Is Mortal Kombat the Best Fighter? Where Does MK 1 Rank?

In the world of fighting games, there’s room for plenty of different franchises to exist as the best titles. Most tournaments carry multiple games. A lot of players will play different titles all at once. Which fighter is the best though? To quite a few fans, Mortal Kombat is the best fighting game. While it does come down quite a bit to preference, what’s the argument for Mortal Kombat?

Looking at the best fighting games, there are a few patterns. If we’re narrowing it down to the most mainstream fighters, those who grab the attention of everyone not just the FGC, there are a few key franchises. Street Fighter is one of these, but Mortal Kombat is an equally long-lasting and iconic series. It has had releases across tons of console generations and often had the strongest release in that year. The most recent instalment has been impressive too, Mortal Kombat 1. Is Mortal Kombat the best fighting game in 2024 though?

Is Mortal Kombat the Best Fighting Game Right Now?

Looking at the current batch of fighting games, there’s a handful which are dominating fighting game esports and getting the biggest players numbers. The latest release of Mortal Kombat definitely ranks amongst them. Mortal Kombat 1 has been one of the biggest launches over the last few years. We’ve seen more players check it out than a lot of other fighting games.

In terms of judging, it to be the best or not, there are a few metrics we can look at. Personal preferences decide a lot of what the best fighter is. In this sense, if Mortal Kombat is your favourite then to you it might be the best fighting game! For critical and user reviews, it has generally been beaten out by Street Fighter 6. The ongoing support for the game seems to have turned some players off in the long term too. Although, big MK 1 QoL changes are currently planned.

In terms of player count, MK has roughly lagged behind its most direct competition too. Its normal average players on PC have currently dropped as low as 1,500 players with an all-time peak of 25,000. It’s had a gentle decline to reach this point. On the other hand, Street Fighter 6’s average peak daily players is still at about 20,000, and its all-time high is 70,000. While Mortal Kombat has a different kind of appeal, it’s definitely being beaten by the other big franchise right now.

Mortal Kombat 1 Could Still Grow

While we probably can’t say Mortal Kombat is the best fighting game in 2024 purely on objective measures, it has a lot of fans. The game definitely has potential and bigger changes are planned. While the title isn’t currently the best fighting game, future changes could definitely liven things back up.

The games esports are still growing too. The Mortal Kombat Pro Kompetition is under way. Once we reach the climax of this tournament, we’ll have a better idea of how much the competitive side of the game has moved the needle. At the moment, it’s tricky to say Mortal Kombat is the best fighting game though.