Since its launch last week, NetherRealm’s Mortal Kombat 11 has found itself in plenty of hot water. Said hot water is mostly related to the game’s over-aggressive microtransactions and grindy Krypt unlocks, but that’s just the start. The non-canon ending for one of the game’s most beloved characters proves once again that gamer anger is often misplaced.
The following contains minor spoilers for Mortal Kombat 11.
Mortal Kombat Jax Ending Controversy
American marine Jackson “Jax” Briggs is one of the most venerable and cherished Mortal Kombat characters of all time. Therefore, it stands to reason that his non-canon Tower ending would make quite a splash. It’s doubtful, though, that NetherRealm expected the ending to become mired in such bitter controversy.
For those who don’t know, each of Mortal Kombat 11’s playable characters has their own standalone ending sequence. These endings are unlocked by completing a Klassic Tower as that character and are considered non-canon. The endings are meant to be fun sorts of “what if?” scenarios which focus on each individual character. Some MK fans, however, feel that Jax’s Tower ending is a bridge too far.
Since MK11’s main villain, Kronika, can manipulate time, Jax inherits similar powers for defeating her in the Klassic Tower. Using his new time-manipulation abilities, Jax rewrites history so that the trans-Atlantic slave trade was quashed in its infancy. He basically eradicates slavery from history, and he explains as such in his narration:
“I’ve been lucky. My family and I have lived the American dream,” Jax explains. “’But most people who look like me haven’t had that chance. I owe it to them to put things right, and I’m not waiting centuries for people to get woke when I’ve got the power to speed things up.”
Up In Arms
Sadly, some MK11 fans saw Jax’s ending as less tongue-in-cheek and more as an attack on their sensibilities. As of this writing, the game’s Metacritic score has been tanked with negative reviews. Many reviewers claim that NetherRealm is trying to push some sort of “SJW” (social justice warrior) agenda. Others say that the studio is promoting “white genocide.”
The whole situation is similar to the flak DICE got for putting a woman on the cover of Battlefield 5. Underneath the surface cries of “historic accuracy” was a much more sinister agenda. The real reason those fans were upset was because DICE dared to go against the status quo. It’s a similar situation with this whole MK11 Jax ending situation. NetherRealm has provided an interesting “what if” scenario that defies the established norm. Naturally, those who *like* that norm are upset.
History has proven that game developers can’t make everyone happy. However, this is most certainly a case where NetherRealm should stick to its guns.
Images courtesy of Kotaku.