Summary
Developer NetherRealm Studios showed off more from the latest playable character to join theMortal Kombat 1playable roster: Conan the Barbarian. The iconic barbarian will debut inMortal Kombat 1as part of its Kombat Pack 2 DLC on June 13, 2025.
Mortal Kombat 1is shaping up to be one of the most interesting entries in the franchise, thanks in part to the wayMortal Kombat 1reboots the longstanding series timeline, and paving the way for a number of new and creative interpretations of well-known events. In addition to reconfiguringMortal Kombatlore, the series has also leaned into including multiple guest characters from popular films and TV series, such as Ghostface fromScreamand Homelander fromThe Boys. The latest cross-dimensional character to join is Conan the Barbarian, based on the iconic 1982 fantasy film.
In addition to confirming therelease date of Conan the Barbarian inMortal Kombat 1, NetherRealm Studios also debuted a gameplay trailer to show off how Conan will play when he joins the fray. The trailer displays Conan looking much as famed actor Arnold Schwarzenegger when he played the character in the film, chopping and slashing Kombatants like Quan Chi, Kenshi, and Sub-Zero with his sword. The trailer also shows off one of Conan’s brutally violent Fatalities.
Conan the Barbarian Brutalizes Quan Chi in Mortal Kombat 1 Gameplay Trailer
Conan the Barbarian’s Fatality is, like otherMortal Kombat 1Fatalities, fantastically violent, and the one shown even has a medieval cast, in keeping with the style of the original film. Conan kicks Quan Chi against a conveniently-placed cauldron of boiling liquid, then lops his arm off. He then thrusts his sword into Quan Chi’s mouth, pushing him into the liquid and pulling out his clean, flesh-free skull. The trailer ends with a teaser for his Animality, in which Conan magically morphs into a huge bull to gore his enemy to death.
Despite a massive body full of muscles, Conan is a surprisingly agile fighter at close range. The gameplay trailer shows him dealing out lengthy sword combos at short range, but deploying almost no long-range attacks, except a humorous one where he tosses his own kameo fighter at his foe. Although Schwarzenegger himself doesn’t voice Conan inMortal Kombat 1, voice actor Chris Cox makes a capable impression, as he did when he voiced theTerminator inMortal Kombat 11, another character based on an iconic Schwarzenegger role.
Mortal Kombat 1looks to continue the trend of inventive additions to its selection of guest characters. Many of them, like Peacemaker and Omni-Man, don’t initially seem like good fits, but turn out to be fun inclusions that diversify the game’s options for entertaining ultraviolence.
Mortal Kombat 1
WHERE TO PLAY
Welcome to a new era of Kombat. NetherRealm Studios ushers in a new era of the iconic fighting franchise with a total reset that changes the entire world as we know it. Following the thrilling climax of Mortal Kombat 11, the all-powerful Fire God Liu Kang has created a New Era in the hope of bringing peace to Earthrealm and beyond. Through the series' most cinematic story mode yet, you’ll be reintroduced to a cast of legendary warriors as you’ve never seen them before. Expect twists on classic friendships and rivalries, as well as new backstories that will change everything you think you know about your favorite Kombatants. Discover a host of new offline and online game modes as you master a revitalized fighting system that boasts bone-crunching Fatal Blows, defensive Breakers and the most creatively vicious Fatalities yet.
