Future of MK

[dodheimsgard]

Honestly i was MIND-BLOWNED with Armageddon... have been waiting for to know, what following story will be like for 13 years...

... and then, MK vs DC happened. Ok, it's a nice spin-off, pretty underrated considering the commercial succes of both - modern MK and Injustice but on the topic.

... then MK11 happend, it was awesome nostalgia ride with cool plot twists like Sub-Zero being stroggified instead of Smoke, but it did not include amy novelty and left us with cliffhanger...

... then MK4 - MK4 shortened to like 1,5 chapter, with Cage replacing Liu Kang with power up pulled o of ass (Dragon Ball), then it was a n utter shit story focused of new, not-so-mortalkombatish characters wich lead to Shinnok round 2.0...

... after that awful MKX abomination seriously, I didn't know what to expect from MK11. It ended with few shenanigan fights which lead to ANOTHER armageddon and ANOTHER reboot of history.

Question is, it is even a single point to follow that storyline further? I mean, every meaningful arc has been finished in this gaem: bad dudes trying to regain control of Lin Kuei are dead / defeated (Frost, Noob, Sektor / Triborg), Sonya FINALLY killed Kano and she did it twice (lulz), vengeance of Scorpion is ultimately fulfilled (making his own clan, burying the past, convincing his MK2 self to abandon his obssession), Outworld is united under a peacefull rule of Kitana, Liu Kang finally regains his champion status after more than 20 years since MK4 release date...

My point is, what's the point of draggin' this nonsense further? Yeah, they can expand the lore and make Titans the new enemy, they can reboot reality with simple role-swapping like Bi-Han being killed by Hanzo in Mythologies events, Fujin protecting Earthrealm instead of Raiden, turn Special Forces into nazi and Black/Red Dragon into freedom fighters etc. but it would feel so cheap and predictible it makes me wanna vomit.

How about prequel, like events from 500 years ago about The Great Kung Lao defeating Shang Tsung and being killed by Goro?With rooster made of bunch of king-lived / immortal characters like Raiden, Shao Kahn, Onaga, Shinnok, Fujin, Quan Chi, Kitana? With bunch of new characters like Taja and Vorpax from MK: Conquest?

Or remake of DA/Deception/Armageddon turn into single gaem with cinematic story?

Or Shaolin Monks type that covers (original) MK3 events, a journey through post-apocalyptic earth, fighting centaurs suqads and soulless Lin Kuei cyborgs?

What do you think guys? I know MK is know too big to being discontinued but is there a chance to release something interesting, which will be faithfull to original MK feel but not relying mostly on nostalgia like MK9?

[Misucra]

Honestly i was MIND-BLOWNED with Armageddon... have been waiting for to know, what following story will be like for 13 years...

... and then, MK vs DC happened. Ok, it's a nice spin-off, pretty underrated considering the commercial succes of both - modern MK and Injustice but on the topic.

... then MK11 happend, it was awesome nostalgia ride with cool plot twists like Sub-Zero being stroggified instead of Smoke, but it did not include amy novelty and left us with cliffhanger...

... then MK4 - MK4 shortened to like 1,5 chapter, with Cage replacing Liu Kang with power up pulled o of ass (Dragon Ball), then it was a n utter shit story focused of new, not-so-mortalkombatish characters wich lead to Shinnok round 2.0...

... after that awful MKX abomination seriously, I didn't know what to expect from MK11. It ended with few shenanigan fights which lead to ANOTHER armageddon and ANOTHER reboot of history.

Question is, it is even a single point to follow that storyline further? I mean, every meaningful arc has been finished in this gaem: bad dudes trying to regain control of Lin Kuei are dead / defeated (Frost, Noob, Sektor / Triborg), Sonya FINALLY killed Kano and she did it twice (lulz), vengeance of Scorpion is ultimately fulfilled (making his own clan, burying the past, convincing his MK2 self to abandon his obssession), Outworld is united under a peacefull rule of Kitana, Liu Kang finally regains his champion status after more than 20 years since MK4 release date...

