Key Highlights:
- Mortal Kombat 1 receives new balance update for main roster and Kameo fighters.
- Johnny Cage and Peacemaker see significant nerfs.
- Several other characters receive adjustments to improve competitive balance.
NetherRealm Studios has dropped a surprise hotfix for Mortal Kombat 1, aiming to refine the game’s competitive balance following the recent Final Kombat tournament and ahead of CEO 2024.
The update, released on June 27th, brings a slew of changes to both main roster fighters and Kameo assists, with a particular focus on reining in the dominance of Johnny Cage and DLC addition Peacemaker.
Mortal Kombat 1 Balance Update Patch Notes
Character Specific Adjustments
Main Fighters
Geras
- Inevitable now has 21 start-up frames (down from 26)
- Timefall (Away + Back Kick) now recovers 2 frames faster
- Adjusted Hit Regions of Sandstorm making it easier to send the opponent forward
- Increased the maximum range that Colliding Worlds (Fatal Blow) can teleport
Havik
- Chaos Kick (Back Kick) now recovers 1 frame faster
- Dislocated (Front Kick) now has 13 start-up frames (down from 15)
- Drop Dead (Towards + Front Punch, Front Kick) now recovers 15 frames faster & has 10 less frames of blockstun
Johnny Cage
- Show Off Parry now has 8 start-up frames (up from 6)
- Enhanced Show Off Parry now has 4 start-up frames (up from 0) & has 15 more recovery frames
- Show Off & Enhanced Show Off can no longer be delayed
- Shadow Kick & Enhanced Shadow Kick now has 10 start-up frames (up from 8) & has 2 more frames of recovery on miss
Kitana
- Reduced the combo damage scaling of Square Wave & Enhanced Square Wave
Li Mei
- The first attack in Pankration Champion (Back Kick, Front Kick, Back Punch, Front Punch) now has 16 start-up frames (down from 19)
- Sky Lantern after being ignited by Nova Blast now hits Mid (was High) & causes 10 more blockstun with slightly increased pushback
- Lion’s Pounce (Towards + Front Kick) now has 3 more active frames & recovers 7 frames faster
Nitara
- Must Feed (Front Punch, Back Punch, Back Kick) can now be 2in1 cancelled & does 20 less damage
Reptile
- Devastating Blow (Away + Back Punch) now recovers 4 frames faster & has 5 more frames of blockstun
- Devastating Blow Charge (Away + Back Punch, Hold Back Punch) & Devastating Blow Charge maximum (Away + Back Punch, Hold Back Punch) now recover 5 frames faster
- Tail Of Two Hities (Back Punch, Back Kick) & Sneaky Lizard (Towards + Back Punch, Back Kick) now recovers 3 frames faster on hit & has 5 more blockstun frames
- Acid Spit, Enhanced Acid Spit, Acid Spit Ball, & Enhanced Acid Spit Ball now have 5 more blockstun frames
Sub-Zero
- Freezing Point (Towards + Front Punch, Back Punch, Front Kick) is now -7 on block (down from -12)
- Blistering Blizzard (Back Punch, Front Punch) now recovers 2 frames faster & has consistent combo damage scaling for Airborne & Grounded opponents
Scorpion
- Heavy Knee (Towards + Front Kick) cancel frame is now 2 frames earlier & has 1 less recovery frame
- Fire Pillar Thrust (Towards + Front Kick, Back Kick) now has 18 startup frames (down from 19)
Peacemaker
- Activate Human Torpedo! & Enhanced Human Torpedo! now have 16 start-up frames (up from 12) & 13 more frames of recovery on miss
- Activate Human Torpedo! no longer causes stumble animation when blocked & has 10 less frames of blockstun
- Beautiful Bird Bullet now has 10 less frames of blockstun with less pushback on block
- Ground-Air Offensive now has 5 less frames of blockstun with less pushback on block
- Activate Force Field now has 30 more frames of recovery
- Anti-Gravity’s attack now does 35 damage on block (down from 50)
Kameo Fighters
Kameo Sonya
- Leg Grab now has 25 start-up frames (down from 29), hits Overhead (was Mid), & is +1 on block (up from -9)
Kameo Stryker
- Fixed an issue where the 2nd Grenade in Low Grenade Toss & High Grenade Toss could sometimes have additional combo gravity
- Kuffed now has 9 less frames of recovery on miss, is +1 on block (up from -9), & Stryker reaches slightly farther for the opponent
Kameo Motaro
- Adjusted teleport location when Main Fighter isn’t facing the opponent
Kameo Mavado
- Increased base health value to 250 (from 200)
The patch notes reveal adjustments to ten main roster characters, with Johnny Cage and Peacemaker receiving the most significant alterations.
Johnny Cage’s notorious Show Off parry, a move that had become a staple in high-level play, has been considerably weakened.
The regular version now has 8 start-up frames (up from 6), while the enhanced version sees an even more dramatic increase from 0 to 4 start-up frames, coupled with 15 additional recovery frames. These changes aim to make the move more risky and encourage more strategic use.
Peacemaker, who had been dominating tournaments alongside Johnny Cage, faces nerfs across six of his special moves. His Human Torpedo, Beautiful Bird Bullet, and Force Field abilities have all been adjusted to be less effective, with increased start-up frames, reduced block stun, and increased recovery times.
Other characters receiving notable changes include Geras, whose Inevitable move now has reduced start-up frames, and Kitana, who sees a reduction in combo damage scaling for her Square Wave attacks.
Li Mei, Nitara, Reptile, Sub-Zero, and Scorpion all receive various tweaks aimed at improving their competitive viability.
The update also addresses four Kameo fighters: Sonya, Stryker, Motaro, and Mavado. Sonya’s Leg Grab now hits overhead instead of mid and has improved frame data, while Mavado receives a health buff from 200 to 250 HP.
These changes come at a crucial time in the MK1 competitive scene. With CEO 2024 on the horizon, players will need to adapt quickly to the new balance landscape.
The adjustments to top-tier characters like Johnny Cage and Peacemaker could potentially shake up the tournament meta, opening opportunities for previously underutilised fighters to shine.
Looking ahead, NetherRealm Studios continues to support Mortal Kombat 1 with both balance updates and new content. One of the first patches also nerfed top fighters and enabled move tagging when it was released in October of last year.
Takeda Takahashi is set to join the roster as the final DLC character for the first Kombat Pack, with early access beginning on July 23rd.
Rumours are also circulating about a potential second Kombat Pack featuring six new characters, though this has not been officially confirmed by the studio.
It’s always a good idea to follow series co-creator Ed Boon on X/Twitter, as he’s constantly dropping hints about the direction the game is going in.
As the Mortal Kombat 1 community digests these changes, all eyes will be on the upcoming tournaments to see how they impact high-level play. Will we see a more diverse character selection at CEO 2024, or will new dominant strategies emerge?
Only time will tell, but one thing is certain: the battle for Earthrealm is far from over.
