Mortal Kombat Celebrates Its 30th Anniversary

Mortal Kombat the most iconic fighting action adventure game was originally released back in 1992 and developed by Midway Games from a concept created by Ed Boon and John Tobias. This week the game is celebrating its 30th anniversary and has been re-launched and enhanced over that time to deliver a sophisticated fighting game playable on the new consoles and PC systems. Watch the trailers below to learn more about the development of the Mortal Kombat game from its early days to the present.

“On behalf of the entire team at NetherRealm Studios and Warner Bros. Games, thank you to all of the fans who have supported Mortal Kombat throughout the past 30 years. As we look back on three decades of franchise history, the passion and excitement of our fans are the foundation that makes Mortal Kombat what it is today. To honor this milestone, please enjoy our commemorative Mortal Kombat 30th Anniversary video and join us in celebrating 30 years of Kombat across all forms of entertainment, from video games to movies, to animation, and more.”

Mortal Kombat 30th anniversary

The controversy surrounding Mortal Kombat and its finishing moves known as fatalities where the beaten opponent is slaughtered rather than knocked out in part led to the creation of the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) video game rating system.

“Mortal Kombat is kind of like different forms of school for me now. The arcade days were like grade school, and the 3D games were, you know, middle school or high school. And now the most recent games — Mortal Kombat 9, MKX, and MK11 — are kind of like college or graduate school. I think of my career as different chapters because it’s been so long. And we’ve been doing the games pretty consistently, over those 30 years, right? We didn’t stop and take a 10-year break and then come back. “

“And then next year will be the 30th anniversary of Mortal Monday, the marketing campaign Acclaim created. They did an amazing job, and really elevated Mortal Kombat to a new level of exposure. And I think it’s been 20 years since Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, right? I think for the next several years we’re going to be having a round number anniversary for some version or another of Mortal Kombat.”