My point is, what's the point of draggin' this nonsense further? Yeah, they can expand the lore and make Titans the new enemy, they can reboot reality with simple role-swapping like Bi-Han being killed by Hanzo in Mythologies events, Fujin protecting Earthrealm instead of Raiden, turn Special Forces into nazi and Black/Red Dragon into freedom fighters etc. but it would feel so cheap and predictible it makes me wanna vomit.

How about prequel, like events from 500 years ago about The Great Kung Lao defeating Shang Tsung and being killed by Goro?With rooster made of bunch of king-lived / immortal characters like Raiden, Shao Kahn, Onaga, Shinnok, Fujin, Quan Chi, Kitana? With bunch of new characters like Taja and Vorpax from MK: Conquest?

Or remake of DA/Deception/Armageddon turn into single gaem with cinematic story?

Or Shaolin Monks type that covers (original) MK3 events, a journey through post-apocalyptic earth, fighting centaurs suqads and soulless Lin Kuei cyborgs?

What do you think guys? I know MK is know too big to being discontinued but is there a chance to release something interesting, which will be faithfull to original MK feel but not relying mostly on nostalgia like MK9?

Here is the thing. MK11 way of storytelling and "closure" is the definition of "Eh. Too lazy to finish. So this guy dies here, this one becomes that and everyone lives happily ever after. Done! F%ck this shit."

You can tell the same story infinite times. What matters is who tells the story. Mortal Kombat has enough lore foundations to rival that of Game Of Thrones.

We have different realms with different cultures. Some realms have multiple tribes/kingdoms. Ancient history and artifacts. The base foundations for politics as well. Everything is set, just need a decent writer and they need a proper time window.

And no. Enough with this cinematic shit. It doesn't work for games. You watch a 2h game movie with pretty explosions and face animations, but after that you have nothing to explore. There is a reason, people don't even discuss MK11 story mode.

It sucked, was rushed and thanks to reset, none of that shit matters anymore anyway. Similar thing was with MKX. We watched the movie, talked for a bit about it, and that's it. Yet, the game has an insane amount of lore!

Having said all that. Here is the future of MK. I know a lot of people think. "Oh MK12 will be coming soon!" No. It won't. They finished the trilogy. They run out of juice. Yeah I know, you might say "But it is too big to stop". Well the dev team is made of humans, not machines. NRS has been in endless cycle of MK/Injustice/MK/Injustice and MK again. MK11 didn't even leave any sequel bait. MK9 we had Shinnok at the end. MKX we had evil Raiden ending (which went nowhere), but MK11 ended with Liu Kang and Kitana holding hands. And that's it. There was no menace remaining. One Being was forgotten and there was no mention of it. Not to mention Liu Kang and Kitana are the time keepers now, so there is no one to force the "balance". According to Ed Boon: Shao Kahn, Shinnok, One Being, Onaga... all of them, were at the fingertips of Kronika. So if Kitana and Liu Kang are in her position now, that means those events won't repeat again. Basically. The boring happily ever after. With no proper closure.

So now they will focus on Injustice 3. Which most likely will end with Superman's death. Not to mention Ed Boon mentioned of making different games and moving away from MK brand. Some sort of always online RPG game.

Not to mention MK11 received a mixed feedback. As much as WB tried to sell it, MK11 didn't reach MKX numbers. Not to mention now the game has a bad rep. Community is fractured and even if they were stupid enough to do MK12 after Injustice 3. What they will make the game about? Titans? The ones nobody gives a shit? Restart entire thing once more in the cheap "cinematic story telling"?

Dude remember how they said that MKX was about passing the torch? To the new generation? Did it feel like passing a torch in MK11?

Long story short. MK12 won't happen any time soon. They are done with it for now. Lore is f$cked and they are already working on Injustice 3.

[Xenon]

Betcha $2 the next "big thing" is going to be rebooting a reboot of a reboot.

