Maybe they just have the damage system on low during the streams, or the heavy damage system they were referring to was the gore tech.

it was turned on in the mileena takeda kung jin stream. Just look at scorpion at the end of the match. He is all cut up. Though instead of actual char specific damage it seems now they just throw on weapon specific decals on the models like cuts and holes (mileenas sai stabs can also be seen on her opponent). I was expecting more to be honest but at least it is realistic now.

More skins, less work on damage.

I went and took a closer look at the fight you mentioned and scorpion is indeed allcut up...maybe it is a way to turn down the gore in this game? well...anyway..it do look more realistic..

A deeper damage engine doesn't necesserily mean more exaggerated cuts and bruises. I think they meant that there would be more kinds of cuts and bruises. And maybe less exaggerated to go with the "realistic" tone they are aiming for in this game.

It's definitely toned down. Which is a fantastic thing.

By the end of a fight in MK9, your character already looked like they had been through a fatality. Which took away the "punch" of most of them imo.

They're also more focused to the area actually being hit in this game.

Possibly for demonstration purposes, they did this with MK9 when they showed off gameplay videos.

Me, I really hate the damage system only because the characters get damaged tooooo easily. I hope it's revamped or at least an option.

Take Kung Lao for example in MK9, it's pretty embarrassing no matter how badly you beat someone with Kung Lao, a few hits will make his eye almost come out, giving them that satisfaction "Well yeah? At least I fucked your eye up!". And Stryker didn't make sense. He has elbow pads and they get skinned down almost to the bone.

I told my girl the same thing before when we watched the last Kombat Kast.. I went back to MK9 and they had bigger cuts and wounds, more blood spatter and pieces of the costume that would rip and hang off or be gone... Not as much in this game... Hoping that is something that increase by the time the game comes out!

Without the damage which can be seen on the character the game wouldn't be effective and realistic because it makes the game more brilliant and flawless.MK9 had a great system and I would like to see it back

i`m still worried about this..on the latest stream Johnny Cage got beat the hell out of him bu Goro and his face was covered in what looked like mud??..not a scratch on his face..but in story mode after the fight with Scorpion his face had a big gash on the chin...i`m confused! Is the strams downgraded somehow? I would like to know if somebody has the game already and can confirm that the cuts and blood is indeed intact..this means a lot to me

I have bee playing for a few days now... Damage system is toned down but nevertheless looks fantastic. Very similar to MKDA.

Agreed!

The damage system in MKX is actually in place in a lot of videos especially now it's just not as cartoonish and generic as before. In MK9 as everybody knows they had generic damage so you'd get the same cartoonish and over the top damage as long as you hit a character enough times in certain locations (head, torso, legs). In MKX specific moves and weapons now do specific damage to character models so for instance swords will leave cuts all over. In addition as we've also seen characters will get wet and dirty depending on the stage.

It's a slightly more serious and realistic aesthetic that I think matches the tone of the game better.

I totally agree,but i just thought that after a character has been punched 100 times in the face by Goro,maybe a small cut or a drop of blood should appear? Instead of mud? But hey...it's only nitpicking after all...i'm soooo looking forward to this game...the 17th can't come fast enough

I'd take any, or even none at all, over MK9's damage system...that was horrendous.
Looked like they had a meeting with Jaws by the end of the match.

Smoke after getting toe poked:

I'm sure some people will miss the butts...er I mean cuts, but it's for the best

Weird how only the girls had these problems in that region *ahem*