Mortal Kombat 4 Just Got a New Update in 2026

October 29, 2026, 12:05pm

Mortal Kombat 4, originally released in 1997, just got a new update in 2026, almost three decades later. The new update has not been released by NetherRealm Studios, but by GOG, which has updated the PC version of the game available on its digital storefront and, in the process, added it to the GOG Preservation Program. This is the first proper update to the game on GOG or anywhere else since 2020.

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More important than the new update, which is minor, the fighting game classic is part of the GOG Preservation Program, which means GOG is committed to keeping the game updated and compatible with modern hardware moving forward, which could in turn make GOG the best place to play the classic 1990s game in the future, beyond the Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection, but that requires buying other games you may not want.

As for the update itself, there’s nothing too noteworthy beyond full support for modern controls, which includes the Sony DualSense, the DualShock 4, the past three generations of Xbox controllers, the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller, and the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller.

Mortal Kombat 4 October 29 Update

Improved compatibility with Windows 10 and 11.
Updated 3dfx Glide emulation to the latest version, bringing bugfixes plus custom resolutions, custom refresh rates, integer rendering, integer scaling and anti-aliasing.
Updated CD Audio music emulation, so that soundtrack keeps pounding the way it should.
Added full support for modern controllers (including Sony DualSense / DualShock 4, Microsoft Xbox Series / Xbox One / Xbox 360, Nintendo Switch 2 Pro / Switch Pro, Logitech F, Amazon Luna), with sensible button layouts, hotplugging and wireless mode.
Optimized the default keyboard and gamepad bindings, so you can start throwing combos right away.
Fixed Shinnok’s rendering when frozen by Sub-Zero.
Validated stability.

Mortal Kombat 4, for those who do not know, is the first Mortal Kombat game to use 3D computer graphics and also the last Mortal Kombat game to get an arcade release. In many ways, it’s a transition game, stuck between two eras. As the name implies, it’s also the fourth mainline installment in the series and the sequel to 1995’s Mortal Kombat III. It’s also more realistic and violent than previous games in the installment, which had a more comical and goofy coloring to them by comparison.

At the time, it wasn’t received that well, earning GameRankings scores in the 70s. That said, it was a foundation game and a transition game, so this is to be expected. To this end, though, it’s not the best classic Mortal Kombat game, nor does it hold up very well in 2026, so unless it’s powerfully nostalgic for you, it’s hard to revisit in 2026.

Revisiting the classics may be all Mortal Kombat fans will get for a while because it’s been reported that NetherRealm Studios is working on Injustice 3, which means the next Mortal Kombat game is at least years away.