MK11 story was garabge. MKX at least tried but here they just threw random crap at a wall to see what sticks. People are asking for Dragon King again, my question is why? They'll just ruin him like they did with Shao Kahn.

For a game that was praised for a having an actual story mode, now it's basically a chore. You watch a cutscene, have a fight, chapter done. No exploration like in Deception. The big villains are basically a joke and "power levels" or whatever make no bloody sense. People got mad at Kotal in X for losing to Kung Jin, but here he got beaten up by Jade, almost killed by D'Vorah, demolished by Shao Kahn and then started kissing Kitana's feet. This guy is the biggest loser in the entire franchise for sure. Baraka and Reptile are far out of his league, Kobra and Hsu Hao are laughing thier heads off. And what the heck is up with D'Vorah, she was probably the most dangerous fighter, more so than Shao Kahn himself?

I especially loved all the inconsitencies and how characters basically acted like some bad caricatures instead of what has already been set in stone for the last 25 years.

Basically you can tell how the story goes before the game releases. There's no suspense, you already know the bad guys will die. Roll credits and queue another 4 years of regurgitated story mode that was pulled straight outta www.fanfiction.net.

[kadell]

All they have to do is make MK12 and beyond focused on standalone stories with new rivalries and alliances in a new universe. We see how things changed under Lui Kang (whom has God status and control of the hourglass but isn't merge with Raiden) and anyone can be the main hero and main villain as shown by the MKX comics. No thanks to the ending, it will be a reboot. Thanks to the ending, they can take the story any and everywhere with no limits. And if they decide to regurgitate the same storyline they can use one of the alternate timelines as shown in MK11. I just hope the new games have Bi Han, Kuai Liang, and Scorpion be part of a merged clan.

[Guyver Spawn]

MK is not going to end anytime soon. With the new MK movie finally happening, they are going to find ways to keep it going. I do think MK12 could be the Street Fighter 3 of the series with a fresh new start. Not to mention, they mention that evil will always exist at the end of MK11. You will still see the classic bad guys like Kano, Shang Tsung, etc. still existing in the next rebooted timeline.

The PS2 era ended with Armageddon and leading up to a reboot for the HD era (MK9-MK11). Now the same thing is happening again.

[Misucra]

MK is going to end anytime soon. With the new MK movie finally happening, they are going to find ways to keep it going. I do think MK12 could be the Street Fighter 3 of the series with a fresh new start. Not to mention, they mention that evil will always exist at the end of MK11. You will still see the classic bad guys like Kano, Shang Tsung, etc. still existing in the next rebooted timeline.

The PS2 era ended with Armageddon and leading up to a reboot for the HD era (MK9-MK11). Now the same thing is happening again.

That is a big IF. Cause if movie will suck, forget your MK12.

And if you think that MK12 will be next gen, then it will be more than 4 years this time. Unless they rush it again.

[Misucra]

MK is going to end anytime soon. With the new MK movie finally happening, they are going to find ways to keep it going. I do think MK12 could be the Street Fighter 3 of the series with a fresh new start. Not to mention, they mention that evil will always exist at the end of MK11. You will still see the classic bad guys like Kano, Shang Tsung, etc. still existing in the next rebooted timeline.

The PS2 era ended with Armageddon and leading up to a reboot for the HD era (MK9-MK11). Now the same thing is happening again.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B2f8079h...ource=ig_embed

They managed to f$ck up the logo... and they barely just started. Ahahahaha. Yeah...

I think they fishing for the new audience, not the old one.

[kadell]

https://www.instagram.com/p/B2f8079h...ource=ig_embed

They managed to f$ck up the logo... and they barely just started. Ahahahaha. Yeah...

I think they fishing for the new audience, not the old one.

That's the least of our worries. Rumor has it that the main character is some American OC with a generic name, I forgot what.

[Misucra]

That's the least of our worries. Rumor has it that the main character is some American OC with a generic name, I forgot what.

Ah... so we are going into the Dragon Ball Evolution area eh?

