Mortal Kombat 30th Anniversary: New video celebrates the classic fighting game

Mortal Kombat 30th Anniversary: New video celebrates the classic fighting game

The classic fighting game Mortal Kombat just turned 30.

Thirty years ago, the original arcade version of Mortal Kombat launched. It immediately made a cultural impact due to what was considered at the time gratuitous violence. In addition to console ports to the Sega Genesis and SNES, Mortal Kombat expanded into movies, toys, and animation.

Warner Bros. Games and NetherRealm Studios are celebrating the 30th Anniversary of the billion-dollar Mortal Kombat franchise. The series is approaching 80 million video game units sold since the original arcade game launched on October 8, 1992.

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To honor 30 years of Mortal Kombat history, a new video has been released showcasing the franchise’s cultural prominence across three decades of entertainment, from videogames, to movies, to animation. Bringing together moments from the original Mortal Kombat game (1992) to Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate (2020) and the first live action Mortal Kombatfilm (1995) to the reimagined Mortal Kombat movie (2021), the commemorative video spans 30 years of bone-crushing content, along with a visual spotlight of legendary Mortal Kombat fighters and their different iterations from past to present, such as Scorpion, Sub-Zero, Raiden, Johnny Cage, Sonya Blade, Liu Kang, Kung Lao, Kitana, Mileena, Jackson “Jax” Briggs, Baraka, and Shang Tsung.

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Mortal Kombat Mobile

As part of the anniversary, Klassic Movie Raiden will arrive in Mortal Kombat Mobile beginning today through Oct. 11, featuring actor Christopher Lambert’s character likeness and voice from the 1995 film. Players can also log in to the mobile game every day through October 14 to collect free anniversary gifts and enjoy a host of new in-game content.

HBO Max

Additionally, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment is releasing Mortal Kombat Legends: Snow Blind, the third installment of the animated film series, for Digital on Oct. 9 and 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack and Blu-ray on Oct. 11. Mortal Kombat (2021 film), Mortal Kombat(1995 film), Mortal Kombat: Legacy (2013 web series), Mortal Kombat Legends: Battle of the Realms (2021 animated film), and Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge (2020 animated film) are all available to watch now on HBO Max, while Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm (1996 animated series) is available now for purchase on digital platforms.

Do you remember when Mortal Kombat first came out 30 years ago? What are some of your favorite MK games? Share your thoughts with us on the forums!