Mortal Kombat 1 in local multiplayer mode has significant disadvantages

Some fans of Mortal Kombat 1 have recently expressed their regret on social media that the game's unlockable cosmetics are not available for both players during local multiplayer matches. Their complaints surfaced online just as Mortal Kombat 1 was globally released on September 19, after a brief early access phase.

Unlike recent games from NetherRealm Studios, Mortal Kombat 1 doesn't place a heavy emphasis on alternative skins. However, that doesn't mean that the latest installment of the long-running franchise lacks in cosmetic offerings. It has been introduced with a full-fledged in-game shop where a variety of equipment items are available in exchange for Season Credits and Dragon Crystals. While both types of currency can be earned through regular gameplay, Dragon Crystals can also be purchased. The price starts at $4.99 for 500 of them.

And while it's not surprising that the in-game cosmetic items are tied to the purchaser's account, some fans of Mortal Kombat 1 were still disappointed to learn that purchasing these items does not make them accessible to both players in local multiplayer sessions. Player 2 is instead always forced to use the default skins, which has angered hundreds of fans. They recently voted to bring a thread complaining about this issue to the front page of the r/MortalKombat subreddit.

Many people have joined the discussion and are urging NetherRealm to address this flaw. They argue that there is no noticeable benefit to preventing opponents from accessing the host's cosmetics in local multiplayer sessions, and it is an anti-consumer move. Others took a more resigned stance, pointing out that Mortal Kombat 11 from 2019 had the same issue and was never fixed. They concluded that it is naive to expect this to change in the sequel. This limitation in the previous installment of the franchise was also not uncommon, as NetherRealm had already implemented a similar local multiplayer system in Injustice 2, released in 2017.

Within the discussion stemming from these newly raised complaints, some fans also expressed frustration that Player 2 in offline multiplayer mode cannot see the Fatalities previously unlocked by the host in Mortal Kombat 1. Although this was also the case in MK11, this limitation appears to be purely visual. Early reports from players suggest that all Fatalities in the game can be performed regardless of whether they are displayed in one's own move list.

NetherRealm has already released the first update for Mortal Kombat 1 prior to the game's full launch, and it is expected that many more patches will follow. However, given the studio's recent track record with offline modes in its fighting games, it remains uncertain whether this specific complaint regarding local multiplayer will ever be resolved.

Mortal Kombat 1 is now available for PC, PS5, Switch, and Xbox Series X/S.