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''Mortal Kombat 11'' is a 2019
fighting video game A fighting game, also known as a versus fighting game, is a genre of video game that involves combat between two or more players. Fighting game combat often features mechanics such as blocking, grappling, counter-attacking, and chaining attac ...
developed by NetherRealm Studios and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. It is the eleventh main installment in the ''
Mortal Kombat ''Mortal Kombat'' is an American media franchise centered on a series of video games originally developed by Midway Games in 1992. The development of the first game was originally based on an idea that Ed Boon and John Tobias had of making a ...
'' franchise and a sequel to 2015's '' Mortal Kombat X''. The game was announced at The Game Awards 2018 and was released in North America and Europe on April 23, 2019, for
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,
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,
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, and
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—with the exception of Europe's Switch version which was released on May 10, 2019. It was released on Stadia on November 19, 2019. The game runs on a heavily modified version of Unreal Engine 3. Upon release, the console versions of ''Mortal Kombat 11'' received generally favorable reviews, which praised the gameplay, story, graphics, and improved netcode, but it received criticism for the presence of microtransactions and over-reliance on grinding. An expansion for the game was released on May 26, 2020, entitled ''Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath''. This expansion includes an additional story mode, three new characters, new stages, and the return of stage fatalities and the
friendship Friendship is a relationship of mutual affection between people. It is a stronger form of interpersonal bond than an "acquaintance" or an "association", such as a classmate, neighbor, coworker, or colleague. In some cultures, the concept of ...
finishing move. An enhanced version of the game containing all downloadable content up to that point, titled ''Mortal Kombat 11: Ultimate'', was released for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4,
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, Xbox One, and
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on November 17, 2020.


Gameplay

Like the previous three games in the series, including MK Mobile, ''Mortal Kombat 11'' is a 2.5D
fighting game A fighting game, also known as a versus fighting game, is a genre of video game that involves combat between two or more players. Fighting game combat often features mechanics such as blocking, grappling, counter-attacking, and chaining atta ...
. Alongside the returning Fatalities, Brutalities, Stage Fatalities, Friendships and Quitalities, new gameplay features are introduced, such as Fatal Blows and Krushing Blows. Fatal Blows are special moves similar to the X-ray moves in the 2011 reboot and '' Mortal Kombat X''. Like X-ray moves, Fatal Blows deal a large amount of damage, but unlike them, they only become available when a player's
health Health, according to the World Health Organization, is "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity".World Health Organization. (2006)''Constitution of the World Health Organ ...
drops below 30%, and can only be performed once per match. Krushing Blows are a special cinematic variation of a given special move, triggered when certain requirements are met, like most Brutalities in the previous game. Also new to the series is a Flawless Block mechanic, which allows for a comeback window after blocking an attack with precise timing. Another returning finisher is Mercy, last seen in '' Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3'', where the winning player can opt to revive their opponent after the "Finish Him/Her" prompt, causing the opponent to gain a small amount of life. ''Mortal Kombat 11'' introduces a Custom Variation feature which offers a character customization system similar to the Gear system in NetherRealm Studios' previous
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fighting game '' Injustice 2'', improving over the Variation system featured in ''Mortal Kombat X''. Each character has an initial set of skins, gears and moves, which can be further customized by the player. However, unlike ''Injustice 2'', in ''Mortal Kombat 11'' the characters' appearance does not determine their abilities, allowing players to create custom move lists independently of their character's appearance.


Plot

Following Shinnok's defeat, Dark Raiden plans to protect Earthrealm by destroying all of its enemies and making an example of Shinnok; decapitating him. This latter act inspires Kronika, Shinnok's mother and the keeper of time, to rewrite history in order to undo Raiden's interference and erase him from existence. Two years later, a Special Forces strike team led by Sonya Blade,
Cassie Cage Cassie Cage is a fictional character in the ''Mortal Kombat'' fighting game series by NetherRealm Studios. The daughter of martial arts actor Johnny Cage and Special Forces officer Sonya Blade, she debuted in the 2015 comic '' Mortal Kombat X: ...
, and
Jacqui Briggs This is a list of playable and boss characters from the ''Mortal Kombat'' fighting game franchise and the games in which they appear. Created by Ed Boon and John Tobias, the series depicts conflicts between various realms. Most characters fig ...
attack the Netherrealm, with Raiden providing a diversion to aid them. The team succeeds in destroying the Netherrealm castle, though at the cost of Sonya's life. Kronika creates an alliance with revenants Liu Kang and Kitana, now rulers of the Netherrealm, immediately afterwards. Meanwhile, Kotal Kahn, the current emperor of Outworld, attempts to execute
Shao Kahn Shao Kahn is a fictional character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game franchise by Midway Games and NetherRealm Studios. Depicted as emperor of the fictional realm Outworld, he is one of the franchise's primary villains. Feared for his immen ...
loyalist Kollector, but is interrupted by a time storm that brings Shao Kahn, Skarlet,
Baraka Baraka or Barakah may refer to: * Berakhah or Baraka, in Judaism, a blessing usually recited during a ceremony * Barakah or Baraka, in Islam, the beneficent force from God that flows through the physical and spiritual spheres * Baraka, full ''ḥa ...
, and younger versions of Kano,
Erron Black This is a list of Player character, playable and boss (video games), boss characters from the ''Mortal Kombat'' fighting game franchise and the games in which they appear. Created by Ed Boon and John Tobias, the series depicts conflicts between ...
,
Jade Jade is a mineral used as jewellery or for ornaments. It is typically green, although may be yellow or white. Jade can refer to either of two different silicate minerals: nephrite (a silicate of calcium and magnesium in the amphibole group ...
, Raiden, Kitana, Liu Kang, Johnny Cage, Sonya Blade, Jax,
Scorpion Scorpions are predatory arachnids of the order Scorpiones. They have eight legs, and are easily recognized by a pair of grasping pincers and a narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward curve over the back and always en ...
, Kabal, and Kung Lao from the past and erases Dark Raiden from existence. A battle erupts in Kotal's Koliseum until D'Vorah transports Baraka, Skarlet, Shao Kahn, Black, and Kano to her hive, recruiting them into Kronika's fold. Liu Kang, Kung Lao, and Raiden appear at the Earthrealm's Special Forces HQ after forging an alliance with Kotal Kahn while Jade and Kitana aid Kotal in protecting Outworld from Kronika's forces. Liu Kang and Kung Lao investigate the Wu Shi Academy and encounter Kronika's right-hand man, Geras. Their subsequent battle ends with Geras using his chronokinetic powers to escape with powerful energy capsules containing Earthrealm's life force. The Special Forces learn that Sektor, backed by Noob Saibot and a cyberized
Frost Frost is a thin layer of ice on a solid surface, which forms from water vapor in an above-freezing atmosphere coming in contact with a solid surface whose temperature is below freezing, and resulting in a phase change from water vapor (a g ...
, has reinstated the Cyber Lin Kuei, intending to build an army of
cyborg A cyborg ()—a portmanteau of ''cybernetic'' and ''organism''—is a being with both organic and biomechatronic body parts. The term was coined in 1960 by Manfred Clynes and Nathan S. Kline.
s out of kidnapped Lin Kuei warriors for Kronika. Sub-Zero and Hanzo Hasashi go to the factory to stop them. With
Cyrax This is a list of playable and boss characters from the ''Mortal Kombat'' fighting game franchise and the games in which they appear. Created by Ed Boon and John Tobias, the series depicts conflicts between various realms. Most characters fig ...
's aid, they shut down the factory; forcing Geras and both versions of Kano to retreat to Kronika's Keep, where they revive Sektor and rebuild the cybernetic army themselves. Meanwhile, Raiden tries to consult with the Elder Gods;
