Mortal Kombat 11 is only about a month away from launch, and it’s holding a closed beta to get excited players accustomed to its new gameplay mechanics and several of its characters. The beta is scheduled to run in North America from March 27 at 11 a.m. ET to April 1 at 2:59 a.m ET.
If you want access to the closed beta, you’re going to need to pre-order the game on either Xbox One or PlayStation 4 — it won’t be available on Switch or PC. To enjoy the online multiplayer component of the closed beta, you’ll also need to have either a PlayStation Plus or Xbox Live Gold subscription.
Alongside multiplayer, the closed beta will include access to the Towers of Time, a single-player-focused mode that will let you play through a character-specific tower with increasing difficulty in order to unlock rewards for that character.
The Custom Character Variation System will also be available regardless of whether you have a subscription. Similar to the gear system in Injustice 2, it will let you change certain aspects of Mortal Kombat 11‘s roster to fit your preference. Customizable content includes skins, special abilities, and character-specific introduction and victory videos. Those who are skilled at the game should be seeing that last one a whole lot.
Five characters will be available in the closed beta: Baraka, Jade, Kabal, Scarlet, and Scorpion. All of these characters return from previous games in the series, but the beta will give you a chance to try out their brutal fatalities. Baraka, for instance, bites the face off his enemy before ripping their brain out and eating it, while Scarlet impales them with spears crystallized from their own blood.
Mortal Kombat 11 is going for a more brutal and space-based approach than developer NetherRealm took in its predecessor Mortal Kombat X. With less focus on combo attacks and more on reacting to your opponent’s decisions, it’s shaping up to be a different kind of fighting game that should test the community’s skills.
In addition to closed beta access, those who pre-order Mortal Kombat 11 will also get the character Shao Kahn. The game launches on April 23 for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and PC.
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