Mortal Kombat 11’s Custom Character Variation System Will Give Players Creative Control

In a press release following Mortal Kombat 11’s surprising The Game Awards 2018 reveal, Warner Bros. and NetherRealm Studios offered details about the franchise’s newest system. MK11 will give players the ability to build “customized versions of the character roster” with the Custom Character Variation System. NetherRealm Creative Director and Mortal Kombat Co-Creator Ed Boon teased this new system with the following statement, “Our Custom Character Variation System opens up infinite amounts of options for players to personalize their favorite fighters.”

While the studio isn’t presently showing off more of MK11 just yet, a gameplay showcase is planned for the Mortal Kombat 11: The Reveal event on January 17, 2019. For those unable to attend the event, the festivities and a keynote will be livestreamed on NetherRealm’s official Twitch account.

It stands to reason that specifics about the Custom Character Variation System will also remain under wraps until the January 2019 event. However, based on the loose description alone, the systems seems a blending of Mortal Kombat X’s Character Variations and Injustice 2‘s Gear System.

Character Variations in MKX offered players three versions of each character to choose from. These variations altered physical appearance, attacks, and special moves. Meanwhile, Injustice 2’s Gear System presented players with loot drops, armor pieces that could be switched out for the torso, head, arms, and legs. In addition to giving players customization options, the Gear System also featured stat boosts on each armor piece. If the Custom Character Variation System in MK11 is an evolution of the previous two systems, its customization options could be far more detailed than any seen in previous NetherRealm game.

Mortal Kombat 11 will arrive in stores on April 23, 2019.