Cetrion This is a list of Player character, playable and boss (video games), boss characters from the ''Mortal Kombat'' fighting game franchise and the games in which they appear. Created by Ed Boon and John Tobias, the series depicts conflicts between ...
gives him a clue on how to defeat Kronika. During a later attempt, Raiden discovers the Elder Gods were gone, and that Cetrion had betrayed and killed them to serve her mother: Kronika. Kotal and Jade go to a Tarkatan camp in order to get them to fight against Shao Kahn, but Kotal's hatred towards the Tarkatans causes Jade to battle him before Shao Khan appears and captures both of them. The Special Forces base is destroyed by the Black Dragon and Kronika's cybernetic army, with the younger Johnny and Sonya captured in the process, the elder Johnny wounded, and Sektor killed. Due to the destruction of Sub-Zero's Lin Kuei Temple, Wu Shi Academy's Sky Temple, and the Special Forces base, the Shirai Ryu's Fire Garden becomes the only safe haven left to Earthrealm's heroes. Cassie leads a strike team to save her parents, where Sonya kills the younger Kano to erase his present self from existence. Meanwhile, Kitana, Liu Kang, and Kung Lao battle Baraka in order to secure an alliance between him and
Sheeva This is a list of playable and boss characters from the ''Mortal Kombat'' fighting game franchise and the games in which they appear. Created by Ed Boon and John Tobias, the series depicts conflicts between various realms. Most characters fig ...
. With their aid, Kitana successfully defeats and blinds Shao Kahn, uniting the Outworld factions and inheriting the throne from Kotal. Raiden sends Jax and Jacqui to
Shang Tsung The Shang dynasty (), also known as the Yin dynasty (), was a Chinese royal dynasty founded by Tang of Shang (Cheng Tang) that ruled in the Yellow River valley in the second millennium BC, traditionally succeeding the Xia dynasty and ...
's now-abandoned island to retrieve the Crown of Souls, but the pair are thwarted by Cetrion, who eventually gets away with the Crown, and present-day Jax, who had been deceived by Kronika. Hasashi is tasked with convincing Kharon, the ferryman of Netherrealm's souls, to join their side so they can travel to Kronika's fortress. Hasashi fights his past self and persuades him to join his side, only to be mortally wounded by D'Vorah. Scorpion drives her away and returns to the Fire Garden to honor Hasashi's dying wish. However, an enraged Raiden attacks him on sight, attempting to finish him off using Shinnok's amulet. Liu Kang intervenes, causing Raiden to realize how they have fought before in multiple timelines, and that Kronika had orchestrated them all because their combined strength would be the only thing that could stop her. Anticipating this, Kronika kidnaps Liu Kang to weaken the heroes. With Kharon recruited, a joint Earthrealm-Outworld army assaults Kronika's Keep. Geras is dropped in the bottomless Sea of Blood; Frost is shut down, disabling all the cyborgs; and the older Jax defects to the heroes' side. Once revenant Liu Kang has absorbed his past self's soul, Kronika sends him to attack Raiden. Near the end of the fight between the two, Raiden and Liu Kang merge into Fire God Liu Kang; acquiring the memories and knowledge of Kronika's plan from his revenant self in the process. The heroes breach Kronika's Keep, only for Kronika to turn back time to its beginning. Fire God Liu Kang, however, proves immune due to his god-like status, and subsequently defeats the remaining revenants and Cetrion before battling Kronika. Depending on the outcome of the battle, the story ends in three different ways: *If Kronika wins, she kills Liu Kang and declares the beginning of the New Era. *If Liu Kang defeats Kronika while losing one round, he meets a now-mortal Raiden, who offers to become Liu Kang's advisor for as long as his lifespan lasts. This is the canon ending that sets the stage for the expansion ''Aftermath''. *If Liu Kang defeats Kronika in two rounds straight, he meets a now-mortal Raiden, who allows Liu Kang to choose someone to accompany him in the hourglass. Liu Kang chooses Kitana, and both vow to create a new and better timeline while undoing Kronika's mistakes. Kitana worries that mortals will still make their own choices and new evils will eventually arise, but Liu Kang assures that the two will face whatever happens together.


