The Mortal Kombat series has been a staple of the fighting genre for quite some time now. Starting in 1992, the famous fighting game is still going strong, with an upcoming remake in September 2023. With many mainline entries and some spin-offs, it can take time to remember the release order. Whether you’re curious or want to play the games in order, this guide is for you as we will cover all the Mortal Kombat games in order of release date.
Mortal Kombat Games Release Order
Starting from the first entry into the series in 1992 and ending with the upcoming remake for 2023 — below you will find all the Mortal Kombat games in order of release date. Some Mortal Kombats were released in the same year; if this is the case, the one lower in the list was released in the later months of the year.
Related: Mortal Kombat 1: Release Date, Beta Access, Cameo Characters, and More
- Mortal Kombat (1992)
- Mortal Kombat II (1993)
- Mortal Kombat 3 (1995)
- Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 (1995)
- Mortal Kombat Trilogy (1996)
- Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero (1997)
- Mortal Kobat 4 (1997)
- Mortal Kombat Gold (1999)
- Mortal Kombat: Special Forces
- Mortal Kombat Advance (2001)
- Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance (2002)
- Mortal Kombat: Tournament Edition (2003)
- Mortal Kombat: Deception (2004)
- Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks (2005)
- Mortal Komat: Armageddon (2006)
- Mortal Kombat: Unchained (2006)
- Ultimate Mortal Kombat (2007)
- Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe (2008)
- Mortal Kombat (2011)
- Mortal Kombat Arcade Kollection (2011)
- Mortal Kombat 10 (2015)
- Mortal Kombat Mobile (2015)
- Mortal Kombat 11 (2019)
- Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath Kollection (2020)
- Mortal Kombat 11: Ultimate (2020)
- Mortal Kombat 1 (2023)
Mortal Kombat is arguably the most popular fighting game out of the whole genre. Street Fighter is up there, but the absolute brutality that Mortal Kombat is known for puts it on top as the most intense and mature fighting game available. With the solid track record for the series, we can guarantee that the list in this article will continue to grow for years to come.
Must-Play Mortal Kombat Games in the Series
While there aren’t any terrible entries in the Mortal Kombat series, a handful are considered the GOAT for the fighting genre. Three Mortal Kombat games should not be overlooked by fighting fans: Mortal Kombat II, Mortal Kombat 10, and Mortal Kombat 11. First, Mortal Kombat II took the foundation of the first one that started the series and improved on it in almost every way. The kills had more weight to them, the controls were improved for accessibility, and the character selection created the idea for more playstyles in the series — making the first Mortal Kombat look like a rough draft.
The most recent additions to the Mortal Kombat series are arguably the best, 10 and 11. Not only did these use the full power of the home consoles, but they perfected what makes the series so loved today. Brutal kills that pop on screen (that disturbingly look so realistic), with the best list of characters to choose from that these two titles confirm the series is headed in the right direction. Also, we can’t deny that they also included the best DLC available for these games — with Predator being my absolute favorite. Fighting fans can’t go wrong with adding Mortal Kombat 10 and 11 to their gaming library.
