MK1: Homelander (DLC)

I went into the Homelander DLC expecting a novelty pick - the kind of guest character you unlock, show off to a friend once, and shelf. That is not what NetherRealm delivered here. Homelander slots into Mortal Kombat 1 as a legitimate zoner with a distinct identity, and spending time with his kit genuinely changes how you think about spacing in this game. The core of his playstyle is heat vision and flight, and those two tools interact in ways that reward patience. His laser attacks are fast, cover multiple angles from both ground and air, and can break opponent armor moves - which means he can neutralize a lot of the game's more aggressive rushdown strategies from full screen. The "Diabolical Dash" gives him a way to close distance when the zoning game is working, and once he gets in, combos that incorporate flight cancels open up a steeper but rewarding skill ceiling. Fair warning: many of his strikes are slower than the base roster's, so if you try to play him like a brawler, opponents will punish you for it. He operates in extremes - either you are controlling space with lasers or you are up close mixing attacks. Mid-range is where he gets uncomfortable. The fanservice side of this DLC is genuinely well-executed. His two Fatalities, "Winging It" and "This Is Your Fault," pull directly from key moments in The Boys - the plane abandonment scene and a particularly infamous use of heat vision - and they land with the kind of grim specificity that fans of the show will immediately recognize. The Brutalities are similarly packed with show references, including a Kenshi-specific variation that callbacks a Season 2 moment. His victory animation - drinking milk with unsettling relish - is the kind of detail that shows the devs were paying close attention. The one notable miss is voice casting: Antony Starr, who plays Homelander in The Boys, does not voice the character here. Chris Cox, a Mortal Kombat series veteran, handles the role instead. He captures the contempt and arrogance well enough, but for players who associate the character heavily with Starr's performance, the absence is noticeable. As a standalone purchase this DLC lives or dies on one question: do you want this specific character in your roster, or are you just curious? If you main zoners, enjoy licensed guest fighters, or are a fan of The Boys looking for any excuse to slam someone through a passenger jet, the answer is straightforward. If you were hoping for a more conventional aggressive brawler to complement your existing playstyle, Homelander asks for more adjustment time than some of the other Kombat Pack additions.

Alex · Scout Team

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