Mortal Kombat 11 custom variation scaled back for online ranked play Eurogamer.net If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy. Mortal Kombat 11 custom variation scaled back for online ranked play And not everyone's happy about it. News by Wesley Yin-Poole Deputy Editorial Director Updated on 3 Apr 2019 11 comments Mortal Kombat 11 will scale back the custom variation system for online ranked play. As part of the Game Informer Mortal Kombat 11 cover reveal, developer NetherRealm confirmed each character will have at least two pre-built variations for use at tournaments and in online ranked play. Mortal Kombat 11's custom variation system lets you select various special moves to create a loadout of sorts, a bit like picking weapons in Call of Duty. Each variation has three slots for you to assign moves to, and lead designer John Edwards told Game Informer the pre-built variations are "well thought-out". "It's not like we just went, 'Oh, cool, these three things look cool, slap those in.' They are thought out and planned to create the best variety of gameplay within the system that we have." This has already caused quite the stir among the Mortal Kombat community, which is concerned these pre-built custom variations will miss out some of the characters' better moves. In the recent beta, base variations for the playable characters missed out some of the characters' best moves, so many opted for a custom variation. This, however, will not be an option for ranked play. As many have already pointed out, one of the benefits of allowing custom variation in online ranked is it has the potential to make most, if not all of the characters viable, enabling unique styles of play and creating loads more match-ups. But I can see where NetherRealm is coming from on this. Custom variation is no doubt a balancing nightmare, and the developers want to create a level playing field of sorts for serious competitive play after Injustice 2's Gear system, which boosted the stats of the characters, never sat well with online ranked. So, we're left with a custom variation system that seems meant more for relaxed, casual matches - for better and for worse. According to Game Informer, NetherRealm could change the pre-built variations depending on feedback from the community by swapping different moves in or changing their slot requirements. It'll be interesting to see whether any characters are considered unusable in online ranked because of their pre-built variations when Mortal Kombat 11 comes out. Become a Eurogamer subscriber and get your first month for £1 Get your first month for £1 (normally £3.99) when you buy a Standard Eurogamer subscription. Enjoy ad-free browsing, merch discounts, our monthly letter from the editor, and show your support with a supporter-exclusive comment flair! Support us View supporter archive More News Splatoon 3 Amiibos will be out next month Ink-coming! 3 Fans think Phil Spencer's shelf is teasing the Xbox Game Pass streaming box UPDATE: Xbox confirms old Keystone prototype. 61 Modder dives into Demon's Souls files following PS5 jailbreak, discovers fabled Ring of the Chieftain Who knows what's nexus? 5 Google announces cloud gaming Chromebooks less than a fortnight after Stadia shutdown GeForce Now preinstalled. 11 Latest Articles Digital Foundry Sennheiser's legendary HD 599 open-back headphones are just £70 at Amazon in the Prime Early Access Sale Comfortable with neutral sound and a wide sound stage. Preview Football Manager's new Console edition is the best you'll get without a PC Getting Touch-right. 1 Splatoon 3 Amiibos will be out next month Ink-coming! 3 Fans think Phil Spencer's shelf is teasing the Xbox Game Pass streaming box UPDATE: Xbox confirms old Keystone prototype. 61 Supporters Only Premium only Off Topic: Take a minute to appreciate Cookin' with Coolio's incredible scallops recipe. What a great book. Premium only Off Topic: Reading City of Glass in comic form "Where exactly am I going?" Premium only Off Topic: Il Buco is a transporting film about a really big hole Underlands. Off-Topic Netflix handled Sandman brilliantly It was Dreamy. 9 Buy things with globes on them And other lovely Eurogamer merch in our official store! Explore our store