As someone who mainly talks to casual video game fans, a lot of people who play MK only every once in a while and aren't that invested in the series DO talk about guys like Fujin, Reiko, Havik, Bo Rai Cho, Shujinko, even Taven.

Which is why I think NRS is going to put them out as DLC instead of the initial roster. I think what NRS really wants to see is the demand of these characters quantified in number of sales and dollar figures.

One thing is saying "I'm a fan of Reiko, Fujin, Havik, Bo, Tanya" and one thing is actually spending your money on them. I think it will be a way of NRS saying "Here are you beloved MK4/MKDA/MKD characters. Pay for them". As cruel as that sounds, it's straight business.

Oh screw you!

You and me, Ahnka, we know where Rain is. He's in the Dead Woods behind a tree, waiting to drop kick some poor sonuva bitch who's not paying attention and take their roster spot. LOL

I'm pretty sure that the next game is going to start re-introducing characters like Baraka, Shang Tsung, Nightwolf, Kabal, Smoke, Noob Saibot, etc, as well as a small amount of new ones, some returning MKX guys, and some 3D era guys that are requested like Havik and Bo Rai Cho.

They are not going to be able to sell a game entirely on next generational characters, and a lot of fans will eventually drop out of the series if they get rid of certain characters for good. They've never done that and never will considering they talked about starting new several times and just never went all the way through with it.

I'm not saying Johnny and Cassie will be playable together in every game, or Jax and Jacqui, but don't be surprised if they start showing up here or there to pad the rosters with some recognizeable/classic characters.

I also don't think we're going to be getting many more descendant type characters for a while since people are already criticizing the fact that there's four of them. I don't really mind, I think they're cool characters, I just feel that an alright analogy would be to describe this game like Deadly Alliance. It's new technology, the team probably wants to stick with a safe roster to get it right, and most of the returning guys are from MK1/2, and one really prominent 3D era character they want to push. Then some newer ones. The next game will probably be like Deception, and cycle most of those guys out with the exception of Sub-Zero and Scorpion, and replace Sonya, Johnny, and Jax with guys like Cyrax, Nightwolf, Jade, etc. again.

I sound like a broken record but I just don't see them eventually getting rid of the entire old guard. Maybe Stryker and Sheeva won't show up until the next Trilogy style game or reboot, but they're gonna bring them back eventually. Fighting games kill their potential when they decide to get rid of characters as solid as the MK1-3 characters forever (which they never have so I don't see why they would now.) Mortal Kombat's always been creative, sure, but I think the team knows they have to fall back on recognizability for sales to some extent from the Trilogy era, even if it means characters like Kabal or Sektor who weren't quite as popular as Scorpion or Reptile, but still fondly remembered. They're still trying to sell games and I don't think they have the confidence to wipe the slate clean in any way for more than one installment.

Phenomenally put. I have nothing more to add to this. Besides, my technical "rant" is already in the Sonya, JC, and Jax leak thread, lol.

Someone brought this up a while back, but I honestly wouldn't mind while they're trying to figure out where to go from here, if they did a prequel game centering around Shang Tsung, Goro and the Great Kung Lao as maybe like a one-off. Then from there, they could introduce more descendant characters based on the new ones they create from that.

The given:

1 Scorpion
2 Subzero
3 Reptile
4 Ermac
5 Kitana
6 Mileena
7 Kung Lao

The following two are reasonably arguable, but I find both of them to be redundant at a point. From a game prespective, Cassie already carries both and they are not thematically separate enough from their daughter to warrant a character slot. Appear in story, none of them are really needed for gameplay.

