Raiden was part of Mortal Kombat 11's 25 character starting lineup, and was available to play upon the game's release back on April 23, 2019.
God of thunder and protector of Earthrealm, Raiden has been offering sage advice and guidance to the defenders of earth since Mortal Kombat 1 dropped back on October 8, 1992.
He's been in most Mortal Kombat entries since then, always playing the role of the wise leader, though he's often conflicted and burdened by the immense weight of the choices he must make as well as those he must help key characters like Liu Kang make.
As always, Raiden dons his trademark hat in MK11, but also wears some new armor that's darker than the usual white colors we see him in. He also has Shinnok's amulet attached to his chest plate, and carries his wooden staff that solidifies him as a Gandalf type figure.
Raiden returns to Mortal Kombat 11 with his usual electric attacks. He can blast foes with lightning bolts, teleport about the screen to surprise foes and make unsafe strings safe, and you better believe you'll be seeing his flying superman attack at least 10 times every round. His Storm Cell attack is a great combo ender as it maximizes damage.
Raiden's can be effective on both offense and defense as he's got some solid up close and personal pressure with back+1, 2 followed by either a grab, a teleport, or a correctly spaced Storm Cell finish. He also has the ability to play more defensively as he can pester with lightning attacks and then whiff punish with his long reaching staff.
Though he's the god of thunder and lightning, Raiden is just a middle of the pack pick in MK11. He usually ranks toward the center of pro player tier lists, though he can sometimes creep up into the higher mid tiers. He is solid, but lacks the ridiculous advantages that many of the rest of his roster mates boast.
