"Mortal Kombat 1 Ends DLC and Story Updates: NetherRealm Shifts Focus"

Warner Bros. has officially confirmed the fears of Mortal Kombat 1 fans following the launch of the Definitive Edition: there will be no new DLC characters or story chapters for the game. Despite selling 5 million copies and contributing to the franchise's milestone of 100 million units sold, Mortal Kombat 1 has underperformed compared to its predecessors. Mortal Kombat 11, for instance, surpassed Mortal Kombat X's nearly 11 million units sold shortly after its launch and reached over 15 million copies by 2022.

In a tweet from the official Mortal Kombat social media account, Warner Bros. expressed their understanding of the disappointment this news will bring to players. However, they stated, "our team at NetherRealm needs to shift focus to the next project in order to make it as great as we possibly can." While Warner Bros. did not disclose details about the new project, speculation suggests it could be Injustice 3, a continuation of NetherRealm's DC fighting game series.

Here is the full statement from Warner Bros.:

We are hearing players’ requests for continued game support of Mortal Kombat 1, and, while we will continue to support Mortal Kombat 1 through balance adjustments and fixes, there will not be additional DLC characters or story chapters released from this point on.

We understand this will be disappointing for fans, but our team at NetherRealm needs to shift focus to the next project in order to make it as great as we possibly can.

The T-1000 guest character, released in March 2025, marks the final major content update for Mortal Kombat 1, coming a year and a half after the game's initial release. This timeline aligns with NetherRealm's previous announcement in July 2021 about shifting focus to their next project (Mortal Kombat 1) and halting further DLC for Mortal Kombat 11, which was made two years and three months after its launch. The current announcement comes one year and eight months post-release of Mortal Kombat 1.

Fans are recalling earlier statements from NetherRealm's development chief Ed Boon, who had assured continued support for Mortal Kombat 1. A September 2024 tweet from Boon attempted to reassure fans by stating, "NetherRealm is still fully committed to supporting Mortal Kombat 1 for a long time to come." However, this promise now seems unfulfilled, leading to further disappointment among the community.

Mortal Kombat 1 experienced a brief resurgence in January with the introduction of a secret fight featuring Floyd, the pink ninja character teased by developer Ed Boon for years. This event spurred a community-wide effort that temporarily revitalized interest in the game. Nevertheless, it remains a disappointing release for many core Mortal Kombat fans.

Looking ahead, Warner Bros. Discovery remains optimistic about the future of the Mortal Kombat franchise. In November, CEO David Zaslav mentioned plans to focus on four key titles, including Mortal Kombat. Additionally, the movie adaptation, Mortal Kombat 2, is set to release later this year, indicating continued investment in the brand.