I am going to quote
@Amplified$hotz 's questions and comments that he posted in my profile page as they pertain to this thread.
Are you guys going to do anymore podcast episodes? I’d like to hear your thoughts on mk1 over one year later. And no mk at EVO france. The people who kept saying “everything is fine” during mk11 haven’t been blown up enough in my opinion.
MK1 has been compared to street fighter V a lot. A game that had a poor release but ended up being solid towards the end.
However it still seems like there isn’t much competitive enthusiasm for the game despite the updates.
I (and many other competitive/semi-competitive) players are wondering if it’s worth giving MK1 another shot? What do you think about the direction it’s gone in up to this point? And does the current game deserve the thriving competitive community that NRS games once had? Should there be an mk1 revival, or should we just keep moving on.
Each individual can decide on his or her own whether the game is worth playing or not. Personally, I have been playing Kombat League a lot recently. Aside from a couple of inconsistencies, such as b+2 xx flame thrower and b+3,4 xx EX teleport whiffing at max range, respectively, I have enjoyed playing Sektor and I have also enjoyed watching characters like Cyrax, Ermac, Havik, Homelander, Noob, Sektor, etc. (although I understand the concern expressed by a top player like Xombat who thinks that Havik's and Homelander's power level is "too high and too easy" for this game.)
Nonetheless, I believe that if Mortal Kombat 1 had been released in its current state, tournament numbers would have likely been higher. Regardless how you perceive the game and the kameo system, the online gameplay is objectively better, and so is the meta because there is presently nothing as monotonous as pre-patch kopta chopper and pre-patch grenades dominating high level gameplay. Because of minor nerfs yet mostly buffs, you tend to see a wide range of kameos that lead to a superior playing and viewing experience. Many characters such as Havik, Li Mei, Nitara, Quan Chi, Rain, etc. have also been buffed with the addition of new moves, for which NRS deserves praise.
Unfortunately, the damage has already been done. Unlike Capcom and Street Fighter 5, there is no communication and trust between the players and WB/NRS to resurrect the off-line scene. Neither does an infrastructure nor passion exist within the competitive Mortal Kombat 1 scene. Most players have already quit and are not returning. Even Tom Brady has stopped caring and ranting. LOL. Perhaps the game was always destined to be an online fighting game kept alive by a very small community. Lesson learned for the community and NRS, albeit mostly for the latter, in my humble opinion.