''Aftermath''

Following Kronika's defeat, Fire God Liu Kang and Raiden attempt to utilize Kronika's Hourglass to restore history, but are interrupted by
Shang Tsung The Shang dynasty (), also known as the Yin dynasty (), was a Chinese royal dynasty founded by Tang of Shang (Cheng Tang) that ruled in the Yellow River valley in the second millennium BC, traditionally succeeding the Xia dynasty and ...
, Fujin, and
Nightwolf Nightwolf is a fictional character in the ''Mortal Kombat'' fighting game franchise by Midway Games/NetherRealm Studios. He debuted in ''Mortal Kombat 3'' (1995) as a Native American shaman selected to help defend Earthrealm against invading fo ...
; all of whom were imprisoned in the Void by Kronika for refusing to join her. Shang Tsung elaborates that, due to the destruction of the Crown of Souls when Liu Kang defeated Kronika, the Hourglass cannot be used to change history without destroying it. He convinces Liu Kang to send him, Fujin, and Nightwolf back in time to retrieve the Crown of Souls before Cetrion does. Though Raiden is suspicious of Shang Tsung's motives, Liu Kang agrees and sends them back, staying behind to protect the Hourglass. Shang Tsung, Fujin, and Nightwolf are transported to the Koliseum just as Kitana confronted Shao Kahn. They attempt to flee undetected, but news spreads of their arrival, prompting Kronika to retaliate. To face Cetrion on his island, Shang Tsung determines their best option is to resurrect Sindel, so they head to the Netherrealm and capture her revenant. Returning to Outworld, Shang Tsung uses Sheeva's blood debt to Sindel to grant him access to the Soul Chamber and restore Sindel despite fierce resistance from Kitana and her allies. Sindel joins Shang Tsung and the others to his island, where Fujin defeats Kronika's forces and convinces present-day Jax to change sides early while Sindel defeats Cetrion and helps the group capture the Crown. With the Crown in their possession, Fujin and Shang Tsung travel to the Fire Garden and convince Raiden of Shang Tsung's alliance. When Kronika attempts to intervene, Raiden, Fujin, and Shang Tsung fend her off, though she reveals the sorcerer was the one who designed the Crown. As the offensive on Kronika's Keep is about to commence, Shang Tsung signals Sindel to heal Shao Kahn and betrays and defeats Sheeva, gaining control of her army. Together, they destroy Geras, imprison the Cage family, defeat Kitana, Liu Kang, and Jade, throw Kung Lao into the Sea of Blood, and kill Kotal. In the process, Sindel reveals she betrayed and killed her previous husband Jerrod as she saw him as weak compared to Shao Kahn. While Fujin spearheads the offensive on Kronika's Keep, Raiden discovers Shang Tsung's plot and Sindel's betrayal while fighting revenant Liu Kang after the latter receives injuries from his past self. Raiden arrives too late to stop Shang Tsung from tricking Fujin into giving him the Crown. The sorcerer gains Kronika's full power, revealing he had planned everything ever since Kronika imprisoned him in the Void. He overpowers and drains Raiden and Fujin's souls before using Sindel and Shao Kahn to reach the Hourglass. Once Kronika's remaining allies are killed, Shang Tsung eventually betrays Sindel and Shao Kahn and drains their souls as well. He then defeats Kronika and absorbs her. As Shang Tsung starts approaching the Hourglass, Fire God Liu Kang shows up, revealing he was aware of Shang Tsung's intentions all along and that, after observing that only Shang Tsung was strong enough to beat Kronika, he had deliberately allowed Shang Tsung to stay alive so the Crown of Souls would stay intact when Kronika was defeated. From this point, the player can choose to fight as Shang Tsung or Liu Kang. Depending on the outcome of the battle, the epilogue will show one of the following: *If Shang Tsung wins, he overpowers Liu Kang and absorbs his soul. He then uses the hourglass to forge his own New Era, where Fujin and Raiden have become his lackeys as he ushers in a campaign of conquest across the realms. *If Liu Kang wins, he erases Shang Tsung from existence and recovers the Crown of Souls. Once he forges his New Era, Liu Kang visits the Shaolin temple so he can train Kung Lao's ancestor, the
Great Kung Lao Kung Lao ( or ) is a fictional character in the '' Mortal Kombat'' fighting game franchise by Midway Games and NetherRealm Studios. A Shaolin monk, he debuted in ''Mortal Kombat II'' (1993). He is depicted as a primary hero in the series, in ...
, to become his champion in Mortal Kombat.


Characters

The game's roster consists of a total of 37 playable characters; 25 characters in the base game (2 of which are unlockable) and 12 characters available via DLC (5 of which are guest characters). The characters in bold are new to the series, while the ''italicized'' ones are guest characters. Along with series veterans including Kano, Raiden, Scorpion, Sonya Blade and Sub-Zero, and others such as Skarlet, who returns from the 2011 reboot, four new fighters were introduced, three of whom are playable. Firstly, Kronika serves as the series's first-ever female
boss character In video games, a boss is a significant computer-controlled opponent. A fight with a boss character is commonly referred to as a boss battle or boss fight. Bosses are generally far stronger than other opponents the player has faced up to that ...
, who has powers over the flow of time, and had been supervising the events of the timelines since the very beginning of the events in the overall ''Mortal Kombat'' story. She is not among the game's playable characters. New playable fighters include Geras, a construct of Kronika who, like her, has powers that allow him to control the flow of time, and produce sand-based attacks; Cetrion, an Elder Goddess who is Shinnok's sister and Kronika's daughter and has control over elemental forces; and Kollector, a six-armed Naknadan who serves as a tribute collector to the Outworld empire. Non-playable characters appearing in the game include Shinnok, who appears in the intro to the story mode and in one of the stages (albeit only his head); Sektor and
Cyrax This is a list of playable and boss characters from the ''Mortal Kombat'' fighting game franchise and the games in which they appear. Created by Ed Boon and John Tobias, the series depicts conflicts between various realms. Most characters fig ...
, who also appear in the story mode as NPC opponents;
Ermac Ermac is a fictional character in the ''Mortal Kombat'' fighting game franchise by Midway Games and NetherRealm Studios. Debuting as an unlockable character in ''Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3'' (1995), he is an amalgam of the souls of deceased warr ...
,
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and Smoke, who all appear in the gameplay as part of Shang Tsung's moveset, as well as one of Rain's fatalities; Kintaro, who appears in one of Shang Tsung's fatalities.


