Time Krystals are Mortal Kombat 11’s optional premium currency. You can earn them by playing or purchase them with real money, and they are spent on selected items in the rotating Premium Shop. They are not required to progress, unlock gameplay advantages or compete online, and MK11 does not sell loot boxes containing random rewards.
Their main purpose is to unlock selected cosmetics and presentation items more quickly. Time Krystals cannot buy augments, stronger moves, additional health, playable characters, Kombat Packs or the Aftermath expansion.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Can they be earned for free? | Yes, through Profile Levels, selected tutorials, Towers of Time, Race Against Time, Kombat League and certain fixed Krypt rewards. |
| Can they be purchased? | Yes, through the online store for your platform. |
| Are they required? | No. They are not needed for story, progression or competitive play. |
| Are they pay-to-win? | No. They cannot purchase augments, fighter power or gameplay advantages. |
| Can they buy DLC fighters? | No. Characters, Kombat Packs, expansions and paid skin packs are separate purchases. |
| Are there loot boxes? | No paid loot boxes can be purchased with Time Krystals. |
Time Krystals are the only MK11 currency that can be purchased with real money, although paying for them is entirely optional. They can also be earned through several in-game activities.
The currency is mainly spent in the Premium Shop, which is accessible from the main menu. This store displays a limited selection of individual items and bundles for a limited time. Each offer shows how many Time Krystals it costs and how long it will remain available.
Time Krystals are separate from Koins, Soul Fragments and Hearts. They cannot be exchanged for those currencies or used to open any Krypt chest.
The Premium Shop does not contain the game’s complete inventory. It features a rotating selection that may include the following:
| Item type | What it unlocks | Gameplay advantage |
|---|---|---|
| Skins and gear | Alternative appearances and gear designs for a fighter. | None. Purchased gear does not include augments or stat bonuses. |
| Intros, victories and taunts | Alternative entrance, victory and presentation animations. | None |
| Kombat Kard cosmetics | Icons and backgrounds used to customize the player profile. | None |
| Announcer voices | Alternative voices for menus and match announcements when offered. | None |
| Brutalities | An additional character-specific finishing move. | None. Its conditions must still be completed during the fight. |
| Easy Fatality Tokens | A simplified input for performing a Fatality after winning. | None during the fight. |
| Bundles | A collection containing several currently featured items. | Depends on the contents, but bundles do not provide fighter power. |
Easy Fatality Tokens do not unlock finishers. They only allow you to use a simplified command for a regular Fatality, Stage Fatality or Friendship after you have already won. Each of these finishers can still be performed for free with its complete standard input.
You do not have to purchase Time Krystals. MK11 awards them through several activities, although many of these rewards are small, limited or dependent on rotating game modes.
| Source | How it works | Availability |
|---|---|---|
| Profile Level | Increasing your Profile Level awards 10 Time Krystals per level. | Earned progressively by playing. |
| Tutorials | Selected tutorials award small amounts of Time Krystals when completed. | Usually a one-time reward. |
| Towers of Time | Some towers and stages of The Gauntlet include Time Krystals among their listed rewards. | Check each tower’s reward panel before starting. |
| Race Against Time | The weekly Towers of Time leaderboard can award Krystals according to the percentile reached. | Weekly; quantities and thresholds may vary. |
| Kombat League | Krystals can be awarded for its tutorial, Daily Challenge and seasonal rank rewards when a season is active. | Online and dependent on the current season. |
| The Krypt | Certain fixed-reward Flaming or Scorpion Chests contain a one-time Time Krystal reward. | Limited and not a repeatable farming method. |
| Official rewards | NetherRealm and WB Games have occasionally distributed Krystals through promotions or community rewards. | Only when explicitly announced; historical gifts should not be assumed to remain available. |
Always check the reward panel shown in the game. Tower rewards, Kombat League seasons and promotional bonuses may change or become temporarily unavailable.
Premium Shop offers remain available for a limited period. There is no permanent rule stating that every item changes every eight hours. Offer durations vary. Use the countdown displayed on each listing as the definitive timer.
The reliable source is the countdown displayed on each active listing. When that timer reaches zero, the offer may be replaced by another item or bundle.
If an item disappears, you cannot purchase it until it returns to the Premium Shop or becomes available through another source. There is no complete public schedule showing exactly when a particular skin, Brutality or bundle will return, and some rare items may take a long time to reappear.
