Today NetherRealm Studios released their trailer for the first DLC pack for Mortal Kombat 11. Gameplay footage for Shang Tsung was the trailer’s main feature, and he will be playable with early access on June 18th.
Shang Tsung is the original boss and tournament grandmaster from the first Mortal Kombat game, all the way back in 1992. He is a favorite of Shao Kahn and the arch-nemesis of series protagonist Liu Kang. Adding to the nostalgia, Kintaro, sub-boss from Mortal Kombat II, also makes a gory appearance in Shang Tsung’s Fatality.
In Mortal Kombat 11, Shang Tsung is portrayed by the 1995 Mortal Kombat movie actor Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, who returned to give his voice and likeness to the newest iteration of the character. Shang Tsung is a sorcerer with the nefarious ability to steal the souls of those who challenge him, and when it comes to gameplay that means his moveset is made up of stolen moves from other characters in the franchise. Shang Tsung is in his younger form, which means he’s just recently absorbed the powers of his enemies.
In the trailer, Shang Tsung shows off his acquisitions, transforming into the ninjas Reptile, Rain, Ermac, Sub-Zero, Noob Saibot, and Scorpion. He’ll briefly take on the aspect of these characters to perform their signature attacks, then return to his own form. He can also absorb and use abilities from whatever character he’s currently battling if he successfully lands one of his own special attacks, of which he has a full arsenal.
From the trailer it’s clear that Mortal Kombat is appealing to nostalgic feelings with this first Kombat Pack. In addition to Shang Tsung, the pack will also include as DLC returning characters Nightwolf and Sindel, which is sure to make veteran kombatants who miss their old favorites very happy. The pack also includes a “Klassic Arcade” outfits pack for everyone’s favorite color-coded ninjas Sub-Zero, Scorpion, and Noob Saibot.
Another new character to Mortal Kombat 11 is Image Comic’s anti-hero Spawn, which is only a half-surprise since creator Todd McFarlane “leaked” the news by basically outright telling everyone that Spawn would make an appearance in Mortal Kombat 11 in a Reddit AMA five months ago. This is the second time Spawn will appear in a fighting game, following up on an appearance as a guest character in 3D weapons fighter Soul Calibur II.
The “guest” character designation seems to be important when speculating on the Kombat Pack–it’s likely that the yet to be reveled characters are like Spawn, appearing from other games or franchises outside of the Mortal Kombat universe. Earlier leaks from the Nintendo Switch port of the game suggested that the Terminator and/or the Joker from DC’s Batman would be DLC characters, and the leak appears to be right about several other DLC characters, including Spawn.
With a new movie coming out featuring DC’s villain, titled Joker, and new entry for the Terminator franchise, Dark Fate, these tie-ins would be extremely timely and are virtually guaranteed to generate hype. The chainsaw noise at the end has some people convinced that Ash Williams from the movie Evil Dead is one of the two guest characters even though actor Bruce Campbell has denied it.
The Kombat Pack DLC will release in “exclusive” early access for a week on June 18th. Mortal Kombat 11 is currently available on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC.