Quick TL;DR
Grabbed the physical copy of Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection for Switch or Switch 2? Don’t freak out — the cartridge itself doesn’t include Mortal Kombat 4. You’ll need to download it after you pop the game in. Other platforms got the full package on the disc.
What Went Wrong With the Switch Cart
The Switch build had to be finalized and sent for manufacturing well before the release date, and MK4 wasn’t ready in time. That meant the cartridge went to press without the last game, so the missing title is being delivered as a post-release download instead of being baked into the cart.
Official Notes From the Makers (Paraphrased)
The studio confirmed the timing was the issue — the build got locked early and MK4 wasn’t included on the Switch cartridge. Atari’s product page has also been updated to tell Switch owners to connect their console to the Nintendo store and grab post-release patches that add MK4 and various performance fixes.
How the Retail Cartridge Behaves Out of the Box
Reports from early hands-on inspections show the physical Switch 2 cartridge ships at version 1.0.1 and requires a day-one update to unlock MK4 and the rest of the content. So don’t panic if the menu looks incomplete at first — an update will finish the job.
Is This Only a Nintendo Thing?
Yes — this appears to be limited to Switch and Switch 2 cartridges. PlayStation 5 physical copies reportedly include every game on the disc, and the developers say any future Switch cartridge reprint would likely include MK4 by default.
Practical Tips for Players
Before you blame fate: make sure your Switch is online and has enough storage for the update. If you prefer a fully self-contained physical copy, consider the PS5 disc (if you have one) or watch for a future Switch reprint that may have MK4 on the cart.
Bottom Line
It’s annoying, sure — but it’s also fixable. The Switch physical release is missing Mortal Kombat 4 on the cartridge due to timing, not sabotage. Download the post-release patch and you’ll be throwing fatalities before you know it.
