The vast catalog of fighting games contains many titles, but statistically, none are apparently more popular in the United States than the Mortal Kombat series. Specifically, both Mortal Kombat 1o and 11 top the list of popular games--and it looks like one might overtake the other for first place, given time.
Of course, the Mortal Kombat franchise has had plenty of time to establish itself and gain a fanbase; the first Mortal Kombat released in 1992, about 28 years ago now. So when NPD analyst Mat Piscatella was asked to rank the top-selling head-to-head fighting games per platform, his results did differ by platform, but all roads still led to Mortal Kombat.
Firstly, the top three most popular fighting games for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One are all NetherRealm games, though not of the same franchise nor in the same order. Mortal Kombat 10 is number one on both lists, definitively both platforms' most popular fighting game. Mortal Kombat 11 then takes second place on the PS4 list followed by Injustice 2 in third, whereas the Xbox One results are switched, with Injustice 2 pulling ahead. Still, it's clear that in terms of dollar sales, these three games dominate the genre.
Things are different on the Nintendo Switch, where Mortal Kombat statistically performed a bit worse, but Mortal Kombat 11 being number four out of the top five Switch games still isn't bad. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate occupies the number one spot there (to nobody's surprise).
Interestingly, the other two in the PS4 and Xbox One's lists are Dragon Ball games, meaning the developers behind the industry's most popular fighting games are all part of two different companies. It's also possible that Mortal Kombat 11 will overtake 10 for the top spot on each list, given some time to do so, since it was 2019's top-selling game for quite a while--all the way until Call of Duty: Modern Warfare's release. Plus, players are still buzzing over the latest DLC fighter added to the game, the dark queen Sindel, and her wildly powerful damage-dealing abilities. That's just the power of the Mortal Kombat franchise, it seems.
Despite a few technical issues with Mortal Kombat on release, NetherRealm has a good formula going for the franchise and has done so for that past two title releases. When gamers are craving a good, up close and personal fight, a whole lot of them go to Mortal Kombat for their fun.
The latest (and most popular) two Mortal Kombat titles are both available to play on PC, PS4, and Xbox One, with 11 playable on the Switch as well.