over 6.2 million copies since its launch back in 2023.

While such sales figures are nothing to sniff at, this still pales in comparison to the aforementioned MK11, whose most recent numbers put it at 15 million copies sold. It is worth noting however that MK11 represents the best-selling entry in the franchise, and so it perhaps makes sense that a direct sequel has been unable to match its heights.

Of course, MK11 has also had longer on the market, with the title hitting its 15 million mark following 3 years on sale. Given that Mortal Kombat 1 is set to soon enter its 3rd year on the market however, it’s unlikely that the title will more than double its lifetime sales in a single calendar year.

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KitGuru says: What did you think of MK1? Did NRS make a mistake by skipping Injustice 3? Was Mortal Kombat 11’s sales a lighting-in-a-bottle situation? Let us know down below.

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