Mortal Kombat, once a well-known game of violence, has faced challenges of its own, this time over censorship issues.
Over the years, Mortal Kombat was known as a popular fighting game with Many Revealing cosmetics. Female fighters during the years 2002-2009 would have very graphic displays of clothing. As time progressed into 2009 when Mortal Kombat 9 was released, people all over social media would publish videos on all Mortal Kombat cosmetics. They would often realize that all females in the game have very revealing outfits. These outfits were so obscured that they had to be mildly censored by content creators when the females would take too much damage. The question that lingered around was, “Why are these outfits revealing?” Now this question has been answered back in 2020 when the only reason women had revealing clothing in Mortal Kombat games, such as MK9, was to reboot sales and get higher sales. Eight years after the release of MK9, MKX was released with a new view of female outfits. They were less revealing and more formal to kombat fighting.
In 2015, when Mortal Kombat X came out, Women had more formal clothing that stuck to their character models and personas. But why did this drastic change happen? This change happened because the creator (ED BOON) decided that the skimpy side of fighting was not worth the sales rate, consequently making female attires more “kombatant” like. With Mortal Kombat females “properly” dressed in outfits that matched their personalities, sale rates increased heavily with minor backlash on the less revealing outfits. This transition in such a game was not only a continuation of the game but also a step forward in character design and storytelling behind the character. Furthermore, this change has impacted the Mortal Kombat community by changing character designs to better fit the game with female characters fitting the role of a female fighter without skimpy outfits. Mortal Kombat censored female skins over the years, mainly to line up with the progressing values of society and consumers regarding women in games. During earlier installments, particularly around 2002-2009, female characters donned very revealing outfits; though this was in popularity at the time, it also drew criticism for its strong sexualization.
As the years continue, Mortal Kombat games have successfully portrayed the aspect of having beautiful Kombat fighters who don’t have revealing outfits. This doesn’t change the fact that Mortal Kombat developers can’t make revealing outfits for female characters. Recently, In the latest game of Mortal Kombat (Mortal Kombat 1), The developers released a skin for the character Mileena. This skin was a remake of their classic game “Mortal Kombat Deception.” This skin was revealing, mainly around the lower half of her stomach, but the skin was still covered up. This example shows that Mortal Kombat can still make revealing outfits without them being overly sexualized and still having something entertaining for all players. Additionally, the approach of restricted skimpy outfits makes such a growing topic in the Mortal Kombat industry. By prioritizing the female fighters’ beauty, strength, and skills, Mortal Kombat can maintain a stable game with enjoyable aspects without making the implication that women outfits are enjoyable “toys.”
This drastic change in the Mortal Kombat industry addresses the various diverse opinions among all players. However, this empowering change downgrades the concept of women being viewed as objects in a fighting game and highlights the strength of the female kombatants. Even though Mortal Kombat is now mainly played by ages 15+ who are unaffected by this change, younger players and parents who have younger kids who play this game see this as a useful change. Esmerelda Adames, a normal player of the game from 2009 states,“This act was mainly due to younger generations playing Mortal Kombat.” This is another reason why Mortal Kombat has changed its censorship of female skins over the years.
Over time the way Mortal Kombat portrays female characters has changed and it’s clear that it’s all about keeping up with what’s happening in the game and society. In the past, the game used revealing outfits as a way to sell copies and make a profit. Nonetheless, as time went on, outfits became more practical and fit for combat. This shift wasn’t just about making the characters look stronger; it was about respecting the growing demand for more inclusive and empowering representation of women in games. Mortal Kombat has shown it can be adapted to what players want, finding the balance between fun, and entertainment, and staying in line with the changing values of its audience, ensuring that the game feels right for everyone.
