Mortal Kombat 11’s latest teaser foreshadows the return of the franchise’s first antagonist, Shang Tsung.
Mortal Kombat 11 has had no shortage of extra fighters joining the fray after its release on April 23, 2019. Since its debut, the game’s roster has been bolstered through the launch of its first Kombat Pack.
This signaled the return of classic characters Sindel and Nightwolf, who were last seen as playable characters in Mortal Kombat 9 back in 2011.
The Kombat Pack also had its fair share of cameo fighters due to the game’s ties with Warner Brothers, which included D.C.’s favorite baddie The Joker, the iconic Terminator, and long-speculated antihero Spawn.
Teaser revealed
NetherRealm Studio’s 40-second teaser is staged right after the events of the main story and starts with Liu Kang and Raiden having a conversation.
As their talk reached its conclusion, three seemingly unknown silhouettes suddenly appear from a portal, one of whom Raiden recognizes as Shang Tsung.
Fans will want to keep their eyes peeled for the full reveal on May 6, 2020, at 6:00 A.M. Pacific Time.
Tomorrow. 6am PT. pic.twitter.com/Ajz0jI9kKY
— Mortal Kombat 11 (@MortalKombat) May 5, 2020
The chronicles of Shang Tsung
Shang Tsung is a powerful sorcerer who harvests and consumes souls to prolong his life. Aside from using spells, his combat style revolves around him shape-shifting into other characters and using their move-sets.
It comes as no surprise that Shang Tsung would eventually find his way back into the series since he’s always been a central part of the game’s overarching storyline.
He made his first appearance in the franchise as the final boss of the original Mortal Kombat game, which came out in 1992. He would then return in the second and third installments but would be replaced by Shao Khan as the primary villain.
After his last appearance as a playable character in Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, Shang Tsung showed up in Mortal Kombat: Deception and Mortal Kombat X, though merely as a cameo in the storyline of both games.
So one of these guys is Shang Tsung but the other two are a mystery. pic.twitter.com/ISKB76zzbC
— Dove Phillips (The Scorpion Queen) (@MistressDove) May 5, 2020
Mortal Kombat 11’s reception
Mortal Kombat 11 was well-received by both critics and fans, with reviewers praising the game’s deep combat system and expansive story mode.
The 11th main installment in the series traded in the combo-heavy mechanics of its predecessor in favor of slower, more cerebral gameplay that still managed to be accessible to newbies.
The game was, however, unanimously panned for its reward system called “The Krypt,” which required players to grind for dozens of hours to receive rewards that were generated randomly.
Mortal Kombat 11 won last year’s coveted D.I.C.E Award for “Fighting Game of the Year” and is currently available on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Switch.
Image courtesy of Mortal Kombat/Twitter