Mortal Kombat (2011 video game)

Mortal Kombat

Company type	Video game
Industry	Video games
Founded	2011 (2011)
Founder	NetherRealm Studios
Products	Fighting game
Parent	Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment

Mortal Kombat—also referred to as Mortal Kombat 9 or MK9'—is a fighting game released in 2011, developed by NetherRealm Studios and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. Serving as the ninth primary entry and a soft reboot within the Mortal Kombat franchise, it initially launched on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in April 2011. A version for the PlayStation Vita was subsequently released in May 2012. The game was later expanded into Mortal Kombat: Komplete Edition, which became available for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in February 2012, followed by a Microsoft Windows release in July 2013.

The storyline commences during events of Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, yet functions as a retcon that revisits the narratives of the original three titles (Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat II, and Mortal Kombat 3) along with their updates. It focuses on Earthrealm’s guardian, Raiden, who endeavors to change the disastrous outcome of Armageddon by sending warnings to his past self, aiming to thwart defeat at the hands of Outworld’s ruler, Shao Kahn. Although the visuals utilize 3D models, gameplay adheres to a 2.5D perspective reminiscent of the series’ classic two-dimensional style, featuring a fixed perpendicular camera viewpoint.

Upon its debut, Mortal Kombat was met with widespread critical praise, earning numerous accolades for fighting game of the year and achieving sales exceeding one million copies within its initial month. The title’s intense graphic content resulted in bans in Australia (later overturned following the introduction of an R18 rating), South Korea, and led to indexing restrictions in Germany. The franchise progressed with subsequent releases including Mortal Kombat X in 2015 and Mortal Kombat 11 in April 2019.

Gameplay

The fundamental gameplay revolves around one-on-one combat presented in a 2.5D format on a single two-dimensional plane running at 60 frames per second, while characters are depicted using three-dimensional graphics to enrich depth perception and projectile effects. Differing from earlier installments, four controller buttons are assigned to attacks corresponding to specific limbs.

A notable addition is the "super meter," which fills through performing special moves or sustaining damage during fights. This meter has three tiers that unlock different capabilities: level one enhances special attacks; level two enables combo breakers; level three activates an "X-ray move," showcasing internal injuries such as bone fractures and organ damage inflicted on opponents.

Other gameplay elements include a story mode featuring multiple selectable characters, a Fatality training mode designed for mastering finishing moves, and Challenge Tower offering 300 solo challenges that reward in-game currency usable for skipping difficult tasks. These challenges range from "Test Your Might," which involves rapid button presses, to "Test Your Luck," which introduces unique fight conditions. The four-player tag-team mode permits two players to form teams, incorporating "tag assist" attacks where an off-screen teammate joins combos, as well as "tag kombo," allowing combos to conclude with a partner entering the fight.

The online mode features a "King of the Hill" system where up to eight viewers can challenge the reigning winner. Spectators also have the ability to rate matches and engage in combo discussions via an integrated forum. Access requires a one-time use online pass, obtainable through digital marketplaces. Additionally, the PlayStation 3 edition includes an exclusive glasses-free 3D display option.

Setting

The game's director, Ed Boon, characterized this installment as a reimagined version of the initial three Mortal Kombat titles (Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat II, and Mortal Kombat 3):

This entry also revises events from Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, substituting Taven’s triumph over Blaze with Shao Kahn's victory.

Plot

In the midst of the Armageddon conflict, all combatants perish except for Raiden and Shao Kahn. Empowered by his conquest over Blaze, Shao Kahn overwhelms Raiden, who, before falling, sends a cryptic warning to his former self through a fragmented amulet.

Returning to the inaugural tournament, Raiden acts on his visions to guarantee Liu Kang’s success in order to protect Earthrealm. He strikes a deal with Scorpion, promising to resurrect Scorpion’s clan if he spares Bi-Han. However, deceptive visions planted by Quan Chi mislead Scorpion into killing Sub-Zero, thus replicating the original timeline.

Liu Kang overcomes challengers such as Goro and Shang Tsung. Although Shao Kahn orders Shang Tsung’s execution, he is convinced to hold a second tournament where Earthrealm’s fate is at stake: if victorious, Earthrealm remains free; if defeated, Outworld gains invasion rights. Raiden consents following an assault on Earthrealm by Tarkatan warriors.

