After releasing the Definitive Edition last week, it seems as though Mortal Kombat 1 is practically done after nearly 2 years post-release. The game will not be receiving any more DLC or story DLC going forward. According to Netherrealm Studios, the team will be focusing on the next project in its pipeline.
Mortal Kombat 1 itself sold 5 million units thus far, which didn’t eclipse both Mortal Kombat 11 and Mortal Kombat X’s totals of 15 and 11 million, respectively. Some missteps plagued the current release. This includes the Khaos Reigns DLC’s MSRP being at least 75% of the standalone game’s current price point. Despite Definitive Edition being released, which includes the story DLC, Khaos Reign’s price has yet to change. The Switch Edition also launched with some issues in tow, such as low fidelity character models compared to its other versions.
The predecessor, Mortal Kombat 11, had some shoes to fill – and fatalities to execute – including the best-selling game in the 30+ year franchise. As for the current, T-1000 was the last major update from the DLC side for Mortal Kombat 1. Seeing the series get to the Definitive Edition – with all the DLC fixins – ever so quickly, it felt as though the writing was on the wall. Even though DLCs are not coming, the team is not finished with the title just yet. April’s patch helped in terms of balance issues for gameplay. This will continue, it seems. With the Pro Kompetition in full swing, this would be helpful for the game to continue.
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.
— Mortal Kombat 1 (@MortalKombat) May 23, 2025
With this announcement, many speculate that the next game could be a return to the Injustice franchise. Personally, I’d rather Boon create an 80s / 90s toy box fighting game with all those guest characters they threw into both franchises. TMNT versus Scorpion would be quite the match-up.
