Zoning might be less viable in MKX because the characters are closer, characters can now run, and with the interactables they can jump fullscreen. People here seem to think the stamina meter is the reason zoning won't be viable, when what it is actually doing is limiting the movement option, which is what might give zoning a chance.

I always took Sub as more of a defensive turtling character but forgive me if thats just splitting hairs or still considered zoning. Zoning to me would be like Kenshi or Kabal because they could control so much of the screen with projectiles and still do chip damage. If Sub Zero didn't have the life lead his zoning became worthless.

And after reading the article the only thing to me that sounds like they're trying to tone down the zoning is that the max distance two characters can be from each other is way shorter. Otherwise the dashing stuff works in favor of both, not to mention people can just jump backwards when trying to create space. In MK9 so many characters have air projectiles you would kinda always have to dash in between shots so if anything having limited dashes would help zoning more. Anybody feel free to correct me if I'm lookin at this the wrong way.

And while I recognize zoning as a totally legit playing style, I do admit it can be extremely boring to play against at times. Especially in NRS games, in Injustice there were straight up unwinnable matches because of it and interactables and walking back to block. One of the reasons I stopped playing that game is I just got bored of chasing people around over and over again. It felt less like a fighting game and more like I was playing 2d tag where I was always it.

I would like to see an official video of an explanation of the stamina meter.
This is something that hasn't been talked about. And as a new addition to the game, it should had been talked about almost as much as the Variation concept already.

Too bad all we will get from here on out is your ambiguous "So how did you come up with the fatality ideas?" interviews. *shudders*

I like it when media coverage involves gameplay nuance but I can tell that he does so with a "casual" perspective. Zoning will assuredly not be dead in MKX despite the inclusion of a run mechanic, it'll just force more hybrid zoning strategies that rely on spacing and footsies and not just projectile spam. Zoning in NRS games have always played out differently than in Capcom games because projectiles don't trade.

I've talked about it on MKO before but projectile spamming is only an ASPECT of zoning since zoning is all about space control. Zoning based gameplay erroneously gets a bad wrap because what it does very quickly is reveal a players skill level. People new / unfamiliar with the game who don't understand cursory mechanics beyond mashing out attack strings get bodied and decry "spamming is cheap" instead of wanting to understand how to change their OWN strategy and IMPROVE.

To me it's like playing a sport and then complaining when the other team does something you can't stop like it's being cheap. "Hey no fair you can't spam passing in American football because I can't defend against that! That's cheap! You need to run the ball all the time so I know what to do!"

Or..."Hey you need to seriously stop shooting all those 3-pointers when we play basketball because I don't want to have to worry about guarding you outside. Just bring it down the lane all the time so it's easier to stop you and I don't have to work as hard."

"Spamming" is a casual's term that really translates "you do something to me repetitively that I don't understand and instead of asking how to improve, I'm just going to whine and complain and point the finger at anything other than myself."