Known Lag Problems
These problems are reported by real players. If your region or ISP is listed, a network optimizer is likely to help.
Middle East
40-100ms post-fix to local server; 150-250ms cross-region to EU- At launch, no local MK servers in Middle East — traffic routed through EU servers, giving 300ms+ to opponents in same region
- Bahrain competitive player publicly reported the issue; WB Games added/fixed Middle East servers post-launch
- Even after fix, player population in ME is very low — matchmaking forces cross-region matches against EU/AS opponents
Africa
200-400ms (routing to EU servers)- No African MK servers — all traffic routes to EU, giving 200-400ms latency
- Kombat League matchmaking at these latencies makes competitive play nearly impossible
- Very small African MK1 playerbase — typically matched against EU opponents
How to Fix It
Try these first — they're free and solve the problem for most people.
01 Switch to wired Ethernet
1. Connect your PC directly to router via Ethernet cable 2. In Windows Settings > Network & Internet, disable WiFi adapter to prevent Windows from using it as fallback 3. Launch MK1 and test online — rollback stutters should decrease significantly
Eliminates WiFi jitter (2-15ms variable). In rollback netcode, jitter causes combo-breaking rollback storms. The single most impactful free fix for any WiFi user.
02 Open your NAT type for direct P2P connections
1. Log into your router admin panel (usually 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1) 2. Enable UPnP (Universal Plug and Play) — this lets Steam negotiate ports automatically 3. Or manually forward UDP ports 27015-27030 to your PC's local IP 4. Restart router and Steam 5. In Steam > Settings > In-Home Streaming, check if NAT type shows as Open
Open NAT = direct P2P connections with lower latency. Strict NAT forces connections through Steam relay servers, adding 20-50ms and reducing matchpool further in an already small playerbase.
General network tips (not Mortal Kombat 1-specific)
03 Check your connection stability with ping test
1. Open Command Prompt 2. Run: ping -t 8.8.8.8 3. Watch for variation in ping values — a stable 60ms is better than a jumping 20-100ms 4. If you see spikes or packet loss (Request timed out), your connection instability will cause rollback storms in MK1 5. Also run: ping -t your-router-IP (usually 192.168.1.1) to check if the problem is your local network or your ISP
Diagnoses whether your lag is local (WiFi, router) or ISP-level. Essential first step before trying any fix.
04 Close Discord stream, Twitch, and downloads before ranked
1. Close or mute Discord video calls (voice only is fine) 2. Pause any active downloads in Steam, Epic, browsers 3. Close Twitch, YouTube, or any video streaming 4. Disable cloud sync (OneDrive, Dropbox) auto-upload 5. Launch MK1 — these are the main sources of mid-match ping spikes
Prevents sudden bandwidth bursts that cause in-match ping spikes. Even a 0.5-second spike can cause a 5-10 frame rollback that breaks a combo.
05 Flush DNS and reset network stack
1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator 2. Run: ipconfig /flushdns 3. Run: netsh winsock reset 4. Run: netsh int ip reset 5. Restart PC 6. Relaunch Steam and MK1
Clears stale routing entries and resets corrupted network state. Useful after ISP outages or when ping suddenly worsens with no apparent cause.
06 Set router QoS to prioritize game traffic
In your router admin panel, enable QoS and prioritize by application (MK12.exe / Steam) or by UDP traffic on ports 27015-27030. This ensures game packets are processed before video streaming or downloads.
Prevents bandwidth-hungry devices on your network from causing latency spikes during ranked matches.
Still lagging? The problem is likely your ISP's routing to the game servers.
PingAim detects Mortal Kombat 1 automatically
No manual config. PingAim identifies Mortal Kombat 1 by process name and routes it through your fastest connection using a kernel-level WFP driver.