When it comes to revamping the series, Mortal Kombat 1 doesn't stop at merely resetting the timeline and its characters – it also changes some core features of the fighting system and the way players acquire new items. In most recent Mortal Kombat titles, the Krypt has served as a primary source of acquiring new Gear and cosmetics.
Mortal Kombat 1, though, replaces the Krypt with a new system: the Shrine. Items in the MK1 Shrine are earned randomly, but the list isn't endless: after spending enough Koin at the Shrine, players will run out of items to acquire – at least until the next MK1 season Shrine reset refills its coffers.
How To Use The Shrine In MK1
The Shrine can be accessed from the main menu in Mortal Kombat 1, and isn't a playable game area, at least not in the same sense as the Krypt in Mortal Kombat 11. To get to the Shrine, simply scroll down to the Extras tab on the main menu, and select Shrine.
After a short load, the camera will pan to the left to a statue of a Dragon above a brazier. To receive an item from the Shrine, players must pay 1000 Koins. Koins are earned passively through practically all of the game modes in Mortal Kombat 1, and are primarily used to acquire items from this random generator.
Pay the money, wait for a moment for the game to register your offer, then watch as the Dragon unleashes flame on your gold to transform it into a random item. Players can only acquire one cosmetic item at a time, so even if you have 10,000 Koins, you'll have to wait through the animation for each of the 10 items that can be acquired.
All Mortal Kombat 1 Shrine Rewards
Cosmetic Gear Pieces, Including Maskless Variants For Ninjas
One of the biggest draws of the Shrine is its cosmetic rewards which, in Mortal Kombat 1, take the form of Gear, Skins, and color palettes. There is currently one cosmetic Gear slot for all characters in Mortal Kombat 1, usually their most iconic piece of equipment.
Ninja characters have customizable masks, Kung Lao's hat has several variations, General Shao's axe comes in a few forms, and more. Some of the most sought-after items in the Shrine include maskless versions of Reptile, Smoke, Scorpion, and Sub-Zero's faces.
Unique Skins & Color Palettes, Including In-Game Store Variants
In addition to gear, there are a lot of unique Skins and color palettes for those skins that can be unlocked in the Shrine. Skins like Johnny Cage's Indiana Jones-like skin from the second chapter of the Story, and a more classic, villainous appearance for Sindel, are available through the Shrine. Notably, some skins only normally available in the in-game shop, such as Sindel's skin, are also available through the Shrine.
Though the rewards are indeed randomized, players who spend enough Koin at the Shrine will eventually earn all of these appearances. The list of items that the Shrine pulls from is not endless. So, free-to-play players can earn a handful of paid skins with enough luck, or time, spent at the Shrine.
New Exclusive Appearances For Kameos, Including Classic Sonya
Playable characters aren't the only ones who can use cosmetics unlocked in the Shrine. There are about a dozen Kameo characters in the game, who serve to add another layer to combat with special attacks and unique fatalities. Many of them are characters from the original Mortal Kombat roster, while others are some of the series' most iconic, but long-neglected, characters, like Motaro, Stryker, and Shujinko.
These Kameos have a handful of skins that can be unlocked in the game, and a few of these are exclusive to the Shrine: Sonya Blade's Mortal Kombat 3 skin, for example. Though the majority of Kameo skins are unlocked through the Kameo Mastery progression system, spend some time at the Shrine to unlock this exclusive Sonya appearance.
Behind-The-Scenes MK1 Concept Art
To the chagrin of players who just want cosmetics, the majority of rewards in the Shrine take the form of concept art pieces. These pieces of art are behind-the-scenes looks at the creation of Mortal Kombat 1, and fans of the series who want a deeper look at this entry can find each unlocked MK1 concept art in the Kollection tab of the main menu.
Because the concept art makes up most of the Shrine rewards list, players should expect to mostly receive these behind-the-scenes unlocks much more often than gear, skins, and color palette options. But, because of the limited number of rewards available, unlocking a lot of concept art in a row just raises the chances of earning a cosmetic or skin with later attempts.
Mortal Kombat 1 is available for PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch.