Mortal Kombat 1 locking returning characters behind a paywall is predatory and uncalled for

Mortal Kombat 1 is arguably one of the best titles in the iconic franchise. The game reinvents and innovates on the series' traditional fighting system and lore while staying true to the core tenets of the franchise, making it perfect for veterans of the Mortal Kombat series as well as newcomers. However, the game isn't perfect. In fact, it's far from it.

While I adored every second of my time playing Mortal Kombat 1 during the review period, some decisions made by WB Games and NetherRealm Studio, specifically those regarding the game's post launch support, left a really sour taste in my mouth.

You see, despite having characters like Quan Chi and Ermac being readily available in the base game, complete with all of their movesets and Kameo assists, they are paywalled behind the game's character pass, i.e., the Kombat Pack.

While character passes aren't anything new for fighting games, locking existing characters for a vast majority of players is predatory and uncalled for. As much as I like Mortal Kombat and NetherRealm Studios, this is something that I can never get behind, much less support.

Disclaimer: This article solely reflects the writer's opinion.

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Despite being available in the base game, Ermac and Quan Chi are locked behind Mortal Kombat 1's Kombat Pack

Don't get me wrong, Mortal Kombat 1's launch roster of characters isn't short, featuring 24 playable fighters, not including the Kameos. It also features almost every iconic character from the series, including Johnny Cage and Liu Kang, with some new characters like Li Mei and Ashrah returning from the 3D-era of the franchise.

But as I made my way through the game's single-player campaign, I was surprised to see even more characters, complete with their unique movesets and combos. Two of those characters - Ermac and Quan Chi, are from the game's previously advertised Kombat Pack.

I was initially really thrilled to learn about Mortal Kombat 1's Kombat Pack, especially since it brings back some of my personal favorite characters from Mortal Kombat X such as Takeda and Ermac. While for many the Kombat Pack's main attraction is guest characters like Homelander, I personally was (and still am), really excited for Ermac.

But knowing that Ermac is already available in the base game and just out of reach of players who didn't pay extra for the Premium Edition, is genuinely disappointing.

This isn't the first time Mortal Kombat has locked characters. Mortal Kombat 11 had Kronika, who despite having her own complete moveset, was never made available to players. Although that can be excused given Kronika never really made it into the playable roster, outside of mods, of course.

With Mortal Kombat 1, however, NetherRealm Studios is blatantly shutting out base game characters from the roster and selling them as part of the Kombat Pack. This is not only predatory but also a massive disappointment and a stain on the face of what is essentially one of the best Mortal Kombat games out there.