Mortal Kombat 1 patch for Switch aims to improve visuals and performance following backlash

Sub-Zero kicks Liu Kang
(Image credit: Warner Bros.)

NetherRealm Studios has finally released an update for Mortal Kombat 1 on the Nintendo Switch, which aims to improve performance and graphical issues. 

The Switch version of the series' latest title has been receiving some heat since the game's early access, with players who purchased the version citing poor visuals and performance compared to the PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S versions. 

The issues were still prevalent when the game officially launched on September 19, but game director and series creator Ed Boon confirmed that it would "absolutely be getting an update". 

Now, almost a month later, the first Switch patch is finally here and it seemingly resolves those janky features players have been experiencing.

Alongside visual and performance improvements, as well as stability and bug fixes, the game has also received some much-needed gameplay balance changes and locationization fixes.

Perhaps most notably, the update has officially implemented season one of Invasions - the game's single-player mode featuring an RPG-style board game and challenges - which wasn't available during launch. As opposed to its platform counterparts, the Switch version was missing this piece of key content at launch, but it looks like Warner Bros. Games has kept to its promise to add the feature later on.

The patch notes don't offer too much detail, but you can check them out below.

Mortal Kombat 1 Nintendo Switch patch notes - October 11, 2023

  • Season 1 of Invasions
  • Gameplay balance changes
  • Leaderboards fixes
  • Visual improvements and general bug fixes
  • Performance improvements
  • Stability fixes
  • Localization fixes

We gave the game four out of five stars in our review of the game, with Aleksha saying, "The more time I invest in Mortal Kombat 1, the more eager I am to jump into practice mode with an all-new character and learn what they're all about... This is the most fun I've ever had with a Mortal Kombat game to date, and I can't wait to see how the community and pro scene embrace the toolset that it offers."

For more, check out our list of the best Nintendo Switch games you can play in 2023, as well as the best fighting games.