During the second tournament, Kuai Liang assumes the mantle of Sub-Zero alongside Smoke. The Lin Kuei’s cybernetic assassins Sektor and Cyrax hunt them for conversion; Raiden rescues Smoke, but Kuai Liang is captured. Upon discovering her half-Tarkatan clone Mileena, Shao Kahn’s adopted daughter Kitana joins Earthrealm’s cause, accompanied by her ally Jade. Raiden replaces Liu Kang with Kung Lao, who defeats Shang Tsung and his allies but is slain by Shao Kahn. Subsequently, Liu Kang mortally wounds Shao Kahn. The continued fracturing of Raiden’s amulet signals that future dangers remain unresolved.

With assistance from Quan Chi, Shao Kahn recovers and revives his wife Sindel, removing barriers to invade Earthrealm. Raiden prevents Johnny Cage’s death by killing the centaurian Motaro. Joined by officers Stryker and former Black Dragon member Kabal, Earthrealm defenders resist the invasion. After being gravely wounded, Kabal is resurrected by Kano, gaining enhanced speed. Shao Kahn sacrifices the souls held by Shang Tsung to empower Sindel.

Raiden and Liu Kang petition the Elder Gods to intervene against Shao Kahn; however, they refuse, explaining that only merging realms without a tournament violates their laws.

During their absence, Sindel leads an assault killing Jax, Jade, Sub-Zero, Kabal, Stryker, and Smoke; Kitana suffers fatal injuries. Nightwolf sacrifices himself to eliminate Sindel. Kitana dies after a final conversation with Liu Kang; only Johnny Cage and Sonya Blade survive but are incapacitated.

Raiden tries to forge an alliance with Quan Chi by offering souls as payment; Quan Chi declines, revealing he already commands the heroes’ souls as undead "revenants." Understanding that "He must win" means Shao Kahn must prevail in Mortal Kombat to avoid punishment from the Elder Gods, Liu Kang confronts Shao Kahn alone but is accidentally killed by Raiden’s lightning. Wracked with guilt, Raiden surrenders; empowered by the Elder Gods for breaking Mortal Kombat’s rules, he defeats Shao Kahn.

Following Shao Kahn's demise, Raiden pledges to restore Earthrealm alongside Cage and Blade. Meanwhile, Quan Chi unveils himself as an agent of Shinnok, scheming to conquer realms through Shao Kahn’s downfall and Earthrealm’s weakened state.

Characters

At launch, the game featured 28 selectable fighters alongside four additional DLC characters. New series entrants are highlighted in bold, while italicized names denote guest appearances.

Core Roster	NPC	DLC
Baraka Cyber Sub-Zero Cyrax Ermac Jade Jax Johnny Cage Kabal Kano Kitana Kratos (exclusive to PS3) Kung Lao Liu Kang Mileena Nightwolf Noob Saibot Quan Chi Raiden Reptile Scorpion Sektor Shang Tsung Sheeva Sindel Smoke Sonya Blade Stryker Sub-Zero	Goro Kintaro Shao Kahn	Freddy Krueger Kenshi Rain Skarlet

In the original PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 editions, Cyber Sub-Zero and Quan Chi were secret characters, but they became accessible in the Komplete Edition. The NPC fighters Goro, Kintaro, and Shao Kahn are only playable through modifications. Kratos from the God of War franchise is a PlayStation-exclusive character. Initially, Sweet Tooth from Twisted Metal was considered as a PlayStation exclusive before Kratos was selected, while Marcus Fenix from Gears of War was contemplated for the Xbox 360 version. Tremor appears exclusively in the PlayStation Vita edition within character challenge towers. The characters Motaro and Shinnok appear solely in story mode cutscenes.

Development

In November 2008, Ed Boon suggested that the commercial performance of Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe would shape features in the subsequent title. Following Midway Games Chicago's bankruptcy in 2009, Warner Bros. Interactive acquired the studio and rebranded it as NetherRealm Studios, marking this as the first Mortal Kombat game published solely by Warner Bros. On June 18, 2009, Boon confirmed that motion capture sessions had begun and that superheroes would be excluded from the roster. Dan Forden returned to compose the soundtrack.

The development team aimed to recapture the franchise’s violent essence with a "Mature" rating while steering clear of an "Adults Only" classification. Officially unveiled on June 10, 2010, for release on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in 2011, the game supported stereoscopic 3D on PlayStation 3. Boon stressed meticulous design to ensure gameplay remained clear despite the added visual depth. The popular "Krypt" mode was reintroduced with a more intricate unlocking system intended to surpass previous iterations. The developers sought to balance accessibility for newcomers with deeper mechanics for veterans by consulting experts within the fighting game community. Lighthearted elements were introduced through features such as Babality finishing moves. A PC version was also under consideration due to European market interest.