[Guyver Spawn]

That's the least of our worries. Rumor has it that the main character is some American OC with a generic name, I forgot what.

They are pretty much white washing the movie without white washing it. Why is hard to have Liu Kang as the main character for a movie?

Back on topic, I still won't mind if MK takes a break for a few years like after MK4 and before MKDA.

[Nickolaidas]

If they actually go through with the datamine files in the Switch version, this game is going to have three years of support (three annual kombat packs). Afterwards, I wouldn't rule out the possibility of MK taking a small break. Which is also why MK11 having more DLC than its predecessors makes sense. Give the fans something before the inevitable reboot. And lets see whether or not we'll see Story DLC (as the datamine implies) to see the story progressing in MK11 before going to MK12.

I don't see the story mode going away anytime soon - nor do I wish it so. It's obvious that NRS are big fans of movies and try to emulate this via their game. So thankfully, this mode is here to stay.

The future of MK? Hard to predict, except that it definitely has one. WB wouldn't let NRS stop making entries in one of their most successful video game IPs anytime soon. The movie flopping won't change that in the slightest. The movie exists because of the game, not the other way around. It's like saying that Tekken wouldn't have made a sequel if the Tekken movie had flopped.

If MK Annihilation didn't end MK, neither will this new movie.

[Misucra]

If they actually go through with the datamine files in the Switch version, this game is going to have three years of support (three annual kombat packs). Afterwards, I wouldn't rule out the possibility of MK taking a small break. Which is also why MK11 having more DLC than its predecessors makes sense. Give the fans something before the inevitable reboot. And lets see whether or not we'll see Story DLC (as the datamine implies) to see the story progressing in MK11 before going to MK12.

I don't see the story mode going away anytime soon - nor do I wish it so. It's obvious that NRS are big fans of movies and try to emulate this via their game. So thankfully, this mode is here to stay.

The future of MK? Hard to predict, except that it definitely has one. WB wouldn't let NRS stop making entries in one of their most successful video game IPs anytime soon. The movie flopping won't change that in the slightest. The movie exists because of the game, not the other way around. It's like saying that Tekken wouldn't have made a sequel if the Tekken movie had flopped.

If MK Annihilation didn't end MK, neither will this new movie.

I am not saying that movie flopping would end MK franchise. I am saying that depending on the movie, you will get MK12 sooner or later. Movie is good and receives critical acclaim (99% chance it won't happen)? WB will want to capitalize on the success of the movie and will announce a sequel. If movie is really successful, then MK games will be made to mimic the movie. Probably even the logo.

If movie sucks (99% chance that it will). People will watch it. WB will drop some support for it, and then that's it. You will wait for years. Cause once again. Story is over. There was no sequel bait. No secret ending. As for 3 years of support. We will see. Support usually comes for games that are healthy. So in this case.

PC is definitely going to be abandoned. This will be the only Kombat Pack for it. Insanely low player base, persisting issues, and low interest. No one will fix those issues. Switch probably is getting abandoned as well. I heard that they are having some major issues there too, not to mention they have an inferior version too, due Switch limitations so... yeah. That won't last long. So that leaves only XBOX and Playstation. These two will be the only ones supported for sure (if claims are true and there are still tons of people playing it).

But again... MK11... 3 years support. I don't doubt they were planning that. But again. Many games had 10 year plans or 3-4 year plans. Not a single one did that, as game lifespan nowadays is about 6 months to 1 year.

PC version will definitely die out before the 6 month mark. So that will be a new record too.

So far the only success that MK has shown is having good couple of months. After that, it is express train downwards. And WB knows that. Yeah sure they sold copies. But keeping the game supported for 3 years, when it doesn't bring more revenue after 2 month mark? Nah. No business will do that.
Though they might keep to that (maybe), but MK will definitely take a break. There is a reason why WB and NRS don't speak about MK post 2 month launch. They know that game isn't doing hot. This year Summer's Jam was even more pathetic, than MKX first year Jam.