8 Sonya
9 J. Cage

Sorry my metal armed man, but really, you have been stalling. Even in Mk9 this guy was just a goon for the good guys. Story, remove him, strong arm character needs to be Ferra/Tor.
10 Jax


Hopefully you fry this time you chalk-faced fuck. This should be Quan Chi's grand finale. I really expect him to balls-out outgamble everyone and fuck up at the end as a vilain should.
11 Quan Chi


Eh, kinda. Though Takeda seems to be a very good example on how to differentiate similar powers with different usage. Okay, I cave in, But leave the remaining stuff to his son from now on.
12 Kenshi

Because we cannot live without the Idiot Guardian and the original thug life character...
13 Raiden
14 Kano

Sorta necessary, th
15 Shinnok

THE Total Kahn. Shao Kahn is a stone statue compared to this guy.
16 Kotal Kahn

Good additions.
17 Ferra/Torr
18 D'Vorah

Kinda torn on this one: Takeda seemingly is a telekinetic Scorpion, I do hope he NOT only has a different conceptual style of gameplay, but also a very separate character because only one of these things is NOT ENOUGH to make him outstanding.
19 Takeda


Female Jax... I would have relegated him to the sidelines. There are far more unique and different characters that could have had this place. Not to mention Jax is there, and so far MIlitary lose-combat tech-galhas little to run on itself.
20 Jacqueline

Good choice.
21 Cassie Cage


Insufficient info, though I dig the bow stuff.
22 Kung Jin

Not too keen on him. A Black Dragon co-founder is my bet. Though a survivalist is a concept I am keen to see, it is like the third gun/tech guy....
23 Erron Black/Salazar

Ehhhhh,.... never found Liu Interesting until MK9. If it is the same, then fail. If not, surprise me.
24 Liu Kang

Fucking redundant, Goro only has the shokan thing going for him.
25 Goro


Fuck this guy. I love what they are doing with him, because now at least he IS a character, but out of my definition, and silike, fuck him and everything associated with him.
26 Reiko

Here is a deal. Make him shine this time. At least make me hate him for something he does, not out of being a joke of a character.


Verdict:
this can either grow into the most awesome roster, or remain one of the dullest. All depends on the DLC characters. If they are working with post MK3 characters, then all is fine (Hell, if Li Mei gets asylum in Earthrealm, her fighting motivation might not actually exist, so she could remain relatively uninvolved. What would be logical.)

If so, for download. Let's say 6 characters for download not counting the horror icons:

1. Havik, because well, he is Havik and one of the most striking characters that needs the least bit of motivation or introduction into the mess we are getting.

2. Shujinko. We got the Kamidogu going around. Where the fuck is this guy?

3. Sektor: as much as I find him bland, the Lin Kuei leadership needs to be adressed. We already had an MK game with only one cyborg. (well, he was the secret, but intention counts.)

4. Fujin. Out of sheer volume of interest.

5. Frost / Mavado / Smoke / Noob Saibot / other casualties of the MK9 fuckup.

6. Bo'rai Cho. Only if they can do him justice. I am more willing to have him only as a background NPC if they can tie him into this mess. Or out of visual identity, Hotaru.


As for my dawg Shang. He had a correct run, finished fine, got awesome for the intro of Deception and Armageddon. He was fine, if they want to retire him, then this is the time.

Can we just let go of the childish mentality that dictates the quality of a roster depends on a handful of your favourites being in or out? that's not the point.

And they will never let go of the old ones, it's simply not possible, which is why I believe the passing torch thing is completely pointless in that aspect, just let classics skip a title or two once in a while so people don't get fed up with them.

Preach

Chrome, you're post was a 10/10 but this....



Pushed it to a 20. Bravo, my friend, bravo.

I don't even see them doing that, I just think they're going to write some of the characters out for a while and then Sindel, Cyrax, Sheeva, Smoke, etc will pop up in MK11 alongside a few of the most popular new comers from MKX and a few more new ones, in addition to Raiden, Liu Kang, Sub-Zero etc.

Knowing their track record I just find it hard to believe they'd ever definitively kill someone off. I don't even think Shao Kahn is dead for good.

If I'm wrong then screencap this and put it on the MKO Hall of Fame of "People Who Should've Kept Their Big Mouths Shut Instead of Pretending To Know The Future".