Built upon a heavily customized Unreal Engine 3, the fighting engine was redesigned to confine combat to a two-dimensional plane, enabling enhanced character and stage visuals along with faster-paced gameplay. Enhanced "blood physics" created more realistic gore effects visible on both fighters and environments. Online play was a major focus, with plans to integrate player progression into social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter to emulate arcade-style social interaction.

Lead artist Dave Pindara described developing environments featuring interactive objects, dynamic lighting, and responsive arenas—expanding from an initial count of 18 stages to around 30 including time-of-day variations linked to the narrative. Each location contained unique details such as authentic sand movement in "The Desert." Sound designer Dan Forden aimed for a cinematic auditory experience with detailed sound effects and new musical compositions tailored for each stage.

Boon emphasized including characters from the first three Mortal Kombat games to satisfy longtime fans. The team designed distinctive stances, victory animations, and Fatalities for every fighter without recycling any moves across characters. Lead designer John Edwards highlighted differentiating characters by attributes such as strength and speed. Producer Shaun Himmerick noted that designing each character took about ten weeks. Plans for an Xbox 360-exclusive character were ultimately canceled; discussions had included Sweet Tooth from Sony’s Twisted Metal series.

On April 5, 2011, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment alongside NetherRealm Studios announced that production of Mortal Kombat had been completed and was ready for mass distribution.

Building upon the cinematic story mode introduced in Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe, NetherRealm substantially expanded its cinematic storytelling team for this installment. Ed Boon encouraged conveying franchise narratives through a cinematic approach involving storyboard artists, animators, visual effects teams, composers, and specialized camera operators to craft a sophisticated single-player experience aimed at attracting casual players beyond traditional fighting game audiences.

Marketing

On August 31, 2010, the teaser trailer titled "Shadows" premiered on IGN, featuring the song "Another Way to Die" by Disturbed from their album Asylum. Later, on September 28, 2010, the official Mortal Kombat website displayed the phrase "Kombat Begins In ..." alongside a countdown timer set to conclude on October 11, 2010. When the countdown ended, visitors were directed to the game's Facebook page and a dedicated Facebook app that included a teaser trailer.

The "Environment Bio" trailer for The Pit arena was unveiled on October 4, 2010, offering insight into the stage's lore within the game. Similar trailers followed for The Living Forest, Dead Pool, and Kahn's Coliseum arenas, each elaborating on their respective backgrounds. Additionally, character profile videos were released for Scorpion, Sub-Zero, Mileena, Liu Kang, and Raiden.

In April 2011, Playboy models Jo Garcia and Brittney Palmer appeared in a sponsored vlog advertisement promoting the title. To further support marketing efforts, Bespoke Arcades produced arcade cabinets showcased at Gadget Show Live 2011. By April 2012, live-action cosplay trailers starring Rachelle Glover (as Kitana) and Danni Levy (as Mileena) were combined into a commercial named "Fight Anywhere."

A demo version launched worldwide on March 8, 2011, initially exclusive to PlayStation Plus subscribers. This demo included four fighters—Johnny Cage, Mileena, Scorpion, and Sub-Zero—and two stages: The Living Forest and The Pit. In May 2011, Performance Design Products sponsored the first National Mortal Kombat Championship held in Las Vegas. The game was also prominently featured as a main event fighting game at the 2011 Evolution Championship Series (Evo). Competitive players Justin Wong and Carl 'Perfect Legend' White commended Mortal Kombat for its potential in future esports tournaments.

Retail editions

Mortal Kombat was made available for pre-order in three distinct editions: the Standard Edition; Kollector's Edition—which included the game, an art book, Sub-Zero and Scorpion figurine bookends, plus a downloadable Mortal Kombat Klassic costume; and the Tournament Edition—offering a fight stick controller in place of the bookends and art book. For Europe, a Kollector's Edition was offered containing the game, art book, figurines of Scorpion and Sub-Zero, a Steelbook case, and downloadable skins.

In the United States, pre-orders through Toys "R" Us and Wal-Mart granted access to classic skins for Kitana and Mileena inspired by their appearances in Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3. Customers who pre-ordered either Mortal Kombat or purchased Mortal Kombat Annihilation on Blu-ray received a classic Jade skin. Exclusive classic costumes and Fatalities for Scorpion, Sub-Zero, and Reptile were available through GameStop, Best Buy, and Amazon.com pre-orders. Xbox 360 avatar users who pre-ordered were rewarded with themed costumes as well.

