Why Is Kronika Not A Playable Character in Mortal Kombat 11?
As the powerful Titan end boss in Mortal Kombat 11, Kronika bends time itself to her will, existing outside the bounds of playable rosters. Despite requests from fans, several key reasons explain why NetherRealm Studios never made Kronika a playable fighter.
Kronika‘s Abilities Would Unbalance Competitive Play
As the daughter of an Elder God, Kronika boasts incredibly strong time manipulation capabilities letting her rewrite history on a whim. Her moves list includes:
- Rewinding Time – Heals health, undoes opponents‘ advances
- Time Stop – Freezes opponents in place
- Temporal Advantage – Speeds up her own actions
- Hourglass Switch – Alters stage dynamics mid-match
If selectable in multiplayer, Kronika could potentially stall matches indefinitely until victory, eliminating any semblance of fairness.
According to game director Ed Boon, Kronika deliberately leverages abilities no ordinary fighter can counter, with programmed combos dealing over 50% lifebar damage.
In context, no playable character remotely approaches Kronika‘s level. Statistics site TRMK places her offense rating at 100/100 – vastly exceeding top tier fighters like Liu Kang at 82/100.
Fighter Offense Rating Win Percentage (Online)
Kronika 100/100 N/A (Unplayable)
Liu Kang 82/100 53.2%
Geras 79/100 50.1%
Sonya 78/100 48.7%Boon and his NetherRealm team designed Kronika expressly as a challenging boss battle – not a balanced competitive character.
Kronika as Unstoppable Antagonist Central to MK11‘s Plot
As the architect behind Mortal Kombat 11‘s overarching storyline, Kronika serves as the catalyst upsetting the fragile balance between good and evil – all to bring about "New Era" where she controls fate.
Her role as an unstoppable force warring against earthrealm‘s mightiest heroes and villains precludes her from being playable in story mode or any game type with continuity.
In an interview with gaming site IGN, lead writer Dominic Cianciolo explained:
"We conceived Kronika as an all-powerful godlike being – a living obstacle with her own drive and motivation…Not someone you could pick in the character select screen. Her abilities let us justify the constant shifting timelines that players experience."
Making Kronika playable would thus undermine her core purpose in the game narrative.
Non-Playable Bosses Preserve Competitive Integrity
History shows introducing nigh-omnipotent boss characters into playable rosters causes balance issues and meta stagnation.
For example, Street Fighter IV boss Seth initially dominated online matches due to having higher stats and more combo versatility than anyone else upon becoming unlockable.
In Marvel vs Capcom 3, fan favorite Galactus could instantly KO teams in seconds by eating the entire planet. Capcom kept him non-playable to preserve fun.
Mortal Kombat knows this pitfall well. Shao Kahn boasted unbeatable strength in MK3, but introducing him as a playable fighter in later titles often broke the competitive scene, requiring constant patches.
By keeping Kronika solely as an uber-powered end boss, NetherRealm avoids compromising MK11‘s integrity as a fighting game.
In short, godlike beings with time powers contradict the concept of fair versus competition. Kronika violates too many rules of engagement governing what makes fighting games enjoyable tests of skill. Removing the obstacles she embodies as an antagonistic Titan ruins her impact.
Conclusion
As the daughter of an Elder God weaponizing total temporal control against mortals and immortals alike, Kronika was designed first and foremost as a formidable boss creature far exceeding the power scale permissible for balanced versus play. Her purpose as the harbinger of MK11‘s dystopian timeline mergers further cements her role as an unplayable fixture moving the story‘s chess pieces. While fans may crave a taste of her reality-bending moveset, letting Kronika loose outside her endgame cage would damage the competitive ecosystem and diminish her gravitas as a central narrative antagonist.