And Quan Chi should go for a while too, he's starting to get really bland by doing nothing but just sitting around giggling maniacally about everything going according to his plan.

I suppose that's the last of what I have to say regarding them re-using characters and the fact that Mortal Kombat has never treated death as a permament thing. Characters have come back in the same game they died or an update of it. I just don't see why people think they'll start suddenly treating it like it means anything when they just brought back a few more popular dead characters from MK9 and the rest of them are probably on the back burner until a new game comes out and they can bank on them for a bit of nostalgia.

Exactly.

None of the characters play like their mk9 versions. Sub, kitana and all the rest look fantastic. The roster might be a little too familiar but calling mkx safe or mk9.5 is nothing more than butthurt.

When I call it safe, I don't mean that in a bad way. The game looks great. I mean it in the way that they want to use familiar characters to get a better hold on the newer system.

Anything that isn't praise equals butthurt to some fans. Don't let others opinions affect how much you can enjoy a game. If the leak is legit the roster is safe, period, it doesn't mean its bad.

Just want to point out that Johnny and Sonya SURVIVED MK9. They really needed to be in. I think it's OK to gripe about Jax, Kung Lao, and Kitana taking the place of one of your favorites.

Complaining about Sonya and Johnny just doesn't make sense in my book.

I think they should fill in those last 3-4 characters with 3D characters. Also, remove J Cage and Jax and replace them with brand new characters.

I just don't get why people are really upset about it. Like I said before Deadly Alliance had a safe roster too, but it was their first game doing a new system of gameplay on new tech.

The next game will almost certainly bring back the hidden MK2 characters and MK3/beyond characters once they've settled into it.

i agree. No one i saying how Kitana and kung lao shouldn't be back.

Characters selection aside(if this is indeed the final roster), I expected a LOT more in numbers. We are talking next gen consoles here. Why so few characters? Unless they plan a shitload of DLC, it's highly disappointing.

They have an awful lot riding on a bunch of special force new kids on the block offspring to headline this game. Not a very diverse group of fighters here. With the "parents" taking up slots, it's practically half the roster taken up by this boring family reunion, Not to say the story won't still be great, but the lack of varied characters is a huge blow to my excitement. By keeping the MK4+ characters out(as far as we know), this game appears unfinished with a big gap.

But who knows. Didn't we not first discover Sheeva as playable in MK9 practically just before the game hit? Still all speculation at this point. When if this gets confirmed, I'll be more excited to hear about the DLC.

Roster is pretty much lacking in everything but Special Forces and Trilogy characters.

SO AWESOME

I can understand the annoyance of Kitana, Jax and Kung Lao's inclusion (Kitana more than anyone) seeing as they all died in MK9, but Johnny and Sonya survived MK9 and were the last two known Earthrealm warriors left. You'd be fooling yourself if you think they won't be playable. And before people go on about how they don't need to be in because of Cassie I have two things to point out;

1) There will be a point in Story Mode where Cassie isn't born yet. Johnny and Sonya are needed for that part.

2) Cassie has 1 or 2 moves of Johnny's and none of Sonya's. I wasn't aware that Johnny's nut punch was his sole move since MK1. The three will barley play similarly.

OK, lets be honest, the roster ISN'T what we wanted. I was hoping for the roster to be 1/3 2D characters, 1/3 3D characters and 1/3 new characters. However, sadly, the roster seems to be just MK9 but with some new characters. At first there was just Scorps and Sub Zero. And then Kano. And then Raiden. Then Goro Then Quan Chi. Then Kung Lao. Then Kitana. Then Reptile. And then Ermac. As well as possiably J Cage, Sonya, Jax and Mileena. and then there's the 9 new characters, totaling up to 25 characters. Also maybe Kenshi. So of the 26 characters maybe revealed, only 2 of them are 3D characters. Even if the other 4 are all 3D characters, that still only 6 3D characters out of 30. As someone who grew up with the 3D characters, that's kind of disapointing. But here's to hoping that the roster they picked ALL have important roles and aren't just a used up spot.