Aftermath Is A Mortal Kombat 11 Expansion That Adds A New Story And More Characters

Ever since NetherRealm Studios' soft reboot of Mortal Kombat in 2011, the studio has supported its games long after launch through downloadable content. While that has often consisted of new characters and skins, the Ed Boon-helmed studio has even bigger plans for Mortal Kombat 11, which it has been supporting since its April 2019 launch. NetherRealm Studios has announced Aftermath, an all-new expansion that not only adds additional characters, skins, and stages, but an entirely new story campaign set immediately after the events of Mortal Kombat 11.

Warning: This preview contains major spoilers to the end of Mortal Kombat 11's original story mode.

At the finale of Mortal Kombat 11's story, Raiden and Liu Kang combined powers to defeat the Keeper of Time, Kronika. After killing her, Raiden and Liu Kang stood at the dawn of time, ready to rewrite history. However, as the two Kombatants (and players who fire up the story in Aftermath) soon find out, it won't be that easy. Just as the two begin plotting their next moves, Shang Tsung emerges to explain that without Kronika, it is impossible to rewrite history. He offers to travel back in time to retrieve the Crown of Kronika to help restore order. While Raiden and Liu Kang are hesitant to trust the devious sorcerer, they realize they have no choice, so Shang Tsung travels back along with Kombat Pack 1 downloadable character Nightwolf, and new additions Sheeva and Fujin.

In the next scene I saw from the new Aftermath story, Sheeva, Fujin, Nightwolf, and a Shokan warrior are making their way to the Soul Chamber when Erron Black, Baraka, and a horde of tarkatans intercept them. Unfortunately for Shang Tsung, Baraka smells right through his Shokan transformation and the tarkatan impales him with his arm blade. This kicks off a skirmish between the sides, with Shang Tsung hurling a flaming skull at the impeding squad, knocking a tarkatan into a pool of acid, Fujin sweeping the rest of the aggressors off their feet with a gust of wind, and Erron Black firing a bullet in the direction of Nightwolf, who slices it right out of the air with his tomahawk. The scene ends immediately thereafter, but I have a feeling that cinematic thrusts the player into a series of fights.

On top of the new characters and the Aftermath story, all Mortal Kombat 11 players can expect returning stages to add to the rotation. During my glimpse at this expansion, NetherRealm prominently featured Klassic Dead Pool, the classic acid-drenched stage that debuted in Mortal Kombat II and has been a series mainstay ever since. As you might expect, Dead Pool also comes with a stage fatality – in this case, you latch your opponent onto a hook, which slowly lowers them into the pool of acid. Fans can also expect the return of the Soul Chamber arena.

Aftermath is available digitally May 26, and will be available for physical purchase sometime in June. Those who pre-order will receive the Eternal Klash Skin Pack, a package of skins from previous games for Scorpion, Sub-Zero, and Frost. On top of that, Aftermath delivers three new character skin packs, which will be released over time. Aftermath is available as an upgrade to current Mortal Kombat 11 owners ($40), but will also be available in a bundle with Mortal Kombat 11's Kombat Pack 1 ($50), as well as a collection with Mortal Kombat 11, Kombat Pack 1, and Aftermath ($60).