We have learned a bit of accessibility info for Mortal Kombat 1 from a video of fighting game Youtuber Super. The video is in a question and answer format, over gameplay footage of the game played at EVO 2023.
Distance to opponent
Noticeable throughout the video is a clicking sound in the background. While answering questions, Super confirms this clicking is a feature to help blind players determine where their opponent is. This is similar to the feature included in Street Fighter 6. Players can turn this off, but it was nice to hear that it was turned on by default at EVO.
Whether this is the only feature available, or if there are more audio assists like in Street Fighter 6 is not clear. Also not clear is if there are volume settings available that may help the effectiveness of the feature. The existence of this distance indicator alone is already a positive addition.
Controls and a steeper learning curve
Perhaps not surprising for a basic accessibility feature, the video confirms that control remapping is possible in Mortal Kombat 1. Question arose about remapping as it was missing from the stress test build of the game.
Also new to this version since the stress test is the dash block mechanic. This is good news for players familiar with this mechanic from previous games in the series. I can also imagine this is helpful to those who are prone to accidentally dash forward.
The gameplay itself does have a steeper learning curve due to the new Kameo mechanic. A Kameo is a secondary character players choose to assist in battles. The mechanic increases the complexity of battles and players may need some time to accustomed to it.
According to Super, the build he played is the same one as the closed beta starting August 18. Mortal Kombat 1 will release for everyone on September 19.
