Mortal Kombat 1 early access stress test – Play MK1 soon and without a pre-order

If you’re desperate to play Mortal Kombat 1 ahead of its September release, then you might want to head over to the NetherRealm website. The Mortal Kombat 1 developer has announced plans to hold an online “stress test” beginning next weekend. Running from 4pm BST UK time on June 23 until the same time on June 26, the aim of the “stress test” is to put the servers through their paces ahead of launch. Unlike this summer’s gameplay beta for pre-order customers, the “stress test” doesn’t require a pre-order in order to access.

Instead, fans will need to sign up to participate in the stress test by visiting the Mortal Kombat 1 website and signing up for a Warner Games account.

Participants for the stress test will be chosen at random. Successful applicants will be emailed with a digital code on June 21, so be sure to check your email before launch.

It’s also worth noting that the stress test will only be available to PS5 and Xbox Series X/S users. There’s no word on whether an additional test will be available for PC or Switch users at a later date. 

On the plus side, you won’t need a PlayStation Plus or Xbox Live Gold subscription in order to participate.

As part of next week’s gameplay demo, players will be able to check out 1-v-1 online multiplayer, as well as the Klassic Towers mode for single-player.

The stress test will give fans the opportunity to try out Mortal Kombat 1’s new Kameo feature.

NetherRealm explains more: “Kameo Fighters are a unique roster of partner characters to assist during matches, creating expanded gameplay possibilities for players. These characters are chosen separately from the main roster of fighters.”

Mortal Kombat 1 will be available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch and PC from September 19.

However, fans who purchase the Premium or Kollector’s Edition will be able to start playing on September 14.

All pre-order customers will also be able to access the closed beta, which takes place in August.