I mean, shit. Boon every time without fail tweeted how successful PC version was. Both MK9 and MKX (first months). Big numbers, sales above expectations. etc. But now? Silence.

Now that I think about it. After Injustice 3, NRS might try doing that Online game of theirs. To take a break from MK. So another MK installment, might not see the light for the next 6-8 years.

[Xenon]

Anthem also had years of support planned, was listed as a best seller by NPD (this is why you can't take those clowns seriously), and overall was set to be the next big thing. Like so many other examples, look where they all ended: abandoned to die miserable in a hole they've dug for themselves.

Don't jump the gun. MK movie will have a lot of interest, but so did the Punisher series and it also bombed. It all depends on how much time and effort they're willing to put into it. Going in for a short term profit can only get you so far.

[dodheimsgard]

Sorry for all the typos in previous post, I was little bit drunk then.

What they will make the game about? Titans? The ones nobody gives a shit? Restart entire thing once more in the cheap "cinematic story telling"?

They are too much into Dragon Ball with nu-MK with expanding villlains compendium. Once Goku beat every human, he had to confront demon (Piccolo). When he was like best fighter on earth, he fought space warriors (Sayians). Then he defeated Galactic Emperer. The he fought artificial piece o lie made of cells of best warriors ever. The he fought terrible demon, a thread on multidimension level. Then - god of destruction. Then, alternative universe guys. Now, it's only 'angels' and demiurg kiddo (who are above anyone from before) to be beaten but I'm sure they will invent another nonsense once Goku beat them.

MK don't go that way! Elder Gods are crap now? Now 'Titans' are the shit? Liu Kang made DB fusion with Raiden and is nu-born 'MK Gogeta' not making any other good guys useless?

Also, idea of another reboot is extremely bad. MK1 events were covered in MK1, Shaolin Monks, MK9, MK comics, MK'95 movie, MK cartoon, who need to remix this shit ever again?

[FlawlessVictor]

Underdeveloped or nonexistent story elements isn't going to kill a fighting game franchise. Fighting games are more character-focused than having a actual story. As long as the base game is solid and has a roster most players, the MK may continue in the future.

[Misucra]

Underdeveloped or nonexistent story elements isn't going to kill a fighting game franchise. Fighting games are more character-focused than having a actual story. As long as the base game is solid and has a roster most players, the MK may continue in the future.

So basically MK12 isn't coming anytime soon. Cause MK11 is anything, but solid. And no. Just because someone enjoys the game, doesn't mean that the game is fine. MK11 is a technical nightmare, vast majority of people hate variation system (which is part of the core mechanics) and with fractured community, I can safely assume, that we won't be seeing MK12 for a while. At least that's what a smart person would do. Wait for fires to die down.

[Nickolaidas]

Just like SFV evolved, so can MK11. I can see NRS eventually making all moves tournament-viable (and custom variations) once they let the MK playerbase beta-test them for free.

The MK pre-release PR has been nothing but catastrophic. Leaks, silence from the devs, backpedaling on their variation promises, Nightwolf, Sindel and Spawn officially announced by text … anything they could do wrong in PR terms, they did. Tons of players (myself included) claim that they would've ditched the game if it wasn't so fun to play.

Is the DLC coming too slow? Yeah, sure, I mean - when compared to previous NRS games. But the truth of the matter is that this nudges me to start playing the game again for 2-3 weeks once a new fighter comes out, or after a major patch. If all DLC characters were released 2 weeks after the game was released, many players may have had abandoned the game because they'd have done everything single-player wise and have no incentive to continue (as good as a game can be, a gamer can only play it for so long before being fatigued by it).

I enjoy(ed) MK11 a LOT more than MKX. Now granted, I'm not a competitive player, but story-wise, roster-wise, gameplay-wise and game modes wise, I consider MKX beat by MK11 in every single way.