Downloadable content

The Klassic DLC pack was released by NetherRealm Studios on June 7, 2011; it featured classic costumes and Fatalities that had previously been exclusive to pre-order bonuses. Additional downloadable characters included Skarlet—a new female fighter inspired by a rumored glitch from Mortal Kombat II—alongside Kenshi from Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, Rain from Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, Kratos from the God of War series, and Freddy Krueger from the A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise. Every character release was accompanied by a free compatibility pack providing "klassic" skins for two fighters accessible to all players.

Warner Bros. proposed including Neo from The Matrix as a guest character; however, NetherRealm declined this suggestion as they felt it would not align with the game's style. For Xbox 360 users, a "Season Pass" was available bundling the first four DLC characters at a discounted rate. Warner Bros. was among the pioneering major publishers to implement this season pass approach—a prepaid post-launch content strategy that enhanced revenue by extending support beyond initial release.

PlayStation Vita port

Announced on January 18, 2012, the PlayStation Vita version of Mortal Kombat launched in North America on May 1 and Europe on May 4 of that year. This edition incorporated all features present in the PlayStation 3 Komplete Edition, along with new costumes and an exclusive Challenge Tower designed specifically for Vita users. It also introduced touchscreen controls for executing finishing moves. One stage was omitted from this version. Online services supporting multiplayer for the Vita port were discontinued on July 16, 2014.

Mortal Kombat: Komplete Edition

Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment revealed Mortal Kombat: Komplete Edition on January 9, 2012; it was released for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on February 28 in North America and March 2 in the United Kingdom. This comprehensive edition combined the original game with all previously released downloadable content. The North American version also included digital download codes for the album Mortal Kombat: Songs Inspired by the Warriors as well as access to the 1995 Mortal Kombat film via online stores.

In May 2011, Ed Boon hinted that a Mac version might precede a PC release; however, by February 2012 developers had no immediate plans for PC but were monitoring demand. On May 22, 2013, it was announced that the Komplete Edition would be released for Windows via Steam on July 3 with a retail edition following in early August.

As of March 21, 2020, Warner Bros Games removed Mortal Kombat: Komplete Edition from Steam due to modifications within their network infrastructure.

Critical response

Prior to its launch, Mortal Kombat was regarded as an essential title justifying console ownership in 2011 and ranked among E3 2010’s most eagerly awaited games. The E3 demonstration garnered accolades from GameSpot, winning Best Fighting Game and Best Stage Demo awards. Upon release, it secured several Game of the Year honors in the fighting game category from entities such as Golden Joystick Awards, Spike Video Game Awards, and Interactive Achievement Awards.

Reviewers commended Mortal Kombat for reinvigorating its franchise through balanced mechanics, intense gore effects, and substantial content offerings. GameZone described it as "a significant advancement," while Game Informer labeled it "the best Mortal Kombat installment to date." GameSpot praised its exaggerated style and engaging story mode likened to a full-length CG film that manages to captivate despite some cheesiness. IGN highlighted its successful blend of graphic violence with solid fighting gameplay elements. Some critiques targeted AI difficulty spikes and occasional inconsistencies in character balance.

The PlayStation Vita iteration received praise as arguably the most complete version available at launch; it maintained high-quality visuals and content despite minor control challenges. Released two years later on PC as part of the Komplete Edition bundle, it achieved favorable reviews alongside strong sales performance.

Controversy

In Australia, initial classification refusals due to extreme violence led to bans and import seizures of the game until an R18+ rating was introduced in 2013 allowing an uncut release. The Vita version also encountered bans within Australia. Germany placed it on an index list because of violent content restrictions while South Korea prohibited its sale due to excessive bloodshed.

Sales

Ed Boon reported that during its first month post-launch combined sales across PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 reached one million units. By August of that year Warner Bros disclosed nearly three million copies sold worldwide—covering Midway’s acquisition expenses—with sales nearing four million by early 2013.

Legacy

The success of Mortal Kombat's narrative-driven story mode influenced subsequent NetherRealm projects such as the Injustice series and encouraged other fighting games—including Guilty Gear Xrd, Tekken 7, Street Fighter V, and Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite—to incorporate cinematic storytelling elements into their design.

Sequel

Main article: Mortal Kombat X

NetherRealm Studios developed a follow-up titled Mortal Kombat X, which launched in April 2015 across Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One platforms.