Mortal Kombat 1’s upcoming DLC character Ermac has a brand new Brutality that veteran Mortal Kombat fans have recognised as being inspired by a nearly 30-year-old Fatality.
During a livestream held to show off the soul-obsessed ninja’s new telekinetic moves for Mortal Kombat 1, developer NetherRealm revealed Ermac’s new Brutality, a Telekinetic Slam that sees his hapless opponent (Reptile, in this case) repeatedly slammed into the ground until the only thing left to do is explode in a shower of gore. Check it out in the tweet video below:
Ermac Brutality! pic.twitter.com/SVTbcfZGZ1
— Tweedy (@TweedyMK) April 15, 2024
In Mortal Kombat, Brutalities are special match enders that are performed with special input commands. They’re not as flashy as Mortal Kombat’s iconic Fatalities, but some players prefer them.
Veteran Mortal Kombat players instantly recognised Ermac’s new Brutality as being ripped straight from 1995’s Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, in which Ermac made his debut alongside his Telekinetic Slam Fatality. So, with Ermac’s entry into Mortal Kombat 1, NetherRealm is recreating a near 30-year-old Fatality in Brutality form. Check out a comparison clip from X/Twitter user TQT below:
Ermac MK1 Brutality vs MK Trilogy#Mortalkombat #MK1 #Mortalkombat1 https://t.co/MbskUK9FQP pic.twitter.com/lfYMtUaXJW
— TQT (@TQT1995) April 15, 2024
The livestream also gave fans a closer look at Ermac’s redesign. When Mortal Kombat 1 developer NetherRealm revealed DLC character Ermac in the summer of 2023, it suffered a backlash from the community for what many considered to be a downgrade compared to the Mortal Kombat 11 version of the red-clad ninja.
The version of Ermac seen in the Kombat Pack reveal last year showed the character without a mask, which meant fans got a view of Ermac’s new dehydrated mummy face. But that wasn’t the only issue. Ermac’s design was seen as simplistic without much of the detail that fans love from previous versions.
Now NetherRealm has finally unveiled Ermac gameplay, it has shown the character’s improvement in design. For a start, the character now wears a mask, and appears to have a more detailed outfit. Elsewhere, Ermac’s powers now glow in teal.
Here’s the official blurb on Ermac:
Ermac is a collection of souls bound together by Quan Chi’s dark magic that are intended to function as a group mind. But that spell is temporarily undone when Ermac is defeated by Mileena and the mind of King Jerrod, deceased ruler of Outworld and one of the souls in Ermac’s collection, takes control and rejoins the royal family, aiding Empress Mileena’s reign. Eventually, the amalgam of souls reestablishes control, and Ermac retreats to Outworld’s shadows. No longer Quan Chi’s slave, nor bound to the royal family, he must find a future worth fighting for. In the new video, Ermac’s devastating moveset is on full display, including his ability to teleport, levitate, and utilize a legion of souls to grab, lift, and slam opponents to the ground.
Ermac joins Mortal Kombat 1 in Early Access form today, April 16, with a full release set for April 23. Kameo character Mavado joins the Kameo roster later in May. You need the Premium Edition or the Kombat Pack to play early. The Mortal Kombat 1 Kombat Pack includes the Jean-Claude Van Damme character skin for Johnny Cage (available now); one-week early access to six playable DLC characters – Omni-Man (available now), Quan Chi (available now), Peacemaker (available now), Ermac (coming April 16), Homelander, and Takeda Takahashi; and five DLC Kameo Fighters.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.