I understand the feedback that NRS is getting for its latest third variations: many players complain the picking of special moves weren't thought out as well as they were in the previous two variations and the third variation doesn't seem to have a 'theme' or strategy behind it for many characters. I understand that's a bad thing, but I also understand that NRS is trying to change things that don't work as well as they hoped/intended. I mean, I'm watching the Kombat Kasts and I can see they try to improve the game - they haven't abandoned it in any way, shape or form.

Was the game rushed? Definitely. The first couple of days more than proved than NRS did a PATHETIC job at play-testing the Towers of Time and it was painfully shown.
Did NRS fix a lot of the game's issues and keeps fixing them? Yes, they do. Are they done? Not by a long shot, but as long as they continue, I'm happy.

MK11 is still evolving and is still being tweaked, so I don't have a final verdict.

What I can say with certainty is the fact that Anthem will die a lot sooner than MK11.

EDIT: You know what game had a disastrous launch and was burned to the ground the second it came out? Marvel vs Capcom infinite. THAT was a game which was abandoned by both the community as well as the devs. A game which was supposed to have DLC content for as long as f*&k, ended up having one season of DLC because people PRE-ORDERED it.

If Sheeva, Fujin, Ash Williams (and hopefully Havik, Doomslayer and Sareena) never come out as DLC, then yes, I will also agree that the game was considered a failure by NRS and WB as well.

[Misucra]

Just like SFV evolved, so can MK11. I can see NRS eventually making all moves tournament-viable (and custom variations) once they let the MK playerbase beta-test them for free.

The MK pre-release PR has been nothing but catastrophic. Leaks, silence from the devs, backpedaling on their variation promises, Nightwolf, Sindel and Spawn officially announced by text … anything they could do wrong in PR terms, they did. Tons of players (myself included) claim that they would've ditched the game if it wasn't so fun to play.

Is the DLC coming too slow? Yeah, sure, I mean - when compared to previous NRS games. But the truth of the matter is that this nudges me to start playing the game again for 2-3 weeks once a new fighter comes out, or after a major patch. If all DLC characters were released 2 weeks after the game was released, many players may have had abandoned the game because they'd have done everything single-player wise and have no incentive to continue (as good as a game can be, a gamer can only play it for so long before being fatigued by it).

I enjoy(ed) MK11 a LOT more than MKX. Now granted, I'm not a competitive player, but story-wise, roster-wise, gameplay-wise and game modes wise, I consider MKX beat by MK11 in every single way.

I understand the feedback that NRS is getting for its latest third variations: many players complain the picking of special moves weren't thought out as well as they were in the previous two variations and the third variation doesn't seem to have a 'theme' or strategy behind it for many characters. I understand that's a bad thing, but I also understand that NRS is trying to change things that don't work as well as they hoped/intended. I mean, I'm watching the Kombat Kasts and I can see they try to improve the game - they haven't abandoned it in any way, shape or form.

Was the game rushed? Definitely. The first couple of days more than proved than NRS did a PATHETIC job at play-testing the Towers of Time and it was painfully shown.
Did NRS fix a lot of the game's issues and keeps fixing them? Yes, they do. Are they done? Not by a long shot, but as long as they continue, I'm happy.

MK11 is still evolving and is still being tweaked, so I don't have a final verdict.

What I can say with certainty is the fact that Anthem will die a lot sooner than MK11.

EDIT: You know what game had a disastrous launch and was burned to the ground the second it came out? Marvel vs Capcom infinite. THAT was a game which was abandoned by both the community as well as the devs. A game which was supposed to have DLC content for as long as f*&k, ended up having one season of DLC because people PRE-ORDERED it.

If Sheeva, Fujin, Ash Williams (and hopefully Havik, Doomslayer and Sareena) never come out as DLC, then yes, I will also agree that the game was considered a failure by NRS and WB as well.

Street Fighter V hasn't evolved for shit. Funny enough I went to SFV with high hopes, after MKX mess, hoping I will get a better treatment and experience... I was wrong.

Fast forward to today. Their netcode sucks. Lagswitching is plaguing online. Smurfs on every corner, because of messed up currency system. 50FM per win. So those who want to earn money faster, they just make a new account and grind low skill players.

