Capcom’sStreet Fighterand NeatherRealm’sMortal Kombatare two titan-level franchises beloved by many. It’s a wonder then why the two games have never crossed paths before. In a recent interview, however, Yoshinori Ono, a long-time producer of theStreet Fighterseries and the executive producer ofStreet Fighter 5, has revealed why exactly this dream mashup hasn’t happened.
Capcom confirmed that there were talks about a collaboration between the two games, but they didn’t quite work out. Ed Boon, the creative director and team leader ofMortal Kombat 11, tried to get permission to add aStreet Fightercharacter toMortal Kombatbut was denied permission. While Yoshinori confirms this is true, the decision behind it wasn’t just his. During his interview with Eurogamer, Yoshinori states that the whole Capcom just felt likeMortal Kombatwasn’t a good fit for its characters. In other words, the styles of the two games didn’t mix in a way that the company felt comfortable moving forward with, which makes a lot of sense.
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Mortal Kombatis known for its violence. One of the many charms fans see in the game is the level of visceral detail showcased in the game’s combat.Mortal Kombat 11capitalized on this when marketing itself, expertly showing off its Fatality and Brutality mechanics, and in the end, it became one of thebest-selling games of 2019.Street Fighteris much different.
Street Fighteris known for its anime style of fighting, with character throwing out memorably named attacks and techniques to take down their opponents. While these techniques can get a little intense, the action of the game never becomes full-on gory violence. So while it would be cool to see Ryu duking it out withMortal Kombat’s cast, he’d be out of place in the game’s style (Evil Ryu could work, though).
While Capcom has presently turned down the decision to haveStreet Fightercrossover intoMortal Kombat, the company isn’t entirely opposed to it. Yoshinori admits that they haven’t ruled the possibility out. The crossover wasn’t in the cards now, but it could be in the future.Street Fighteris famous for its crossovers after all:Marvel vs. Capcom,Tatsunoko vs. Capcom, andSuper Smash Bros. Ultimateare just a few examples. ThroughInjustice,Mortal Kombathas also been involved in less violent fighters, so maybe the solution is a full game based on the crossover itself.
Mortal Kombat 11is currently available for PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One, with a Stadia version also in development.
