Ermac is the next fighter to join the Mortal Kombat 1 roster, and developer NetherRealm Studios has released a new gameplay trailer showcasing what players can expect of the shadowy warrior. The trailer also reveals Ermac hits Early Access on April 16 before his full release on April 23, and that Mavado will join the Kameo roster later next month. 

"Ermac is a collection of souls bound together by Quan Chi's dark magic that are intended to function as a group mind," a press release reads. "But that spell is temporarily undone when Ermac is defeated by Mileena and the mind of King Jerrod, deceased ruler of Outworld and one of the souls in Ermac's collection, takes control and rejoins the royal family, aiding Empress Mileena's reign. 

"Eventually, the amalgam of souls re-establishes control, and Ermac retreats to Outworld's shadows. No longer Quan Chi's slave, nor bound to the royal family, he must find a future worth fighting for."

Check out Ermac in the Mortal Kombat 1 gameplay trailer below: 

To get Ermac, purchase the Premium Edition of Mortal Kombat 1 or buy the Kombat Pack for your Standard Edition of the game. The Kombat Pack indudes a Jean-Claude Van Damme character skin for Johnny Cage (available now) and one-week early access to six playable DLC characters: Omni-Man (available now), Quan Chi (available now), Peacemaker (available now), Ermac (coming April 16), Homelander, and Takeda Takahashi. The Kombat Pack includes all five DLC Kameo fighters, too. 

For more about the game, read Game Informer's Mortal Kombat 1 review. 

Are you going to use Ermac next week in Mortal Kombat 1? Let us know in the comments below!