After having an impressive reveal trailer at The Game Awards, a recent listing has possibly a few more details about Mortal Kombat 11. According to the listing in question, the upcoming fighter will have six DLC characters, a deeper cosmetic customization system, updated gore technology, a heavier focus on esports, and a new game engine.
While not confirmed by NetherRealm, GameStop Italy already has the page up for the Mortal Kombat 11 Premium Edition. It does state that six characters are coming, but it doesn’t reveal who the six characters are. NetherRealm usually unveils the post-launch downloadable roster in waves near (and after) the base game’s release. However, if this number is accurate, this is less than both Mortal Kombat X and Injustice 2, which had eight and nine DLC post-launch characters, respectively. It’s also likely that this doesn’t include Shao Kahn, who is a pre-order bonus and was also fully shown in the listing as you can see in the above picture.
The DLC fighters, along with the base roster, will have customizable Variations, which was revealed during its announcement. Although this listing gives a better look at how players will have more control over the characters. It says that you “can customize the variants of your fighters down to the smallest detail, gaining unprecedented control over the aesthetics of the characters.” Injustice 2 introduced the popular gear system and this description insinuates that Mortal Kombat 11 is getting a bigger, more expanded version of that.
Personalizing your character is most notable in the online space and Mortal Kombat 11 looks to be improving upon what came before it. The listing states that the game will have a very “strong multiplayer component, entirely oriented towards the esports: personalization systems, daily news, constantly updated rewards and an improved matchmaking [sic].”
These are vague, but show NetherRealm’s continued push towards the esports scene. Mortal Kombat X got vastly improved GGPO-like netcode a year after its release and Injustice 2 also received a post-launch patch that added ranked sets; both of which show an effort to properly support its competitive players. The two games even have different cosmetics that go towards tournament prize pools; an aspects other fighting games could use.
While still just a translation, the listing also has a “Battlepass” next to its Kombat Pass. It’s unknown what that is but could possibly be a battle pass-like system that is currently in popular multiplayer games like Fortnite, Call of Duty Black Ops 4, and Rocket League.
And, of course, the listing also boasts new graphics engine that “renders in the smallest details every crushed skull and torn heart” and will “make the performances even more brutal.” That was probably already a given though.