Development

Using Unreal Engine 3, ''Mortal Kombat 11'' was developed by NetherRealm Studios and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, the two parties also involved with the game's predecessor, '' Mortal Kombat X''. The game was announced by series co-creator Ed Boon in December 2018, at The Game Awards 2018, with a trailer showcasing Dark Raiden and Scorpion fighting against each other. At the end of the announcement trailer it was announced that pre-order buyers would have
Shao Kahn Shao Kahn is a fictional character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game franchise by Midway Games and NetherRealm Studios. Depicted as emperor of the fictional realm Outworld, he is one of the franchise's primary villains. Feared for his immen ...
available as a playable character. The trailer featured " Immortal", an original song by artist
21 Savage Shéyaa Bin Abraham-Joseph (born October 22, 1992), known professionally as 21 Savage, is a rapper based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Born in London, he moved to Atlanta with his mother at age seven. He became known after releasing two m ...
. On January 17, 2019, a community reveal event was held simultaneously in Los Angeles and London. The reveal event featured, among many others, a filmed interview with Ronda Rousey, the voice actress for Sonya Blade. On March 22, 2019, about a month before the game's release, it was announced at C2E2 that actor Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa would reprise his role as
Shang Tsung The Shang dynasty (), also known as the Yin dynasty (), was a Chinese royal dynasty founded by Tang of Shang (Cheng Tang) that ruled in the Yellow River valley in the second millennium BC, traditionally succeeding the Xia dynasty and ...
from the 1995 film and the second season of '' Mortal Kombat: Legacy'', while coinciding the announcement of the character as
downloadable content Downloadable content (DLC) is additional content created for an already released video game, distributed through the Internet by the game's publisher. It can either be added for no extra cost or it can be a form of video game monetization, enabli ...
. A public stress test of the game's online mode took place between March 15 and 17. Also, a closed beta was available between March 27 and April 1, 2019, for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One pre-order buyers. During the 2019
Brasil Game Show Brasil Game Show (known by the initials BGS and originally titled Rio Game Show (RGS)) is a yearly Brazilian video game convention organized by business executive Marcelo Tavares, that is currently held in São Paulo and is the largest gaming ...
, Ed Boon announced that the story mode of ''Mortal Kombat 11'' served as a conclusion to the saga that started since the first ''
Mortal Kombat ''Mortal Kombat'' is an American media franchise centered on a series of video games originally developed by Midway Games in 1992. The development of the first game was originally based on an idea that Ed Boon and John Tobias had of making a ...
'' title and the storyline that was established in the 2011 reboot.


Release

The game was released on April 23, 2019, across
Microsoft Windows Windows is a group of several proprietary graphical operating system families developed and marketed by Microsoft. Each family caters to a certain sector of the computing industry. For example, Windows NT for consumers, Windows Server for ...
,
Nintendo Switch The is a hybrid video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. The console itself is a tablet that can either be docked for use as a home console or used as a portable device, making it a ...
,
PlayStation 4 The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013 i ...
, and
Xbox One The Xbox One is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. Announced in May 2013, it is the successor to Xbox 360 and the third base console in the Xbox series of video game consoles. It was first released in North America, parts of ...
, with a Stadia port releasing later in the year on November 19, 2019. With the Nintendo Switch release, ''Mortal Kombat 11'' became the first game in the series to be released on a Nintendo console since '' Mortal Kombat: Armageddon'' for the
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in 2007. On March 22, 2022, almost three years after the game's release, a patch was released for the PC version, removing the Denuvo Anti-Tamper from it, among other minor changes.


Downloadable content

At C2E2 on March 22, 2019,
Shang Tsung The Shang dynasty (), also known as the Yin dynasty (), was a Chinese royal dynasty founded by Tang of Shang (Cheng Tang) that ruled in the Yellow River valley in the second millennium BC, traditionally succeeding the Xia dynasty and ...
was announced as the first downloadable character, who was returning from the 2011 reboot. The character featured the voice and likeness of Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, who portrayed him in the 1995 ''Mortal Kombat'' film. On May 31, 2019, five additional fighters were announced to be released under the first Kombat Pack with Shang Tsung. Three of the confirmed characters were
Nightwolf Nightwolf is a fictional character in the ''Mortal Kombat'' fighting game franchise by Midway Games/NetherRealm Studios. He debuted in ''Mortal Kombat 3'' (1995) as a Native American shaman selected to help defend Earthrealm against invading fo ...
and Sindel, both returning from the 2011 ''Mortal Kombat'' game, and
Spawn Spawn or spawning may refer to: * Spawn (biology), the eggs and sperm of aquatic animals Arts, entertainment, and media * Spawn (character), a fictional character in the comic series of the same name and in the associated franchise ** '' Spawn: A ...
from
Image Comics Image Comics is an American comic book publisher and is the third largest comic book and graphic novel publisher in the industry in both unit and market share. It was founded in 1992 by several high-profile illustrators as a venue for creator-o ...
by Todd McFarlane, as a guest character with
Keith David Keith David Williams (born June 4, 1956) is an American actor. He is known for his signature deep voice and commanding screen presence in over 300 roles across film, stage, television, and interactive media. He has starred in such films as '' T ...
reprising the title role from the HBO animated series '' Todd McFarlane's Spawn''. In February 2015, McFarlane had granted Netherrealm a limited window of permission to use Spawn as a guest character for their titles. However, in April 2015, Ed Boon revealed that Spawn had been discussed as a potential guest character early in development, but that he did not know McFarlane had made the offer until after the release of ''Mortal Kombat X''. Leading up to a
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AMA in December 2018 where McFarlane hinted that Spawn would be in ''Mortal Kombat 11''. The gameplay trailer featuring Spawn was released on March 8, 2020, during the "Final Kombat" tournament, where David attended the event as a guest alongside the debut of the red band trailer for the animated film '' Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion's Revenge''. On August 21, the remaining two guest characters were revealed as the T-800 model from the '' Terminator'' franchise and the Joker from
DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. ( doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with the ...
, marking his return to the series since ''Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe'' after being a playable character in the ''Injustice'' series, with voice actor Richard Epcar reprising the role from both. As a tie-in release to '' Terminator: Dark Fate'', the Terminator's facial likeness and capture were provided by
Arnold Schwarzenegger Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (born July 30, 1947) is an Austrian and American actor, film producer, businessman, retired professional bodybuilder and politician who served as the 38th governor of California between 2003 and 2011. ''Time'' ...
, with the character voiced by Chris Cox, who was appointed by Schwarzenegger himself. In a December 2015 interview, Ed Boon revealed that like Spawn, the Terminator had been considered as a guest character for ''Mortal Kombat X''. The reveal for the Joker's design was met with negative reception, generating a wave of online fans comparing it to a poor
cosplay Cosplay, a portmanteau of "costume play", is an activity and performance art in which participants called cosplayers wear costumes and fashion accessories to represent a specific character. Cosplayers often interact to create a subculture ...
. A teaser trailer later debuted on December 12, 2019, revealed that the Joker had a redesign due to the initial backlash back in August. The redesign for the Joker was later well-received, citing improvement on his facial features as opposed to the initial reveal. Ed Boon initially described the presence of the Joker as "Vicious", in contrast to his previous appearances that were toned down in both ''Injustice'' games and ''Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe'' in order to secure the T rating. Another teaser was uploaded on New Year's Day 2020, featuring the character's trademark graffiti and smiling on the walls of
Arkham Asylum The Elizabeth Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane (), commonly referred to as Arkham Asylum, is a fictional psychiatric hospital/prison, named after the city of Arkham which appeared first in the stories of H. P. Lovecraft, and later appear ...
during fireworks, followed by laughter. Two weeks later, Boon later posted a gameplay image of the Joker covered in blood through his
