Where to start with Mortal Kombat: a series order
The two eras of the series, where Legacy Kollection fits, and how to buy the older games today.
Applies to: Series entry points as of October 2026
Quick answer
The series splits into two eras. The 1992 to 2003 run is the one Legacy Kollection covers: it bundles 11 titles across 23 versions for one price, and the 2026 updates added online play. The modern storyline starts with the 2011 Mortal Kombat, runs through Mortal Kombat 11, and continues in Mortal Kombat 1, which is a separate purchase. Mortal Kombat 9 is no longer sold on Steam, so the collection is the practical route back to that period.
The two eras
Mortal Kombat is easier to get into once you accept that it is two series sharing a name, with a break in the middle.
| Era | Games | Where to play them |
|---|---|---|
| Original run | Mortal Kombat (1992) through the spin-offs and Mortal Kombat 4 (1997), extending to the Game Boy Advance titles in the early 2000s | Legacy Kollection |
| Modern run | The 2011 Mortal Kombat reboot, Mortal Kombat X, Mortal Kombat 11 and Mortal Kombat 1 | Current-generation storefronts, individually |
The two eras are only loosely connected in story terms. The modern games retell the original story and then move past it, so starting with either era will make sense, and neither requires the other.
What Legacy Kollection covers
If you want the original run, the collection is the answer. It bundles eleven titles across twenty-three versions released between 1992 and 2003, and it now includes online play through the 2026 updates.
- It covers the arcade, SNES, Genesis, Game Boy, Game Gear, 32X, PlayStation and Game Boy Advance versions of the early games.
- It includes the two spin-offs that are otherwise awkward to find: Mythologies: Sub-Zero and Special Forces.
- It includes the WaveNet build of Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, which had no normal home release.
- The contents page lists every title and version in full.
Buying older games
Outside the collection, the older games are uneven in availability, and one notable gap is worth knowing before you go looking for it.
| Title | Status |
|---|---|
| Mortal Kombat (1992) to Mortal Kombat 4 | Covered by Legacy Kollection. |
| Mortal Kombat 9 (2011) | No longer sold on Steam. The 2011 reboot is the hardest of the group to buy legitimately today. |
| Mortal Kombat X | Still available on Steam. It is the release most often associated with a missing-dll startup error on modern Windows. |
| Mortal Kombat 11 | Still available on Steam. |
That makes the collection the practical route back to the first era even if you own none of the originals, and it explains a pattern in what people search for: a large share of the questions about the older games come from players trying to run a long-delisted title on a modern PC. The common fixes are collected on the PC troubleshooting page.
Platforms and pricing
Legacy Kollection is available on PC, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2. The digital release is priced at the same level as the physical Standard edition.
For the modern era the entry point is Mortal Kombat 1, which by 2026 is a finished product rather than a live one: the Definitive Edition bundles the base game with the story expansion and both Kombat Packs, and the studio has confirmed no further character or story content is planned. The MK1 page covers what that edition contains.
If you are starting entirely from scratch and only want one purchase, the collection is the broader introduction to what the series is, and the modern games are the volume of content. There is no order requirement between them.
Sources and review scope
- Steam — Legacy Kollection listing — used for the contents, platforms and pricing.
- Steam — Mortal Kombat 1 listing — used for the modern-era entry point and its DLC position.
- Digital Eclipse — “Krossplay is here” — used for the online capabilities of the collection.
- Official Mortal Kombat site — used for the Definitive Edition contents of Mortal Kombat 1.
Shop availability changes, and the note about Mortal Kombat 9 reflects its status on Steam at the time of checking rather than a permanent statement about every storefront. Platform availability and DLC counts come from the official store listings. Where a purchase route is described, it is described as it stands on the official stores rather than through third-party key resellers.
Checked against linked Digital Eclipse updates, Atari and Steam store listings, and the in-game achievement list on October 13, 2026. Dynamic details such as player counts and patch state should be rechecked before publication.
Not independently play-tested. This is not a claim that every platform or game version was tested. Source review: Oct 13, 2026.
More Mortal Kombat Guides
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Mortal KombatLegacy Kollection: every game and version included
The full list of games and versions in Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection, and which build of each is worth playing.
Mortal KombatLegacy Kollection editions compared: which to buy
Standard, Deluxe and Kollector's Edition side by side, plus the Switch 2 pricing and platform details that change the answer.
Mortal KombatLegacy Kollection online play and crossplay
How to switch on Krossplay, how rooms and Online Arcade work, and which of the included games support online matches.