Hot on the heels of an all male poll [full story]; Mortal Kombat X Creative Director Ed Boon has asked fans which female kombatant they missed most from the best selling tenth installment.
The four character Twitter poll produced a closer race between options, with 1,334 more votes registered than the initial query. Jade was an unsurprising winner with 37%, often commanding a highly motivated cult following. 2011 DLC fighter Skarlet was a more surprising second with 27% of the vote.
Which female fighter did you miss the most in MKXL?
Like the first poll; the selection of lady fighters offers a mix of the overlooked and truly absent. Sindel (24%) appears prominently in the Mortal Kombat X story mode as a non-playable character, also featured as an eventual Invasion Boss. Sheeva (12%) and Skarlet didn't return in any notable game capacity.
Jade was inexplicably killed off between games - the only revenant from Mortal Kombat (2011) to not appear in the sequel. Kitana pays homage to the fallen Jade with her Mournful variation in MKX. Jade also makes a brief cameo appearance in Revenant Kitana's arcade ending [below].
Which lady of kombat did you miss most? Register to record your fandom in the MK Online User Poll and Mortal Kombat X forum. Get hardcore and pit your favorites against one another in the Fan Koliseum!
One year on from the record release of Mortal Kombat X; NetherRealm Studios Creative Director Ed Boon has polled fans on the controversial subject of absentee characters.
Using a Twitter poll: Boon asked which character fans missed the most, isolating his options to just four characters. With a 45% majority, Noob Saibot was the overwhelming winner. Popularly requested cult favourite Rain came second with 22%.
The question asked was arguably a loaded one, with only one of the four "missing" characters completely absent from Mortal Kombat X. Baraka (17%) and Rain made appearances as non-playable opponents in the game's story mode, and as eventual Invasion bosses. Kabal (16%) appeared in story mode cut scenes, reprising his Mortal Kombat (2011) role as a revenant soldier of the Netherrealm.
Speaking to Gamereactor; Boon discussed balancing fan expectations and requests, explaining: "Unfortunately, it's simply not possible to satisfy every single wish from players. Often times those wishes contradict each other and it falls on us to determine what is best for each iteration of Mortal Kombat. While we certainly do listen to what the fans would like to see in the next game, we also want to surprise them with each game and give them something they were not expecting."
Notable by omission from Boon's poll is Fujin: A significant figure in the game's FMV sequences, and one of the most talked about characters who did not make the Mortal Kombat X roster cut.
Fujin appears alongside Raiden during the story mode, playing a similar role featured in Mortal Kombat 4, upon which Mortal Kombat X is loosely based. He topped Mortal Kombat Online's pre-release comeback character list for that same tie, and was also voted 2015 Supreme Mortal Kombat Champion by fans hopeful to encourage his inclusion as downloadable content. The March release of Mortal Kombat XL appears to have closed the book on DLC for this installment in the game series.
Which unseen character did you miss the most? Register to vote in the MK Online User Poll, and sound off on your favourites on the Mortal Kombat X forum! Go deeper into character debate in the Fan Koliseum!
European gaming site Gamereactor has a new feature interview with Ed Boon discussing some of the basic beats of Mortal Kombat X.
Not a lot of new information to speak of, but the NetherRealm Studios Creative Director and Mortal Kombat co-creator touches on the influence of fandom and how the team manages content. Registered users can give their thoughts on the Mortal Kombat X forum.
GR: People really love Mortal Kombat and you probably get tons of requests on what should be included in the games. How do you cope with fan demands? EB: We love the fact that fans are so passionate about Mortal Kombat. They always have their list of demands they want to see in the game. Unfortunately, it's simply not possible to satisfy every single wish from players. Often times those wishes contradict each other and it falls on us to determine what is best for each iteration of Mortal Kombat. While we certainly do listen to what the fans would like to see in the next game, we also want to surprise them with each game and give them something they were not expecting.
GR: Is there any example in Mortal Kombat X on how fans had influence over what is or isn't in the game? EB: The fans are very influential in determining which characters we include for the DLC fighters that come after the game is released. Mortal Kombat fans are also very vocal about which characters they would like to see in the game who they missed in the original roster. So our ears are definitely open and listening to what they have to say. But again, we also feel it's important to surprise them with something they didn't see coming.
