Mortal Kombat 1 Dev Chief Ed Boon Teases T-1000 Fatality and ‘Future DLC’

Mortal Kombat 1's Ed Boon Hints at Future DLC Following T-1000 Reveal

Ed Boon, the creative director behind Mortal Kombat 1, recently shared a sneak peek of the upcoming T-1000 Terminator's Fatality on social media, simultaneously teasing future downloadable content (DLC). This follows the release of the Conan the Barbarian guest character, which Boon announced coincided with the game surpassing five million copies sold – a significant jump from the previously reported four million.

Boon's tweet showcased a brief clip of the T-1000's Fatality, a thrilling homage to the iconic truck chase scene from Terminator 2: Judgment Day. The T-1000 is the final DLC character in the Khaos Reigns expansion, joining Cyrax, Sektor, Noob Saibot, Ghostface, and Conan the Barbarian.

However, it's Boon's accompanying comment, "With Conan getting into player’s hands, we are excited to keep trucking forward with future DLC!", that has ignited speculation within the Mortal Kombat community. While this could simply refer to the T-1000's imminent arrival, many fans interpret it as a subtle hint towards a potential third wave of DLC characters or a Kombat Pack 3.

This anticipation stems from ongoing questions surrounding Mortal Kombat 1's sales performance and NetherRealm's future plans. Warner Bros. Discovery, the parent company, has expressed continued confidence in the Mortal Kombat franchise, stating its intention to focus on only four key titles, with Mortal Kombat being one of them. Boon himself previously confirmed NetherRealm's next game was decided three years prior, but pledged long-term support for Mortal Kombat 1.

While many expect NetherRealm's next project to be a third installment in the Injustice fighting game franchise, this remains unconfirmed. The development timeline has been somewhat irregular, with the release of Mortal Kombat 11 in 2019 followed by Mortal Kombat 1 in 2023 instead of an Injustice sequel. In a 2023 interview with IGN, Boon cited the COVID-19 pandemic and the transition to a new Unreal Engine (from Unreal Engine 3 to Unreal Engine 4) as contributing factors to this decision. He explicitly stated that the door remains open for future Injustice games.

The combination of strong sales, Warner Bros.'s support, and Boon's cryptic message fuels the ongoing debate about what's next for NetherRealm and the future of Mortal Kombat 1.