The introduction of seemingly infinite custom move variations shook up the Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate meta far more than any standard balance patch.
Every character has a limited number of slots for customization with some moves taking two to prevent busted options. NetherRealm Studios’ design choice was met with mixed reception, so we asked top players Nivek and ArnKratos to share their opinion.
Initial balance concerns?
“When I first heard about custom variations I was anxious because I knew there were going to be things that were broken,” Nivek said. “And there were, but (developers) addressed it quickly and right now there's a better balance in the current meta.”
Some moves, like RoboCop’s trickshot or the Terminator’s exoskeleton were banned since they'd ruin the game's equilibrium. Others like Kitana’s razors were changed while pokes and Fatal Blows in general were tweaked to help balance the roster.
Going out of control?
“I do like the freedom of the variations but I’m afraid they’ll get out of control,” ArnKratos said. “It’s good they balanced it with two slots and made some moves unavailable in competitive play, but if they’d done a better job in presets there wouldn’t be any issues with customs.”
He went on to say the changes could be smaller and don’t have to change the way the whole game plays.
Losing character identity?
“Right now it makes a zoner into a rushdown or a grappler,” Nivek said. “It takes away the personality of a character. Everyone can do everything no matter what they are as a character. I wish it was more strict.”
Less risk & more reward?
“Custom variations are a good addition to the game in that they give the player more creativity to make their own creations,” ArnKratos said, “but (developers) need to make some adjustments because some custom moves are better than others in terms of balance.”
ArnKratos emphasized the problem with basic special moves outperforming custom specials.
“The custom moves should be better because you’re spending a slot on it,” he said. “Why would you spend a slot if it’s not going to be better?”
The future of custom move variations
Some players less supportive of customs point toward the emergence of vastly superior variations for most of the cast. Instead of experimenting with different moves, they often go with what player specific threads call the most optimal build. Whether or not they’re limiting themselves without experimenting with more unorthodox options has yet to be seen. EVO 2021 Online is right around the corner and will be a testament to custom move variation balance.
Gain more insight into the FGC from top players
- Koustics on How to Improve Your Commentary
- Top Players Share the Skills You Need to Go Pro
- ArnKratos Talks Online Vs Offline Play and Character Viability
- Nivek on What Separates Pros from Other Players
- Biohazard on Kano, Experimentation, & the Importance of Losing
How to make the best competitive MK11 custom move variations
Watch Ketchup & Mustard’s Final Round Classroom Session for a more in-depth breakdown of how to play MK11 with customs: