Mortal Kombat 1’s Kameo Fighters were revealed when the game by developer NetherRealm was originally announced, but how they actually work has finally been confirmed. The new information was shared by Ed Boon, co-creator of the franchise and director of the new title. Mortal Kombat 1 is a reboot in the series’ timeline, though also a direct sequel to the events in Mortal Kombat 11. After Liu Kang defeated Kronika and became Fire God Liu Kang, the deity and protector of Earthrealm decided to reset the timeline and ensure an era of peace for all.

The problem is that the sorcerer Shang Tsung has found a way to by Liu Kang’s deeds and has returned with the intention of seeking vengeance against all that oppose him. To fend him off, players will have to control multiple characters in Mortal Kombat 1 and their Kameo Fighters, which is a new and innate feature that seems to be core to the gameplay system. Although most of the combat in the fighting game remains the same, the Kameo Fighters will change how players act and react to their opponents with more possibilities for combos and even Fatalities.

What Are Kameo Fighters In Mortal Kombat 1

Kameo Fighters in Mortal Kombat 1 are, essentially, secondary fighters that players pick to help them in their fights. These characters are well-known in the franchise and have skills that match how they traditionally play out. If Sub-Zero is chosen as a Kameo Fighter, for instance, he will use his freezing powers to help the players. It is important to point out that Kameo Fighters are not a second character for players to fully use, but auxiliary characters whose actions can be triggered every so often. They come into the arena, execute a move, and then exit the stage – all while the normal 1v1 battle proceeds.

Mortal Kombat 1's Kameo Fighters Explained

Kameo Fighters in Mortal Kombat 1 are, in every aspect, part of a core gameplay mechanic. As was previously mentioned, these additional characters can be triggered to come into the fight and help with their attacks. At the beginning of each match in the game, players will choose their main playable character, which they will control as they normally do. After that, each of them will be prompted to choose their Kameo Fighter from a select roster of heroes. Some of the confirmed Kameo Fighters in the game include Kano, Goro, Jax, and Sonya Blade. Heroes like Kung Lao and Sub-Zero have also appeared as Kameo Fighters.

Having main story characters in the role of Kameo Fighters in Mortal Kombat 1 may mean that either all heroes can be played as main characters and Kameo Fighters or that some of them will act as Kameo Fighters exclusively in the campaign; this has yet to be confirmed by the developer. As was explained by Ed Boon during the Summer Game Fest showcase 2023, which was broadcast on the official The Game Awards channel on Twitch, Kameo Fighters can be triggered mid-fight to help players deal damage against opponents. A single button prompts them to come into the battle, but there are variations that can be prompted.

By pressing the aforementioned button while pushing forward will create a different action for the Kameo Fighter in Mortal Kombat 1. Pushing the joystick backward, on the other hand, will result in yet another action from the Kameo Fighter. These secondary characters can be triggered into the fight at any desirable moment, given that their energy bar is full. According to Ed Boon, the Kameo Fighters have this energy bar to prevent them from being spammed, but their spawn rate is quite low and can be used quite frequently in fights. For reference, their energy is illustrated by a circle around the character’s icon underneath the main character’s health bar.

The actions made by the Kameo Fighters in Mortal Kombat 1 can even be considered moves and mixed up with the actions in a character’s combo. In the first official gameplay trailer shared on the official Mortal Kombat channel on YouTube, Kenshi uses Sonya Blade to chain her attack to his own combo of moves, while Raiden summons Kano to strike Kenshi to avoid the damage he was about to take. Later on, Raiden triggers Kano once again to add an extra attack into his own move combo. The ways that players use Kameo Fighters will vary drastically, according to both pre-made strategies and reactive improvisation.

In addition to that, players will also be able to consider how they match their main character with their Kameo Fighter in Mortal Kombat 1. Although every main character can be matched with every Kameo Fighter, there will, inevitably, be better combinations than others. These will revolve around action times and how players can link a main character's attack to a Kameo Fighter. The last detail is that Kameo Fighters may be prompted into Fatalities. This will essentially create a co-op Fatality with two characters teaming up for the gruesome execution instead of only the main character. With this, the game offers many more Fatality variations.

Kameo Fighters In Mortal Kombat 1 Are An Evolution Of An Older Mechanic

Although the way that Kameo Fighters work in Mortal Kombat 1 is truly new, the concept of two fighters on each side is not exactly novel in the franchise. In fact, Kameo Fighters seem to be an evolution of the Tag Team mechanic in Mortal Kombat (2011), also known as Mortal Kombat 9. In the Tag Team Ladder mode, players could engage in 2v2 battles with other players. Tag Team Ladder is also somewhat of an evolution of Mortal Kombat: Tournament Edition and Mortal Kombat Trilogy’s double battles.

Despite being an evolution of a classic and recurring gameplay mechanic, the Kameo Fighters in Mortal Kombat 1 will certainly impact how players engage in fights and how the meta in the competitive scene will play out. It is unclear exactly how much they can affect battles, as Kameo Fighters can also be seen as a simple new set of attacks, but players will be able to better understand it when Mortal Kombat 1 officially releases on September 19.

Sources: The Game Awards/Twitch, Mortal Kombat/YouTube, PlayStation/YouTube