What time does Mortal Kombat 1 release in early access?

Mortal Kombat 1’s release is following the hottest trend in AAA game distribution, where most players get it on the official launch day but anyone who pays a bit more gets it a few days earlier. Following the likes of Starfield and Diablo 4, NetherRealm’s fighter will also have an early access period.

Mind, early access is only available if you get the game’s special editions. Otherwise, you’ll have to wait until Sept. 19. Here’s when Mortal Kombat 1 releases in your region, and when you’ll be able to play it in early access.

Mortal Kombat 1 release time: When does MK1 early access start?

For those who get the standard edition, Mortal Kombat 1 comes out on Tuesday, Sept. 19, for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X/S. For anyone who buys the premium or collector’s (ahem, Kollector’s) edition, Mortal Kombat 1 goes live on Thursday, Sept. 14, giving five days of early access.

Mortal Kombat 1’s early access begins at these times:

• 10 a.m. PDT on Sept. 14 for the West Coast of North America
• 1 p.m. EDT on Sept. 14 for the East Coast of North America
• 6 p.m. BST on Sept. 14 for the United Kingdom
• 7 p.m. CEST on Sept. 14 for west mainland Europe
• 9 a.m. JST on Sept. 15 for Japan

NetherRealm has not announced the start times for the official Sept. 19 release, but it’s safe to assume the times will be the same. In any case, if you pre-order, you should get started on pre-loading as soon as you can. This game is huge: On Xbox, Mortal Kombat 1 comes in at 140 GB.

Everyone who pre-orders Mortal Kombat 1 will receive Shang Tsung as a playable character. Our Mortal Kombat 1 pre-order guide breaks down the various editions, and what you get with them.

What’s in the Mortal Kombat 1 premium edition and Kollector’s Edition?

Image: NetherRealm Studios/Warner Bros. Games

The premium edition of Mortal Kombat 1 costs $110. In addition to five days of early access, you also get:

The Kollector’s Edition, meanwhile, costs $249, comes in a steel book case, and includes:

• A 16-inch statue of Liu Kang (IRL)
• A character skin for Liu Kang (not-IRL)
• Three Mortal Kombat art prints
• 2,700 Dragon Krystals