Key Highlights:
- Exclusive Weekend Access: NetherRealm launched a limited stress test for select players to experience MK1 online gameplay through June 26th.
- Online Focus Testing: Test features 1v1 matches and Klassic Towers mode to evaluate server performance ahead of September launch.
- Platform Limitations: Nintendo Switch and PC excluded from test, with no cross-platform play between PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.
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NetherRealm has rolled out a limited stress test for their much-anticipated title, Mortal Kombat 1, allowing a chosen few to experience the upcoming slugfest throughout the weekend. After many whispers and conjectures, the official confirmation of the renowned Mortal Kombat series’ latest entry came through in May.
Stress Test Roll-Out for MK1: An Exclusive Peek
With Mortal Kombat 1 serving as a continuity reset, the newly crowned Fire God Liu Kang wields Kronika’s timeline-warping Hourglass to craft a tranquil reality. However, this peace is short-lived as Shang Tsung reappears, catapulting Liu Kang and his comrades back into conflict.
Summer Game Fest attendees were treated to a more in-depth look at Mortal Kombat 1 as the game’s co-creator, Ed Boon, hit the stage to unpack its innovative features.
While the series’ signature visceral combat remains, MK1 introduces a novel concept in the form of Kameo Fighters, companion combatants who can lend a hand during a bout. While the majority of fans eagerly await the official September release, a privileged few are already taking an early dive into the crimson-tinted battlefield.
May saw NetherRealm issuing invites for an exclusive Mortal Kombat 1 stress test, which is currently underway this weekend. The game’s official X/Twitter page flagged the start of this trial run, revealing that access codes were dispatched to participating players the previous day. Recipients of these codes can indulge in MK1 up until 4 PM UK/11 AM Eastern Time (or 8 AM Pacific) on June 26th.
Mortal Kombat 1 Stress Test: Prospects and Limitations
The Mortal Kombat 1 development squad identified an unspecified hiccup during the test’s pre-launch phase but managed to rectify it swiftly. This stress test is designed to gauge the game’s online performance, pitting players against each other in heated 1v1 showdowns, and offering AI encounters in a pared-down version of the Klassic Towers mode.
Though, neither Nintendo Switch nor PC users have access to the test, and cross-platform play between PS5 and Xbox Series X/S is currently off the table.
Recently we broke the news that the famous Krypt Mode is to be discontinued and will not be made available in the upcoming fighter.
Mortal Kombat 1 already holds immense promise, and the insights garnered from this weekend’s stress test could play a pivotal role in further refining the game for its September debut. In the meantime, a select group of fans can sample an exciting teaser of the upcoming brutal confrontation, as Earthrealm’s champions prepare to re-enter the fray this autumn.
MORE: Mortal Kombat 1 Will Have Microtransactions
Mortal Kombat 1 is slated for release on September 19th, 2023, and will be available on Nintendo Switch, Windows PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.