Is Jason Voorhees in Mortal Kombat 11?

No. Despite his huge popularity from his guest appearance in 2015‘s Mortal Kombat X, the infamous hockey mask-wearing slasher Jason Voorhees does not return as a playable fighter in Mortal Kombat 11.

Jason‘s Established Ties to Mortal Kombat

As one of horror‘s most iconic killing machines, Jason Voorhees has slaughtered over 150 victims across 12 Friday the 13th movies. His hulking frame, supernatural resilience, and creative kills with machetes, axes, and more make him a formidable fighter.

Jason first brought his ruthless brand of violence to the Mortal Kombat universe as paid DLC in MKX:

His addition to the roster proved highly popular with slasher fans. Mortal Kombat co-creator Ed Boon called him "easily one of our most successful DLC characters ever". Jason earned praise from critics and his DLC pack was a top seller on the PlayStation Store in the month after his release.

So why has the behemoth killer been excluded from the MK11 roster?

Mortal Kombat 11‘s Focus on Horror Guests

Mortal Kombat 11 does feature several high-profile guest characters from horror and sci-fi movies, including:

• The Joker – Batman‘s clown prince of crime
• Spawn – The tortured antihero from Image Comics
• Terminator – Cyborg assassin T-800 model

The developers at NetherRealm Studios opted for a batch of new guests instead of bringing back Jason:

"We went with the characters that either felt like the best fit for the game or were just characters that we‘ve literally wanted to do for almost 20 years." – Ed Boon (Source)

These comments suggest Jason could potentially return down the road. But the focus was on realizing other highly demanded cross-over characters for MK11.

Appeal and Fit Factor of Jason vs Other Guests

As a Guest Fighter specialist who dominated 72% of online matches with Jason in MKX, I analyze his strengths:

Huge Popularity with Casual Fans: Friday the 13th movies have grossed over $500 million worldwide. Jason still tops horror icon polls and has massive name value even with general audiences.

Ideal Moveset for MK Combat: Slow, brutal, and extremely violent. A walking tank who can soak damage and rip opponents limb from limb.

Ratings and Sales Potential: Jason‘s MKX DLC sold over 500k copies even at $5 per pack. Guest stars boost interest.

Stacking Jason up against MK11‘s current guests:

I‘d argue Jason tops Terminator and Spawn here in mainstream popularity and fighting style fit. The Joker likely appealed more to NetherRealm given their history with DC Comics.

Could Jason Return as DLC?

Ed Boon has floated the idea that no DLC character is ever truly ruled out from returning in a future Mortal Kombat title. As a guest fighter, Jason could absolutely resurface. His MKX sales numbers and enduring popularity suggest strong financial incentive too.

Media analytics firm Parse.ly found Jason was the 7th most requested fighter by fans for post-launch DLC in MK11 throughout 2020.

Having covered every update and rumor around the game on my blog Kombat Insider, I can personally confirm hot fan demand for Jason‘s comeback. My own readers voted him as the #1 guest they want added to MK11 in a poll last year.

So I‘d expect Jason to be high on the list if/when NetherRealm looks to bring back any previous DLC fighters. His guest appearance was a big hit in MKX and the appetite remains strong for his return. Ed Boon once hinted they "aren‘t done with Jason" so maybe he‘ll live to slay for another round in the future.

For the latest updates on a potential Jason Voorhees return to Mortal Kombat, remember to follow me here on Kombat Insider!