Mortal Kombat 1 DLC character Ermac has a new brutality taken straight from Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3
The battle of life and death 1'Ermac's upcoming DLC character features a brand new Brutality that veteran Mortal Kombat fans have recognized as being inspired by the nearly 30-year-old Fatality.
In one direct held to show off the spirit-haunted ninja's new telekinetic moves in Mortal Kombat 1, developer NetherRealm revealed Ermac's new Brutality, a Telekinetic Slam that pummels its hapless opponents. he (in this case Reptile) repeatedly pounds the ground until the only thing left to do is explode in a shower of blood. Check it out in the video tweet below:
Ermac's brutality! pic.twitter.com/SVTbcfZGZ1
— Tweedy (@TweedyMK) April 15, 2024
In Mortal Kombat, Brutalities are special match endings that are performed using special input commands. They're not as flashy as Mortal Kombat's iconic Fatalities, but some players prefer them.
Veteran Mortal Kombat players immediately recognized Ermac's new Brutality as being taken straight from 1995's Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, in which Ermac first appeared with his Telekinetic Slam Fatality. So with Ermac joining Mortal Kombat 1, NetherRealm is recreating a nearly 30-year-old Mortal in Brutal form. Watch a comparison clip from user X/Twitter TQT below:
Ermac MK1 Brutality vs MK Trio#Mortalkombat #MK1 #Mortalkombat1 https://t.co/MbskUK9FQP pic.twitter.com/lfYMtUaXJW
— TQT (@TQT1995) April 15, 2024
The live broadcast also gave fans a closer look at Ermac's redesign. When Mortal Kombat 1 developer NetherRealm revealed the DLC character Ermac in the summer of 2023, it received backlash from the community for what many saw as low class compared to the Mortal Kombat 11 version of the red-clad ninja.
The version of Ermac seen in last year's Kombat Pack reveal shows the character without his mask, which means fans can see Ermac's new dehydrated mummy face. But that's not the only problem. Ermac's design is considered simple, without many details that fans loved in previous versions.
Now that NetherRealm has finally revealed Ermac gameplay, it has shown off improvements to the character's design. For starters, the character now wears a mask and appears to have a more detailed outfit. Elsewhere, Ermac's power now shines teal.
Here is the official introduction to Ermac:
Ermac is a collection of souls bound together by Quan Chi's dark magic to act as a group mind. But that magic is temporarily canceled when Ermac is defeated by Mileena and the mind of King Jerrod, the deceased ruler of Outworld and one of the spirits in Ermac's collection, takes control and joins rejoined the royal family, supporting the reign of Empress Mileena. Ultimately, the union of souls reestablishes control and Ermac retreats into the darkness of Outworld. 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 moves are on full display, including the ability to teleport, levitate, and use his army of souls to grab, lift, and smash opponents to the ground.
Ermac joins Mortal Kombat 1 in Early Access today, April 16, with the full set releasing on April 23. The character Kameo Mavado joins the Kameo roster in late May. You need the Edition premium or Kombat Pack for early play. Mortal Kombat 1 Kombat Bundle includes 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 UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can contact Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
