Mortal Kombat has long been an iconic and brutal fighting game. Since the release of Mortal Kombat 9 in 2011, the franchise has been reinvigorated and has reestablished itself as one of the best and bloodiest games out there. At a top secret Los Angeles location on Thursday, NetherRealm Studios held an unprecedented community event and live stream that featured the reveal of awesome information about the newest entry to the notorious series in a warehouse filled with Mortal Kombat-themed goodies, events, and guests. We were there to get all the gory details.

First, the trailer:

Feel every skull-shattering, eye-popping moment in the worldwide reveal of #MK11’s gameplay! https://t.co/1FVdgGogSZ pic.twitter.com/gNTBCKlLO9

— Mortal Kombat 11 (@MortalKombat) January 17, 2019

The Characters

The presentation showcased seven characters of the 25 possible slots on screen. The biggest news was the return of fan favorites Baraka and Skarlet. Scorpion, Sub-Zero, Dark Raiden, Sonya Blade, and a new character called Geras were also shown. The super-powered new addition Geras appears to be able to control time and the Earth–he utilized this to brutal effect in gameplay footage.

Another massive reveal was the expansive character customization options Mortal Kombat 11 will offer; these options will enable players to collect multiple variations on costume pieces and weapons. Examples of this included different versions of Scorpion’s iconic mask and sword, as well as a vast selection of looks for Baraka.

The Gameplay

NetherRealm has outdone themselves once again. The gameplay we saw looked incredible on the big screens. We saw battles between Baraka and Scorpion and Sonya Blade and Skarlet. Notable new twists are the addition of a Flawless Block, which allows players to open a window for killer counter attacks; three different counters which represent Health, Offensive; and Defensive attacks, and Fatal Blow, which represents an ability to end the fight once either fighter gets to 30% of their health. Locations included Shang Tsung’s Island Ruins which got the audience incredibly hyped.

The Story

Continuing directly on from Mortal Kombat X, the story focuses on a new character called Kronika. She has been controlling all of the events of the franchise from the very first Mortal Kombat, that is until Raiden ruined her plans with his meddling.

The Fatalities

Mortal Kombat is all about the brutal finishing moves known as Fatalities, and we got to see two full Fatalities–it drove the crowd wild. Baraka’s was appropriately terrifying as he ripped off Scorpion’s face, then tore off his skull and ate his brain! Then we watched Skarlet demolish Sonya Blade with her iconic blood attack, pull all of the red lifeblood from Sonya, turn it into diamond hard darts, and then stab them through her body–including a particularly painful one through her eye. A Fatality reel showcased a snippet of each fighter’s new finishing move, such as Sub-Zero decapitating someone with an ice blade and then freezing their head and crushing it into dust, Sonya shooting her opponent into rotating helicopter blades, and new boy Geras’ time traveling finisher.

The Raw Champion

Arguably the most “newsworthy” moment was co-creator of Mortal Kombat Ed Boon’s reveal that Raw Champion Ronda Rousey has taken on the role of Sonya Blade for the game. In a video, the MMA star turned wrestler as she talked about her love for the franchise and the character she helped bring to life in the new game.

The Collectors Edition

https://twitter.com/MortalKombat/status/1085982725205516288

For fans who love to pre-order their games and get the most extreme and extravagant versions, Mortal Kombat 11 will have a collector’s edition. It includes a steel book, collector’s box, and a scale model of Scorpion’s iconic mask. Anyone who pre-orders the game will be able to access the beta in late March and will get access to a Shao Kahn DLC for the game. It will be released on April 23.

Images: WB Games, NetherRealm