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account, promising a taste of things to come for the character's inclusion. The gameplay trailer was officially released two days later on January 16, 2020, showcasing the Joker's new moveset and gruesome Fatality. Like ''Mortal Kombat X'', ''Mortal Kombat 11'' received skin packs included in the Kombat Pack, normally consisting of three character skins per pack, with a total of eighteen skins all together. A small number of single skins were released for free such as a Harley Quinn-inspired skin for Cassie Cage and a Dimitri Vegas skin for Sub-Zero, featuring Vegas himself providing the voice for the skin as Sub-Zero. During the Summer of 2019, two Klassic skin packs were released in a period of two months, consisting of a Klassic Ninja skin pack in June and a Klassic Arcade Fighter skin pack in August 2019. In October 2019, a Double Feature skin pack was released while a Halloween skin pack was released for free. In November 2019, a Gothic horror skin pack was released. In January 2020, an
Elseworlds ''Elseworlds'' was the publication imprint for American comic books produced by DC Comics for stories that took place outside the DC Universe canon. Elseworlds publications are set in alternate realities that deviate from the established con ...
-themed skin pack was announced to be released with the Joker alongside a
Darkseid Darkseid () is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer-artist Jack Kirby to serve as the primary antagonist of his "Fourth World (comics), Fourth World" metaseries, and was firs ...
skin for Geras. In March 2020, a Matinee skin pack was released with Spawn including a "Hellspawn" themed skin for Jacqui Briggs. On May 5, 2020, a new story mode DLC was teased, to be officially announced the following day. This DLC was revealed to be titled ''Aftermath'' and together with new story mode content, it consists of Fujin, who was last playable in ''Armageddon'';
Sheeva This is a list of playable and boss characters from the ''Mortal Kombat'' fighting game franchise and the games in which they appear. Created by Ed Boon and John Tobias, the series depicts conflicts between various realms. Most characters fig ...
, who previously appeared as a non playable character in the game's story mode; and an additional guest character,
RoboCop ''RoboCop'' is a 1987 American science fiction action film directed by Paul Verhoeven and written by Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner. The film stars Peter Weller, Nancy Allen, Daniel O'Herlihy, Ronny Cox, Kurtwood Smith, and Miguel Fer ...
, with actor
Peter Weller Peter Weller (born June 24, 1947) is an American film and stage actor, television director, and art historian. He has appeared in more than 70 films and television series, including '' RoboCop'' (1987) and its sequel '' RoboCop 2'' (1990), in wh ...
reprising his role for the first time since '' RoboCop 2''. Three additional skin packs were announced in July 2020 as part of the post ''Aftermath'' launch, which were released between August and September 2020. On October 6, 2020, a teaser trailer for an additional DLC pack was uploaded, promising more information on October 8. This was revealed to be Kombat Pack 2, consisting of three playable characters: Mileena, who was last playable in ''Mortal Kombat X'';
Rain Rain is water droplets that have condensed from atmospheric water vapor and then fall under gravity. Rain is a major component of the water cycle and is responsible for depositing most of the fresh water on the Earth. It provides water f ...
, who was last playable in the 2011 reboot via DLC; and an additional guest character,
John Rambo John James Rambo (born July 6, 1947) is a fictional character in the ''Rambo'' franchise. He first appeared in the 1972 novel ''First Blood'' by David Morrell, but later became more famous as the protagonist of the film series, in which he was ...
from the ''Rambo'' franchise, with original actor
Sylvester Stallone Sylvester Enzio Stallone (; born Michael Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone, ) is an American actor and filmmaker. After his beginnings as a struggling actor for a number of years upon arriving to New York City in 1969 and later Hollywood in 1974, h ...
providing his voice and likeness. Kombat Pack 2, along with all previous downloadable content, is included as part of the game's enhanced ''Ultimate'' re-release. To work around the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
, Stallone recorded his dialogue at his home, through Zoom conference calls with the Netherrealm staff. Mileena's inclusion in Kombat Pack 2 was due to high demand from fans in the wake of her absence in the game previously. Ed Boon revealed that the motivation for her exclusion from the base game was that the team wanted to "create an appreciation" for the character, after getting constant replies from fans on social media demanding her return. An enhanced version of the game with all downloadable content included, titled ''Mortal Kombat 11: Ultimate'', was released on November 17, 2020 for the PlayStation 4,
PlayStation 5 The PlayStation 5 (PS5) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 4 in April 2019, it was launched on November 12, 2020, in Australia, Japan, New Zealand, North ...
, Xbox One, and
Xbox Series X/S The Xbox Series X/S are home video game consoles developed by Microsoft. They were both released on November 10, 2020, as the fourth generation Xbox, succeeding the Xbox One. Along with Sony's PlayStation 5, also released in November 202 ...
. A "Klassic MK Movie" skin pack was released on November 24, 2020, adding new skins for Johnny Cage, Sonya Blade and Raiden using the respective voices and likenesses of Linden Ashby, Bridgette Wilson, and
Christopher Lambert Christophe Guy Denis "Christopher" Lambert (; ; born March 29, 1957) is a French-American actor, producer, and novelist. He started his career playing supporting parts in several French films, and became internationally famous for portraying T ...
, who portrayed them in the 1995 ''Mortal Kombat'' film. On July 2, 2021, NetherRealm Studios announced that ''Mortal Kombat 11'' would no longer receive DLC and update support, and that they would instead be focusing on their next project.


