Mortal Kombat 9 may get backwards compatibility according to Ed Boon

Brianna Reeves
mortal Kombat 9 backwards compatibility

Series Co-Creator Ed Boon says NetherRealm Studios is investigating backwards compatibility support for Mortal Kombat 9.

MK9 more or less rebooted the long-running fighting game series upon its launch in April 2011. Such a release came on the heels of Warner Bros. acquiring the Mortal Kombat team, which had rebranded itself as NetherRealm Studios.

Since then, the property has enjoyed rude health across the board, with live-action and animated films further amplifying its staying power.

But WB Games and NetherRealm have yet to resolve one notable misfortune – MK9 remains stranded on PS3 and Xbox 360.

Mortal Kombat 9 could receive backwards compatibility support

MK Co-Creator Ed Boon recently answered fan questions on Twitter, one of which asked whether MK9 would ever become backward compatible on newer hardware.

Boon didn’t offer much in the way of specifics, but noted that NetherRealm is “looking into it.” Fans can only hope this means the 2011 entry won’t be stranded on seventh-generation consoles for much longer.

In recent years, it’s become increasingly difficult to enjoy Mortal Kombat 9 due to the lack of backwards compatibility support.

Notably, Steam delisted the PC version in 2020, with a notice saying the decision came “at the request of the publisher.”

And unlike MKX before it, Mortal Kombat’s ninth mainline entry never received a PS4 and Xbox One port. Ed Boon’s response in the tweet linked above provides some semblance of hope, though.

MK9 holds a special place in the hearts of many fighting game fans. Tag Team alone made the title a standout for the series, especially since the mode has yet to return to full capacity.

Plus, this particular installment marked the start of Mortal Kombat’s guest kombatants, with Freddy Krueger’s MK debut effectively setting the stage for DLC starring The Joker and RoboCop in MK11.