How To Get Shang Tsung in Mortal Kombat 1

In Mortal Kombat 1, the legendary fighter, Shang Tsung, is a pre-order bonus that players can get for, well, ordering any edition of the game before it releases. Some players, however, might be wondering how they can actually get Shang Tsung, unlocking him as a playable fighter.

In this guide, we explain how you get Shang Tsung in Mortal Kombat 1 for both physical and digital pre-orders, including how you can redeem the code on all platforms, so let's get into that fighting stance and get started.

Mortal Kombat 1 Shang Tsung: How To Get/Unlock

First and foremost, you will have to pre-order any edition of Mortal Kombat 1 before its launch to get Shang Tsung as a playable character. As a pre-order bonus, you will gain free access to the Shang Tsung, available to select as a fighter at the bottom-left corner of the roster selection screen for MK1's various game modes.

Some players might wonder why they are not getting access to Shang Tsung. WB Games Support explains:

For physical pre-orders, check with the retailer where you purchased the game to confirm if they are participating in the Shang Tsung pre-order offer. For digital purchases, if you did not receive access to Shang Tsung, then your purchase may not have been considered a preorder or you may not be connected to the game server. 

While you can play MK1 offline, you will have to be connected to the Mortal Kombat 1 servers in order to get the Shang Tsung pre-order bonus.

Please note: If you did not pre-order Mortal Kombat 1, Shang Tsung can also be purchased directly from the digital storefront on your game platform.

How To Redeem MK1 Shang Tsung Code on PC & Consoles

While digital pre-orders do not need to take additional steps, you will have to redeem the pre-order code for Shang Tsung. Follow the official steps below to redeem MK1 codes on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch.

Redeem MK1 Code on PS5

1. On the PlayStation®5 Game Home Menu highlight and select the PlayStation™Store hub with the cross button on your Dualsense controller.
2. Navigate up to the top menu Categories bar in the Store and select a "..." icon next to the shopping cart icon.
3. Highlight and select “Redeem Code” from the list of options.
4. Enter your code and press the cross button to continue.
5. Now you will see the content you are redeeming. Highlight the confirm option and the cross button.
6. A message will appear confirming that the code has been redeemed, press the button on "OK". 
7. The content should download automatically but if it does not, or if you would like to manually download the content, visit the game page In your Game Library from the Games Home Menu.

Redeem MK1 Code on PS5

1. From your Xbox Home Menu go to the Microsoft Store
2. If prompted, sign in.
3. From the left sidebar menu in the Store, highlight and select “Redeem” with the A Button on your wireless controller.
4. Enter your code when prompted and then select Next to confirm.
5. If the downloadable content is available, a download will start under "My Games and Apps" in your Queue.

Redeem MK1 Code on Nintendo Switch

1. In the HOME menu on your Nintendo Switch™, Highlight and select Nintendo eShop.
2. Select the user account you want to use
3. Highlight and select "Enter Code" on the left sidebar of the Nintendo eShop screen.
4. Enter the 16-character download code. Any letters and symbols not used with prepaid codes (i.e. O, I, Z, commas, hyphens, etc.) will be disabled from the on-screen keyboard
5. Select “Send” to confirm. The game will begin downloading once the code is confirmed. The game icon will appear on the HOME menu, with a download status bar. The status bar will disappear once the download is complete.

In case you've been trapped in an alternate reality created by Fire God Liu Kang, you can check out the Mortal Kombat 1 launch trailer below, which gave gamers a first look at Shang Tsung!

So there you have it, a way to get the pre-order karacter, Shang Tsung, in Mortal Kombat 1, both for physical and digital copies and how to redeem a code on your gaming platform of choice if you have one in hand. If anything changes, we will endeavor to update this article with haste.