GR: A common thing in fighting games is to add more meters, more stances, more super features and more gimmicks for every new game. Mortal Kombat has always been loved by both casual and hardcore players alike. How do you make sure you keep this audience intact when making the game deeper and more complicated? EB: That is a very delicate balance (between core and casual) that we are constantly discussing, debating, and evolving over the years. Fighting game players today are much more sophisticated than they were 20 years ago and we've tried to keep an eye on where the casual player is and where the pros are as well. That sweet spot is different for pretty much every game that we release, so we are always re-evaluating everything.
GR: NetherRealm is leading the fighting genre when it comes to single-player content. Why do you focus so much on this in a genre generally made for versus gaming? EB: The fact of the matter is that most people spend the majority of their time playing video games by themselves. Mortal Kombat by nature is a one-on-one fighting game that is most fun playing against real people. But we feel it's important to provide fun experiences for the single player as well. We feel Mortal Kombat provides the best single player experience of any fighting game and we are very proud of that.
Make sure you visit Gamereactor for the full interview!
Can't get enough Ed Boon in your life? Hit up the Mortal Kombat Online Interview Archive for more sage wisdoms from throughout the MK ages! You'll also find in depth conversations with John Tobias and a who's who of MK makers!
The warriors of Earthrealm are puppets for the amusement of a fallen elder god! Shinnok has returned from the Netherrealm to shape a dark destiny. You can wield his awesome power for your own end if you beat the Mortal Kombat X Mobile free-to-play challenge!
Unlocking Bone Shaper Shinnok means answering five tiers of infernal evil! Each tier consists of 12 battles, with the exception of the final 15-fight challenge! Tier 1 is a lightning round of all Bronze Kards, Tiers 2 & 3 promote you to Bronze & Silver kards. You'll need a Spec Ops fighter kard in your Tier 4 team, before Tier 5 demands the devil's favorite demon Scorpion take down the ruler of Netherrealm himself: Shinnok!
Are you good enough to escape the inferno with your soul? Register to share your exploits on the Mortal Kombat X forum! Support the kommunity by liking & sharing via @MK_Online, Facebook & YouTube!
Edit:Are you ducking kidding? Of course we are! We went three layers deep to imbed this year's April Fool within an April Fool within an April Fool Tower -- but you knew all along! You just can't fool a Mortal Kombat Online reader - their source of MK news keeps them too reliably informed! We hope you had a quacking good time with our little joke, all the same. You never know - maybe one of these days they really will give us a new MK secret! If they do, you'll read about it on MK Online - so stay tuned!
Players with fully updated versions of Mortal Kombat XL are discovering a timely surprise to go with the April Fools Premier Tower. Along with the mind bending challenges of the latest Living Tower; fans are discovering two new visitors to The Kove stage!
The visitors come in the form of a mysterious ninja and a giant shark, who appear at seemingly random intervals in the background when fighting at The Kove. The sightings started roughly when the April Fool Tower went live. Screenshots follow:
The appearances are reportedly tied to a unique April Fool's Stage Fatality, which can be activated only when both the shark [fin] and ninja are present during the fight. What, if anything, will trigger their appearance is still unknown, but the combination of the two is said to be particularly rare.
MK Online follower @BlameItOnRain reports the stage fatality sees the background ninja raise his arm to summon a tidal wave that will fill the screen, bringing the shark into play for a bloody finish. The fatality is similar in concept to Aquaman's Super Move in Injustice: Gods Among Us [Watch: Mad Sharks].
@MK_Online OMG its a stage fatal!!!! i think its random i only seen him since the april fool tower started an also their is a shark in water
The mystery ninja in question, who will emerge from the surf mid-fight to watch the match from the rocky shore, appears to be Aquilluxborg Hydroxybot -- a direct reference to a past Mortal Kombat Online April Fools prank! The design and stance of the character used directly recalls the fake render created for MK Online's 2015 prank. Creative Director Ed Boon also shared Mortal Kombat Online's Special Forces April Fool with fans in 2014.
The infamous character first appeared as a curiosity of Mortal Kombat Trilogy [read more], where he began life as Mortal Kombat's only waterproof, duck-billed ninja. Little is known about the true circumstances of his bizarre creation, but like Ermac and Skarlet before him, it seems "Aqua" has joined the fold of lore made reality. At least for as long as the April Fools Tower is live!
European gaming site 
