No Mortal Kombat 1 stress test or beta access will be available on PC
PC players are getting the short end of the stick again, when it comes to playing Mortal Kombat 1 ahead of its release.
Everyone is rightfully excited about Mortal Kombat 1, and long-time fans in particular are thrilled to see NetherRealm draw from the PS2 era of Mortal Kombat.
Unfortunately, those of us on PC won't be getting as much love pre-release as the other platforms.
NetherRealm just announced an upcoming, closed online stress test for the game. Since then, the developer confirmed that it will not be available on PC. The limited test, which you can sign up for now, will only be available on PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
The stress test is strictly meant to identify any potential problems with the game's online play, and is only available from Friday, June 23 until Monday, June 26. Registering for the test does not guarantee entry.
It's also limited to players in North America, Latin America, Brazil, and Europe, and will not support cross-play. If you're chosen, you'll get an email on June 21.
While it may be understandable that PC players are being left out of the stress test, it doesn't make sense that they're also going to miss out on the game's beta. The beta, which is taking place sometime in August, is advertised as a pre-order bonus - but only for PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
This is a little silly, considering the PC version is priced $70, just like its console counterparts. If you want to play a little devil's advocate here, you could say that NetherRealm simply doesn't want players to dig deeper into the game's code and leak upcoming fighters, or play the game for longer than the developer intends (a problem Street Fighter 6 suffered from pre-release).
It's also worth noting that the PC version of Mortal Kombat 1 is not developed internally, and will instead be handled by QLOC, a studio that previously worked on Mortal Kombat 12, and Mortal Kombat X.
With all that in mind, PC is no longer a platform where fighting games go to die. Street Fighter 6 just set a new sales and concurrent player record on Steam, going way beyond any Mortal Kombat game (previously the PC's top-selling fighting game). So while it is a risk to put games out early on PC, it signals a commitment to the platform despite any potential issues.
Mortal Kombat 1 arrives September 19 on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Switch.