Mortal Kombat 11 Reveal Recap: New and Old Characters, Fatalities, and Ronda Rousey as Sonya Blade

It seems like forever ago when Mortal Kombat 11 was revealed back at The Game Awards with a snazzy cinematic trailer. And today, we got our first big look into what the greatly anticipated NetherRealm fighter will bring forward, from gameplay to a story prologue picking up after the events of Mortal Kombat X.

The event kicked off with a quick gameplay trailer, showing off seven characters in action, returning, old, and new. It's a gory trailer—maybe the most violent Mortal Kombat has ever been. During the gameplay trailers and demos, we see Baraka rip off a face and then eat their brain as a fatality. We see Skarlet summon blood daggers, before it stabs into poor Sonya Blade repeatedly. Skarlet then jabs one final blade through her head, wherein her eye pops out. Gnarly.

You can watch the trailer for yourself below. Suffice it to say, Mortal Kombat is going even further than the hyper-violent Mortal Kombat X, which should both please, and gross out, long-time fans of the franchise.

Mortal Kombat 11's Characters: Baraka, Scorpion, and Other Old Favorites Return

Baraka, Sonya Blade, Scorpion, Skarlet (who is returning from Mortal Kombat 9 DLC), Sub-Zero, Dark Raiden, and new character Geras will be joining the fight, with the rest of the roster remaining a mystery. New additions to the brutal kombat include a separate meter for offensive and defensive attacks, rather than a combined one. Fatal blows will also now take 30 percent of the player's health meter, making it a more tactical ability with consequence, but also a healthy reward.

NetherRealm Studios creative director Ed Boon detailed some of the new customization coming to Mortal Kombat 11 too, including gear and "kosmetics." Players will be able to customize three parts of characters, such as swapping out Scorpion's mask, or for gear changing his dagger. Players will be able to see others' customized fighters online, which Boon detailed while showing a short video of the many versions of Scorpion and Baraka.

After lots and lots of gameplay and trailers, professional wrestler and actress Ronda Rousey was revealed to be the voice behind Sonya Blade in this installment. In a short video introducing Rousey, she says that "Sonya Blade was the first kick-ass girl I saw come onto the scene." For Rousey, being Sonya Blade seems to be an exciting role.

Mortal Kombat 11's Story: Meet the "Goddess of Time"

As for Mortal Kombat 11's story, things will be picking up following the events of Mortal Kombat X. Kronika, the "Goddess of Time" in the Mortal Kombat universe, will serve as the story mode's main antagonist. The time-manipulating villain will be playing "tricks with time," making old character meet their younger selves somehow. Could time travel be afoot, or just some other sort of manipulation? Players will have to wait and see, but on stage at the event, a cinematic story prologue gave players a tease of the evil doer.

At the end of the presentation, the Mortal Kombat 11 Collector's Edition was unveiled, which will feature a big ol' Scorpion Mask statue. Anyone who pre-orders will also get access to the Mortal Kombat 11 beta on March 28, in addition to getting access to fighter Shao Kahn on day one. Fatalities await us all though when Mortal Kombat 11 releases on April 23 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC.