This next weekMortal Kombat 11’sAftermathexpansion launches, adding Fujin, RoboCop, and Sheeva as playable characters. While the new additions are certain to be welcome onMortal Kombat 11’s roster, some fans can’t help but wonder why their favorites haven’t made the cut.Mortal Kombatcreator andMK11creative director Ed Boon recently took the time to explain why some ofMortal Kombat 11’s most iconic fighters weren’t included in the new game.
In an interview with Game Informer, Boon was asked aboutFujinand how NetherRealm decided on adding him toMK11. Boon responds with a somewhat fragmented statement. " I think over the years, we have 80Mortal Kombatcharacters in some capacity," Boon starts, perhaps to acknowledge thatMortal Kombatis always expanding with new fighters. “The reason we added Fujin was because he hasn’t been seen in a game for so long.”
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“If we just did Mileena, Kitana, Jade, Scorpion, Sub-Zero, Rain, you know, all these characters, I think it would get stale after a while,” is how Boon characterizes the underlying issue. He believes that it’s necessary to “give characters a rest” from time to time, which makes their eventual return in anotherMortal KombatDLC or sequela big deal. “It’s a novelty, and so we’re just kind of spreading it.”
But while Boon explains that the diverse roster ofMK11is the best thing for the game and for fans, he also says it’s good forNetherRealm’s developers, too. He explains how Fujin’s designers started by saying they thought they could do “something really cool with this character with wind and running on the wind and doing stuff with his sword.” ForMK11’s developers, being able to experiment with gameplay and do something new and fun is a priority.
Obviously, NetherRealm has gone out of its way to add a lot of more traditionalMortal KombatcharacterstoMK11, too. But when the roster is already so big and the team is working on its umpteenth DLC character, it’s hard to blame them for doing something different.
That’s not to say that these characters, Reptile and Mileena and others, won’t be back in the future. They may even be back inMortal Kombat 11, since the game’s future DLC plans have yet to be announced. For the time being though, hopefullyMortal Kombat 11fans enjoy Fujin,RoboCop, and Sheeva, given the clear thought and effort that’s gone into theAftermathexpansion.Aftermathreleases on May 26.
Mortal Kombat 11is available now PC, PS4, Stadia, Switch, and Xbox One.
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