NetherRealm Studios has revealed a Mortal Kombat 1 gameplay trailer that puts the Lin Kuei on display while revealing both Smoke and Rain as two of the reboot’s playable characters. These two elemental fighters are some of the most notable fan favorites in all of Mortal Kombat lore, but it’s not just because they look cool. Many fans of the series will know that the purple, water-bending Rain is inspired by Prince, and before becoming DLC in Mortal Kombat 11 he was last playable in 2011’s Mortal Kombat. Smoke, meanwhile, hasn’t made a proper appearance as a playable fighter for 12 years and uses – you guessed it – smoke abilities to dispatch his enemies.
Both characters get a nice, long spotlight in the footage, and if you watch through to the end, you can see one of Smoke’s fatalities. You can see the Mortal Kombat 1 Smoke and Rain reveal trailer below.
Aside from those scorching hot cutscenes and fighter highlights, you might have noticed a few other familiar faces show up. The footage also confirms that Sektor, Cyrax, Frost, and Scorpion can all be used as backup as part of the Mortal Kombat 1 Kameo Fighters mechanic. This is the first time Sektor, Cyrax, and Frost have made an appearance in this year’s reboot, and it’s unclear if they’ll be available as playable fighters outside of their Kameo support roles. Scorpion, however, will be available as both a playable fighter and Kameo fighter.
Mortal Kombat 1 launches for PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X | S on September 19, 2023. Today’s reveals arrived as part of NetherRealm’s first Kombat Kast where the developers provided greater insight into new mechanics and characters. There will surely be more playable and Kameo Fighters revealed between now and launch, so stay tuned for additional announcements and, hopefully, more fatalities. In the meantime, you can see the Kombat Kast in full below.