Tanya, leader of the chastity-sworn Umgadi, and Mileena (Outworld's heir/empress) maintain a secret same-sex partnership, with story mode scenes, intros, and dialogues centering their bond as natural and supportive rather than stigmatized for its orientation—the secrecy stems from political and institutional rules, not societal homophobia. This elevates the representation beyond incidental background diversity.

No established characters receive race or gender swaps, no pronoun or body-type customization exists in this fighting game, and no overt lectures on systemic issues appear. Claims of Sweet Baby Inc. narrative consulting circulate in player discussions and credits references but lack definitive studio confirmation.

Reception shows a clear critic-audience gap (Metacritic 83 critics vs. 6.5 users), with some backlash targeting the Mileena-Tanya subplot alongside monetization and roster complaints. The core premise remains a brutal tournament fighter in a rebooted universe, keeping ideology influential on subplots but not foundational.