Most people want to jump right into a new game as soon as they pick it up or download it. Mortal Kombat 11 is no different, which is why we’ve listed all of the Mortal Kombat 11 controls so you can easily look through them without having to pause your game.
Mortal Kombat 11 Controls
These are the default Mortal Kombat 11 controls, which can be changed at any time. We’ll also cover some of the basic options in the game, such as Input Window Timing, Krushing Blows Held Check, Release Check, Input Shortcuts and more, so you have a better understanding of what these options are.
Basic Controls
| Move | PS4 | Xbox | PC | Switch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Front Punch | Square | X | J | Y |
| Back Punch | Triangle | Y | I | X |
| Front Kick | X | A | K | B |
| Back Kick | Circle | B | L | A |
| Throw | L1 | LB | SPACE | L |
| Block | R2 | RT | O | ZR |
| Movement | D-Pad or Thumbstick | D-Pad or Thumbstick | W,A,S,D | D-Pad or Thumbstick |
| Interact | R1 | RB | ; | R |
| Flip Stance | L2 | LT | U | ZL |
| Fatal Blow | R2 + L2 | RT + LT | (This depends on your keybinds!) | ZR + ZL |
| Kameo | R1 | RB | ; | R |
Mortal Kombat 11 has an excellent tutorial that can help even the most basic of players become a fighting-game expert. The tutorial not only goes over basic inputs and controls but also advanced techniques that expert players in the competitive scene use, including explanations on punishing moves and frame-counting.
Input Window Timing
Input Window Timing controls how precise you have to be when performing special moves. You can set this to LONG, MEDIUM or SHORT. When set to Long you’ll have more leeway when trying to perform special moves and special move cancels. When set to SHORT you’ll have to be more precise with your inputs if you want to execute a special move. MEDIUM is the halfway point between the two settings. If you have trouble performing special moves, start with the LONG setting.
Krushing Blows Held Check
By default, all you need to do to perform a Krushing Blow is to meet the requirements for the move (listed in the in-game move list). However, if you change this setting to ON, you’ll have to hold the final button of the special move in order to trigger the Krushing Blow.
For instance, you need to hit Liu Kang’s Flying Dragon Kick (Back, Forward + X) as a counter from max range to trigger a Krushing Blow. However, since you can only use each Krushing Blow once per match, you may not want to save it. With Krushing Blows Held Check set to OFF, you would have to hold X (Back, Forward + Hold X) in order to perform the Krushing Blow when the other requirements have been met. This way you don’t waste the extra damage and can save the Krushing Blow for another round or sometime later in the match.
Release Check
Also known as Negative Edge, Release Check being ON simply means that you can perform special moves by holding the attack button, performing the input, then releasing the attack button. For example, Liu Kang’s Flying Dragon Kick is normally Back, Forward + X. With Release Check set to ON, you can also perform the attack with the Negative Edge input: Hold X, Back, Forward, Release X. This kind of input can be helpful when trying to perform specific combos or advanced setups.
Alternate Contol
Traditionally, Mortal Kombat does not use diagonal inputs (i.e. the diagonal between Down and Forward: Down-Forward). If you want to perform a fireball motion, all you have to do is press Down, then Forward, ignoring the diagonal. However, when you turn Alternate Control ON, you can input moves with the diagonal like you would in Street Fighter or other similar fighting games.
Input Shortcuts
If you have trouble performing special moves, while Input Window Timing can help with that, so can the Input Shortcuts option. When this is set to ON, certain shortcuts will work with special moves. Instead of performing a Down, Forward motion, you can just tap diagonal Down-Forward twice and it will still register as Down, Forward. This is primarily useful if you have trouble performing special moves and should usually be set to OFF unless you’re a novice player.
Button Shortcuts
There are many attacks in Mortal Kombat that have a preset macro that allows you to press a single button instead of having to press multiple button simultaneously. For example, a throw is performed by pressing L1 using default controls. However, when you have Button Shortcuts set to ON, you can also perform a throw by pressing Square + X (Front Punch + Front Kick). For some people (especially when playing on an arcade stick) it can be easier to perform these attacks with their more traditional input instead of the shortcut macro.
Mortal Kombat 11 Tips and Mechanics Guide
Learn these Mortal Kombat controls for these essential skills:
- Dash Cancels: Master the art of dash cancelling by pressing down to execute quick steps and approach your opponent effectively.
- Up Block: Hold the block button and press Up for a special block, ideal against jump attacks and overheads, shortening recovery for punishing opportunities.
- Flawless Block: Prevent chip damage from projectiles and deny opponents meter gain by flawlessly blocking attacks. Perform this by blocking right before an attack lands.
- Combo Breaker: Halt opponent combos by holding Block and Forward, breaking out with 3 bars and an available Kameo fighter. Use it strategically, even against Fatal Blows.
- Kameo Fighters: Utilize assists called Kameos for combo extensions or breaking out of trouble. Choose them in the character selection screen, managing a gauge that quickly recharges.
- Fatal Blow: Unleash a cinematic super move when your health drops to 30% or less. Press L2+R2 when the Fatal Blow indicator appears.
- Super Meter: Build the power gauge by executing special moves, dealing damage, or having specials blocked. Use the super meter judiciously for empowered versions of your moves, crucial for combo extensions.
Those are all the Mortal Kombat 11 controls, but be sure to check out how to pull off a mercy and more strategies and advice in our Mortal Kombat 11 game hub!