Though thanks to constant updates likes stages/characters they were able to keep current player base. Even so they unable to grow their community. They tried multiple tactics, like free weekends to increase the playerbase, but nobody is interested in joining as they aren't fixing core issues.

Entire game is so heavily monetized that unless you're a hardcore player, you won't find any fun in the game. Also you will need to spend tons of cash or insane amount of time grinding, to get enough money to buy characters and stages.

In short. It is stagnant. There was no evolution. There was some duct tape and that's it. Adding Arcade and Story Mode isn't evolution. It is just adding the content that was supposed to be day 1.

Also comparing Anthem with MK11. Come on, man. That's easy difficulty.

You will be getting your support until the new game will be announced. And then it will be abandoned. There is no indication that NRS will keep the game supported and that MK11 will be any different from any of the previous games. Like MKX or Injustice 2. They were dropped and forgotten after a year. Overall they have a very shit history when it comes to support.

And people keep thinking "but it will be different this time!". MK11 went step by step how I expected. And it was easy to predict. I wasted 8 years on waiting for a MK sequel that manages to work and doesn't have shit dragging behind it. But hey.

If you think that MK11 will evolve, be my guest. I mean even all the hardcore players that eat this game daily, admit that they won't make any massive changes. Variation system is broken, they won't overhaul it, and they won't add drastic changes.

Funny thing, I doubt there are a lot of people that finished single player content. That's like playing slots. Some of my friends whoed me that they have played the game for hundreds of hours and STILL didn't unlock the items they wanted.

[mattteo]

Honestly i was MIND-BLOWNED with Armageddon... have been waiting for to know, what following story will be like for 13 years...

Likewise. I loved the Armageddon story.

My point is, what's the point of draggin' this nonsense further? Yeah, they can expand the lore and make Titans the new enemy, they can reboot reality with simple role-swapping like Bi-Han being killed by Hanzo in Mythologies events, Fujin protecting Earthrealm instead of Raiden, turn Special Forces into nazi and Black/Red Dragon into freedom fighters etc. but it would feel so cheap and predictible it makes me wanna vomit.

How about prequel, like events from 500 years ago about The Great Kung Lao defeating Shang Tsung and being killed by Goro?With rooster made of bunch of king-lived / immortal characters like Raiden, Shao Kahn, Onaga, Shinnok, Fujin, Quan Chi, Kitana? With bunch of new characters like Taja and Vorpax from MK: Conquest?

Or remake of DA/Deception/Armageddon turn into single gaem with cinematic story?

You're absolutely right. I hope you read my game outline script. I did it before MK11 came out so it might have some inconsistencies, but it has exactly what you are talking about.


https://www.trmk.org/forums/showthre...re-known-canon

[Commander]

The problem with MK11 (for me) is that the cliffhanger is basically "we're too lazy to continue the story, so let's hit the reset button AGAIN."
So, there's a good chance that after Fujin comes out as DLC for MK11 that any other PS2 / 3D era characters like Reiko, Havik and Daegon (which all has awesome storylines in the MKX comics) will just be forgotten again, and the whiners will get another Trilogy / reboot game, yet again, because heaven forbid that Ermac, Smoke, Reptile and Mileena sit out 1 game to let some other characters shine in a game, for once.
While it's about as safe a bet as the Dolphins losing the next game, yeah, get ready for Trilogy 3.0 (aka MK12).

If they actually go through with the datamine files in the Switch version, this game is going to have three years of support (three annual kombat packs).

Why do you say that?
I don't recall the data mining files ever saying that the 19 DLC were going to be characters, specifically.
A skin pack of 3 for each of the 6 DLC in KP1 = 18 skins, plus Ninja Mime Johnny for pre-ordering.
I mean, for all we know they could also do a smaller KP like they did with Injustice 1 or do an MKXL type of thing where they release another set of 6, all at once, 3 to 4 months after Spawn drops.