"Raiden is dead. The Shirai Ryu has been restored, and my only goal is for my clan to live on. If Shao Kahn has his way, neither the Shirai Ryu nor the Lin Kuei will survive. We must put our rivalries aside, and work to save Earthrealm!" -Scorpion to the Lin Kuei Grandmaster

Earthrealm is at its knees, with the evil conqueror and emperor Shao Kahn threatening to merge it with Outworld. Meanwhile, way off the coast of Earthrealm's mainland, lies an uncharted continent called Valoran, where chaos will soon destroy it. If only something could cause Earthrealm's kombatants and Valoran's warriors to meet, and save both of them.

The Shadow Isles, they were always mysterious. Something on that island is filled with power, and now, a larger war must be fought. This power must be released with something, and no one's quite sure what. The Shadow Isles want to defend it, so they can release it. Noxus knows how to release it, and Demacia wants to make sure, it never gets released.