Mortal Kombat 1 dev explains how Kameos can “increase” HP

Andrew Highton
mortal kombat 1 fight screen

Mortal Kombat 1’s health bar is the subject of some interesting talk ahead of release. Although we’ve learned a great deal about the game as we close in on its launch, players are only now understanding a big aspect of a fighter’s health bar.

At the end of the day, players want to fight in MK. After all, it is a beat ’em up, and it’s one of the most famous examples of the genre. Over 30 years on and Mortal Kombat 1 is the new kid on the block in a fiercely competitive 12 months of fighting-game action.

Street Fighter 6 has already wowed players in 2023, and Tekken 8 could easily do the same in 2024. Bridging that gap is NetherRealm’s MK1, and the game’s HP stats are currently causing some discussion. Albeit a smaller detail compared to the game’s roster, Mortal Kombat 1 health bars could be a huge factor in settling disputes thanks to new Kameo characters.

Mortal Kombat 1 health bar not the same for everyone

Stephanie Brownback is a Lead QA Analyst for NetherRealm Studios. She recently posted to Twitter to clarify some discourse regarding the state of health bars in Mortal Kombat 1.

“A lot of speculating about health values for characters. In MK1, your health is based on both your roster and Kameo character. For example, Shao and Jax both have increased health, so you can pair them together to be big meaty men with hella health.”

So, while there’s clearly some give and take with certain characters, ultimately, your main fighter and Kameo support decision could have a huge bearing on how a fight plays out.

Given some of the finer margins that it comes down to in a battle, having an additional sliver of health – thanks to your Kameo for instance – could be the difference between winning and losing.

So, it could be something worth bearing in mind when the game launches on September 19, 2023. Or, if you don’t want to wait until then, you can get Mortal Kombat 1 Early Access to get you involved with the game from September 14.

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About The Author

Andrew Highton is a former Games Writer for Dexerto. He has a Creative Writing degree from Liverpool John Moores University and has previously written for games websites such as Twinfinite and Keengamer. With 13,000+ PlayStation Trophies to his name, Andrew is a fan of a huge variety of video games, his favourites being God of War and Metal Gear Solid. Contact him at andrew.highton@dexerto.com, on Twitter @AndyHighton8 or at www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-highton.