Mortal Kombat 11 Important Notes guide screenshot

Important Notes

Important Notes for Mortal Kombat 11



This section collects critical warnings, common pitfalls, irreversible decisions, missable content, difficulty spikes, grinding traps, online etiquette, save management advice, and things players often regret not knowing earlier. Read these notes before you invest significant time or money into the game.

Warnings & Pitfalls



  • Krypt Progression Can Be Permanently Blocked: The Krypt (third-person exploration mode for unlocking gear) has a limited number of uses for certain key items like Kronika’s Vault keys and Skeleton Keys. If you waste them on low-value chests, you may need to grind Forge materials to craft keys again. Always prioritize chests with character-specific gear or augments.

  • Tower Consumables Are One-Time Use: Konsumables (augments, buffs) and abilities you equip in Towers of Time are consumed upon use. They are not recoverable. Avoid using rare or powerful items on easy towers you can beat without them.

  • Online Disconnects Can Lead to Penalties: Leaving an online match early counts as a loss and can affect your ranked standing or reputation. The game’s penalty system may temporarily restrict matchmaking if you disconnect frequently.

  • Save File Corruption Risk: On PC, manual save backup is not available in-game. Cloud saves (Steam/Epic) can overwrite your local data if corrupted. Regularly back up your save folder manually (usually under `%USERPROFILE%\Documents\My Games\Mortal Kombat 11`).


    • Irreversible Choices



  • Character Selection in Story Mode: Once you choose a character for a story chapter, you cannot replay that specific fight from the main menu without restarting the entire chapter. Replaying chapters from the journal only allows you to pick alternate Kustom Variations (cosmetic loadouts), but the opponent AI and story outcome are fixed.

  • Krypt Key Item Usage: The Forgotten Relic, Last Remains, and similar key items are consumed when opening certain chests. Missing a specific chest (e.g., character-specific gear) may force you to replay the Krypt from scratch or grind for more keys via Towers of Time.

  • Skin Bundles from Kombat League: Unique skins earned in Kombat League seasons are exclusive to that season. If you miss a season, those skins are never obtainable again—except maybe via rare events. No trade system exists.

  • Time Krystals (Premium Currency): Spending Time Krystals on Shrine of the Elder Gods (blind loot boxes) is a gamble. If you want a specific skin, use the Character-Specific Bundle or wait for the Krystal store rotation. Krystals are very grindy to earn.


    • Missable Content



  • Towers of Time Limited-Time Events: Special towers (e.g., Brutal, Meteor, Survival) often reward exclusive gear, skins, or augments. They disappear after a few days. Check the Towers menu daily for new limited-time towers.

  • Seasonal Events & Kombat League: Each Kombat League season (usually 5-6 weeks) has exclusive skins, gear, and victory poses. Once the season ends, those rewards are gone forever (except rare re-releases via premium shop).

  • Platform-Specific Unlocks: PlayStation and Xbox offer exclusive skins (e.g., Jax’s „PS4“ variation). These cannot be obtained on other platforms.

  • Crypt Easter Eggs: Certain gear pieces are tied to specific hidden areas in the Krypt that require a key item from a specific tower or time-limited event. For example, the “Mime Time” gear for Kitana requires a rare item from a Towers of Time meteor event.


    • Difficulty Spikes



  • Story Mode Final Boss (Kronika) : Her time-manipulation attacks are difficult to read. Recommended to use a character with fast pokes and projectiles (e.g., Scorpion, Liu Kang). Save your Fatal Blow for when she summons time-warp minions.

  • Towers of Time Bosses with Passive Buffs: Some Towers have modifiers like “Explosive Chests” or “Armor of Light” that make enemies nearly invincible until you break their armor with a specific move. Often require specific konsumables to counter.

  • Classic Towers on Hard/Very Hard: AI opponents read inputs and punish basic combos. Use safe strings, block often, and abuse throws. The AI is weak against grabs and overheads.

  • Gauntlet Towers (e.g., “The Gauntlet” in Towers of Time): These are extremely difficult multi-level towers with heavy modifiers. They are designed for endgame players with max-level gear and augments. Do not attempt early.


    • Grinding Traps



  • Don’t Waste Souls or Koins on Low-Value Chests: In the Krypt, only open chests that cost 25,000-100,000 Koins because they have a high chance of gear. Low-value chests often contain consumables or keys readily obtained elsewhere.