The Premium Shop only displays a small selection of eligible items at any one time. It cannot be used to browse and purchase every cosmetic or unlockable in MK11 whenever you want.
Time Krystals can be purchased as an add-on through the PlayStation Store, Microsoft Store, Nintendo eShop or the corresponding PC storefront. Open the store associated with the same platform account you use to play MK11.
The DLC section is separate from the Premium Shop. Playable characters, Kombat Packs, Aftermath and paid skin packs are purchased directly with real money and cannot be paid for with Time Krystals.
| Pack | Contents | Typical US price |
|---|---|---|
| 500 Time Krystals | 500 Krystals | $4.99 |
| 1,150 Time Krystals | 1,000 + 150 bonus Krystals | $9.99 |
| 1,150 Special One-Time Offer | 1,150 Krystals; limited to one purchase where offered | $4.99 |
| 2,500 Time Krystals | 2,000 + 500 bonus Krystals | $19.99 |
| 5,600 Time Krystals | 4,000 + 1,600 bonus Krystals | $39.99 |
Prices and availability vary by platform, region, local currency, taxes and promotions. The special one-time offer may not appear for every account or storefront. Always treat the current listing in your platform’s store as the definitive price.
No. Time Krystals do not provide any competitive or gameplay advantage. They cannot be used to purchase:
Skins, gear designs, intros, victories, taunts and Kombat Kard items are cosmetic or presentational. Brutalities only change the finishing animation triggered by the final hit, while Easy Fatality Tokens only simplify an eligible post-match finisher after you have already won.
No. They only provide a simplified command for a regular Fatality, Stage Fatality or Friendship after you have already won. The complete standard input for each finisher remains free and does not consume a token.
WB Games’ official Time Krystals FAQ states that cosmetics purchasable with Time Krystals can also be obtained through gameplay and that no character cosmetic is exclusive to the currency.
However, the final version of MK11 also rotated rare, promotional and former bonus cosmetics through the Premium Shop. Their original gameplay, event or promotional source may no longer be active. In those cases, the only practical option may be to wait for the item to return to the shop.
This still does not force you to spend real money because Time Krystals themselves can be earned by playing. It does mean that some items may not be obtainable on demand, regardless of how many Krystals you currently own.
Not every unlockable can appear in the Premium Shop. Much of the game’s content must be earned through Towers of Time, Character Towers, Kombat League, the Krypt and other game modes.
No. Mortal Kombat 11 does not sell loot boxes with Time Krystals or real money. The Premium Shop shows the exact item or bundle and its price before you confirm the purchase.
The Krypt does contain chests whose rewards may be hidden or randomized, but they are opened with gameplay currencies such as Koins, Hearts or Soul Fragments. Time Krystals cannot be used to purchase Krypt chests.
| Currency | How it is obtained | Main use | Purchasable with real money? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Time Krystals | Gameplay rewards or platform-store packs. | Selected Premium Shop items. | Yes |
| Koins | Fights, Towers, challenges and other gameplay rewards. | Regular Krypt chests, the Shrine and other unlock costs. | No |
| Soul Fragments | Gameplay, Towers and Krypt rewards. | Soul Spires and certain Krypt interactions. | No |
| Hearts | Finishers, Towers and other gameplay rewards. | Special Krypt chests and certain Tower requirements. | No |
These currencies use separate balances and cannot be converted into one another.
No. Time Krystals can be earned through gameplay, and nothing purchased with them is required to complete the story, access standard game modes or compete online.
No. DLC fighters, Kombat Packs, Aftermath and separate skin packs are purchased directly from your platform’s store. See the complete MK11 roster for a breakdown of base and DLC fighters.
No. Only the selection currently displayed in the Premium Shop can be purchased. Many skins must be obtained through their corresponding gameplay mode, reward or rotating event.
Its countdown has expired and the shop has rotated to a different selection. The item may return in a future rotation, but MK11 does not provide a complete long-term schedule.
No. They only provide a simplified command after you have already won a match. Regular Fatality inputs remain free and do not consume tokens.
Your Krystals, inventory and purchases can carry from PS4 to PS5 or from Xbox One to Xbox Series X|S when you use the same platform account. They do not transfer between separate PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo and PC ecosystems.
Return to the complete Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate guide for more help with characters, unlockables, finishers and game systems.