Reception

''Mortal Kombat 11'' received generally favorable reviews according to the review aggregator website
Metacritic Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...
. '' IGN'' praised the more slow-paced combat compared to the previous game in the series, as well as the expanded tutorial, story mode and improved netcode. However, it condemned the game's drawn-out progression and customization unlock system, which was described as "frustratingly gimmicky and grindy". ''
GameSpot ''GameSpot'' is an American video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information on video games. The site was launched on May 1, 1996, created by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. In addition ...
'' gave the game a 9, praising the fighting system calling it "accessible, deep and exciting" as well praising the story mode. However, they criticized the "always-online requirement for progression" as well as the randomization of rewards in the Krypt. The
Nintendo Switch The is a hybrid video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. The console itself is a tablet that can either be docked for use as a home console or used as a portable device, making it a ...
version of the game was also well received. ''Pure Nintendo'' gave the game a 9, praising the game's story mode, customization mode, and the game's tutorials, though stated that the online features are where the Nintendo Switch version "falls short". ''Nintendo Life'' gave the game an 8 out of 10, praising the game on its features, though it was critical on the game's graphics, stating that "it's a performance-first experience that nails 60fps, and boasts every mode and mechanic from other versions, only with a noticeable downgrade in the aesthetics department".


Sales

In North America, ''Mortal Kombat 11'' was the best-selling video game software for the month of April. This, along with '' Fortnite'', contributed to digital game sales reaching over $8.8 billion in April. In June 2019, ''Mortal Kombat 11'' surpassed the sales of ''
Kingdom Hearts III is a 2019 action role-playing game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows and Nintendo Switch. It is the twelfth installment in the ''Kingdom Hearts'' series, and serves as a conclusion of the ...
''. ''Mortal Kombat 11'' proceeded to be the best-selling video game software in North America for the following month of May, for both Xbox One and PlayStation 4, the sales of the game is nearly doubled comparably to previous entries of the series. In May 2019, the game reached number 1 in Australia, and number 2 in New Zealand. It was the 4th most downloaded game on the European
PlayStation Store The PlayStation Store (PS Store) is a digital media store available to users of Sony's PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 game consoles via the PlayStation Network. The store offers a range of downloadable conten ...
charts in April 2019. Overall, Mortal Kombat 11 was the fifth best selling game of 2019 and the fourth best selling PS4 game of 2019. By 2021, the game had sold more than 12 million copies worldwide.


Awards


Controversies

Due to its gore, ''Mortal Kombat 11'' is banned in Indonesia, Japan, China and Ukraine. In Ukraine, it is because of the laws banning Communist symbols. Some of these symbols are present on the "Kollection" images and on the bonus costume of character Skarlet, which was also part of the MK11 Premium Edition. ''Mortal Kombat 11'' also received heavy backlash from members of the Mortal Kombat fanbase for drastically cutting back on the sex appeal of its female characters. Creator Ed Boon, in an interview with ''
Playboy ''Playboy'' is an American men's Lifestyle magazine, lifestyle and entertainment magazine, formerly in print and currently online. It was founded in Chicago in 1953, by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from H ...
'', claimed it was "unrealistic" for female fighters to be scantily clad and thought that the 2011 ''
Mortal Kombat ''Mortal Kombat'' is an American media franchise centered on a series of video games originally developed by Midway Games in 1992. The development of the first game was originally based on an idea that Ed Boon and John Tobias had of making a ...
'' had "gone too far in its sexualization".How ‘Mortal Kombat’ Became an Immortal Franchise
" ''
Playboy ''Playboy'' is an American men's Lifestyle magazine, lifestyle and entertainment magazine, formerly in print and currently online. It was founded in Chicago in 1953, by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from H ...
'' 22 Apr. 2019.
In 2019, a ''Mortal Kombat 11'' developer revealed to ''
Kotaku ''Kotaku'' is a video game website and blog that was originally launched in 2004 as part of the Gawker Media network. Notable former contributors to the site include Luke Smith, Cecilia D'Anastasio, Tim Rogers, and Jason Schreier. Histor ...
'' that they had to go to a therapist and were diagnosed with
post-traumatic stress disorder Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental and behavioral disorder that can develop because of exposure to a traumatic event, such as sexual assault, warfare, traffic collisions, child abuse, domestic violence, or other threats o ...
(PTSD) because of the realistic graphic violence they had to work on the game. The developers suffered trauma from incessant exposure to violent and gory animations and “real-life” research materials, such as videos and pictures of murder victims and slaughtered animals, to the point of having graphic, violent dreams in their sleep. The studio was also accused of instituting "crunch culture", with employees regularly working 80 to 100 hours a week to meet submission deadlines. In January 2021, a ''Mortal Kombat 11'' Pro Kompetition finalist, Titaniumtigerzz, was disqualified for naming his
Sheeva This is a list of playable and boss characters from the ''Mortal Kombat'' fighting game franchise and the games in which they appear. Created by Ed Boon and John Tobias, the series depicts conflicts between various realms. Most characters fig ...
variation 'WhyDidNRSdoThis'. The name "was supposed to be a very mild criticism of Sheeva's strengths" according to the player.


Related media


Toys

At Toy Fair 2019, it was announced that
McFarlane Toys McFarlane Toys is an American company founded by comic book creator Todd McFarlane which makes highly detailed model action figures of characters from films, comics, popular music, video games and various sporting genres. The company, a subsid ...
would be producing a line of action figures to promote the game.


Mobile game

In February 2019, the mobile game that had originally been launched as '' Mortal Kombat X'' for iOS and Android, was renamed to ''Mortal Kombat Mobile'' as it received its 2.0 update, incorporating ''Mortal Kombat 11'' content in the process. Among these changes, the graphics engine was transitioned from Unreal Engine 3 to Unreal Engine 4. The app is available on App Store and Google Play, with 50 million downloads in the latter.


Notes


References


External links

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