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It seems that the wave of fighting game resurgence is fading as the disappointing release of Netherrealm Studios’ gruesome Mortal Kombat 1 heralds itself as the best-selling fighting game of the current console generation.
Mortal Kombat 1, which rebooted the fighting game series to mixed results, has sold significantly less than both Mortal Kombat X and Mortal Kombat 11. However, the game has still sold better than all of its contemporaries over the past five years.
Mortal Kombat remains King
In a statement on Twitter, NetherRealm Studios boss Ed Boon revealed that the latest entry in the studio’s long-running fighting game series has managed to sell 6.2 million copies across all platforms.
“With over 6.2 million games sold, we’re still committed to refining MK1 to be our most balanced game,” Boon explained while also showing off some new changes coming to the fighting game.
For comparison, over the course of its life, Mortal Kombat X managed to sell over 12 million copies with its follow-up, Mortal Kombat 11, shifting an unprecedented 15 million copies. Exact sales for NetherRealm’s Injustice 2 have never been shared, but that title sold 1.5 million copies in the first three months of release.
For comparison, the staggering almost 60% drop in sales for Mortal Kombat 1 is still the ongoing champ of fighting games for the generation. In a recent investor’s call, Capcom revealed that Street Fighter 6 has managed to sell 5 million copies, which is also the best-selling Street Fighter ever. Furthermore, Tekken 8 has only managed to shift 3 million copies. (Thanks for that comparison, PC Gamer.)
Outside of traditional fighters, Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero is also one of the best-selling fighters of the generation, managing to sell 5 million copies in just three months. However, no sales update has been released since February 2025.
Mortal Kombat has always been the de facto ruler of the modern fighting games market simply due to its more casual nature. Even with the series hitting a low not seen in two generations, the fighting game series is still going strong, although DLC plans have already ended for the game as a result of lower-than-expected sales.
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Mortal Kombat 1
- Platform(s): Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series S/X, Xbox Series X
- Genre(s): Beat 'em Up
