Mortal Kombat 1 is looking to cash in more with the franchise as it seeks to monetize one of the game’s signature designs—the Fatality. However, this does not come with a positive reception from the community.
The Mortal Kombat franchise has always been tied to violence, even putting it at the top of it. But behind the punches, the kicks, the combos, and all sorts of weirdness therein is the more gruesome sight that is the iconic finisher, the Fatality. And people, including kids, are fascinated by it.
When word about the game having microtransactions, not many are surprised by its game developers wanting to milk their way about it. That is, with expectations that additional purchases would be strictly for the aesthetics part of the game. However, it seems that NetherRealm’s is applying the same practice as it did in 2011—to sell a game feature that many are led to believe would be inherent in the base game.
A nasty surprise
And what more to surprise the crowd than to announce in an in-game patch note that says, “Halloween Fatality added to the Premium Store”. If that was not telling of a reference to a seasonal Fatality enough, Warner Bros. Games spilled the beans when it posted on X, in response to a random inquiry:
The Halloween Fatality will be featured in the Premium Shop at a later date, we expect this to be Friday (10/27). Please keep an eye on official Mortal Kombat social media for any news on this topic!
To reiterate, this practice was not necessarily unprecedented as we’ve seen the same with Mortal Kombat in 2011. That is, when the developer placed the “Klassic Fatality Packs” behind the paywall. But maybe due to the gap between that and 2023, it seems that Warner Bros. Games missed the memo that people don’t like it. Consequently, many are taking to social media to air their vent about it.
The DLC will cost anyone interested $41, lest they miss it until, maybe, the next Halloween. And one Redditor, Kanj0Bazooie, compared the pricing with that of Fortnite. But it comes with the added contrast that the latter can be played indefinitely for free while the former requires an upfront of $70 to experience.
