After some fans already noticed the little hint, NetherRealm revealed the return of the iconic villain General Shao to Mortal Kombat 1 as a playable character. But something seems a bit off...?
Ever since Mortal Kombat started back in 1992, there has always been this mysterious and feared villain in the game. Shao Kahn, the enigmatic antagonist in many installments of the series, always loomed as a shadow over us and served mostly as the final boss in the story.
At the Kombat Kast on July 6, NetherRealm confirmed Smoke and Rain as playable characters and posted the biography from those two on Twitter.
As a student at Outworld's exclusive Imperial Academy of Sorcery, Rain amazed his peers with his singular aptitude for water magic.
— The Realm Kast: Mortal Kombat Online (@RealmKast) July 6, 2023
Rain's skills drew General Shao's attention, who honed his water magic into a great weapon. Rain's victories so impressed Empress Sindel that she... pic.twitter.com/YTpnPJBvjp
The bio from Rain is especially interesting:
He excelled at the Outworld's exclusive Imperial Academy of Sorcery, drawing the attention of General Shao and Empress Sindel alike. Earned him the position of Outworld's High Mage.
After some fans already noticed the difference in the name, NetherRealm officially announced the return of Shao during the Gamescom 2023 ONL. This is the imposing trailer revealing Empress Sindel as the official ruler from Outworld and General Shao as her loyal ally:
Wait... what? General Shao? Shouldn't it mean Emperor Shao Kahn the Konqueror?
Yes, Shao is officially stripped from the Kahn title and won't wield the warhammer anymore, but instead arms himself with an axe. He's loyal to Empress Sindel as he fights for her family and the Empire as a whole. He is still as dominate as ever and need to face Raiden in the legendary tournament once more, but under different circumstances this time around.
Mortal Kombat 1 will be available for PC (Steam & Epic Games Store), PlayStation 5, Switch and Xbox Series X|S on September 19.