  • Augment Grind Is Endgame Only: Augments (passive bonuses for skin/gear) are very grindy. Do not waste Time Krystals on augment packages. They drop from Towers of Time and Krypt chests. Focus on unlocking character-specific augments if you main a character.

  • Forge Crafting Is Resource-Intensive: Crafting gear in the Forge requires rare materials like Netherstone and Heart of the Earth. These are finite in the Krypt (respaw only via daily resets). Use them only for items you cannot get elsewhere.

  • Daily & Weekly Challenges Aren’t Worth Grinding for Small Rewards: Some challenges give only Konsumables or low-tier skins. Skip them if they take more than 10 minutes. Focus on challenges that give Time Krystals or Character Gear.


    • Online Etiquette & Anti-Cheat Notes



  • No Cross-Play: Mortal Kombat 11 does not have cross-play. Only players on the same console can matchmake. This means player populations are divided.

  • Lag & FPS Issues: Ranked matches require stable wired internet. WiFi can cause teleporting hits, which is frustrating for both players. If you experience lag, use the in-game network test.

  • Teabagging & Toxicity: Teabagging (rapid crouching) after a round is common and often considered disrespectful. Do not engage in it if you want a friendly community. You can block/mute players via the recent players list on your platform.

  • Anti-Cheat: PC version uses Easy Anti-Cheat. Bans are permanent for cheating (e.g., infinite health, unlock all hacks). If you get banned, you lose access to all online features and your account progress on that platform.

  • Wi-Fi Indicator: In the vs screen, look at the connection indicator (bars out of 5). Avoid matches with 1-2 bars—they will be nearly unplayable.


    • Save Management



  • Manual Backup is Essential: On PC, the save folder is `%USERPROFILE%\Documents\My Games\Mortal Kombat 11`. Copy this folder periodically (e.g., after major progress or before changing files). Steam Cloud can cause sync conflicts—disable it temporarily if you mod or edit save files.

  • Console Save Backup: On PlayStation, use PS Plus cloud backup or a USB drive. On Xbox, cloud saves are automatic but you cannot restore a previous save unless the game allows it (it does not). If your save corrupts, you lose all progress.

  • Profile Saves vs. Local Saves: The game saves all progression (Krypt, Towers, Gear) to a single profile file. Losing this file means starting over. Do not share save files with other players—the game checks profile ID and may reject.


    • Things Players Commonly Regret Not Knowing Earlier



  • You Can Cancel Special Moves with Amplify: Amplify (press the same special button again after inputting the move) often makes the move safe on block or extends combos. Many beginners don’t use Amplify enough.

  • Flawless Block Gives a Punish Window: If you block an attack perfectly (tap block just before hit), you get a window to counter. This is essential for competitive play.

  • Konsumables Are Not Just for Towers: Some konsumables (e.g., health regen, armor buff) can be used in the Krypt to help with difficult enemies (Skeleton Keys, etc.). Always equip a defensive konsumable before entering a tough area.

  • Character Variation Naming is Cosmetic: The names of your variations (e.g., “My Kombos”) do not affect anything. You can rename them freely in the Customize menu.

  • Fatal Blow Range is Quite Long: Many Fatal Blows have deceptive range (e.g., Scorpion’s spear goes full screen). In a pinch, you can catch opponents who are zoning you.

  • The Tutorial is Actually Good: The tutorial teaches advanced concepts like frame data, krushing blows, and throw tech. New players often skip it, then struggle online. Complete at least the basics.

  • You Can Remap Controls Per Character: In the settings, you can assign different button layouts for each character—helpful if you main characters with different special inputs.

  • Time Krystals Earn Rate is Slow: On average, you get 50-100 Krystals per hour of grinding towers. Spending them on time-limited skins can drain your wallet. Save for high-priority items.


Final Advice



Mortal Kombat 11 is a deep game with many systems. Avoid rushing through content without understanding the mechanics. Prioritize the Story Mode first (it gives good Krypt rewards), then practice your main character in Classic Towers before diving into Towers of Time or Kombat League. Manage your Krypt resources carefully, and always check the timer on limited-time events. If you get stuck, use the in-game tutorials or look up specific strategies for the modifier-heavy towers. Never hesitate to rematch a good opponent—it’s the best way to improve.