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

Warner Bros. has officially confirmed what many Mortal Kombat 1 fans feared following the launch of the Definitive Edition: there will be no new DLC characters or story chapters added to the game. Despite selling 5 million copies, Mortal Kombat 1 has underperformed compared to its predecessors, with the franchise now reaching 100 million total sales. Notably, Mortal Kombat 11 surpassed Mortal Kombat X's nearly 11 million units sold shortly after its launch and had sold over 15 million copies by 2022.

In a tweet from the official Mortal Kombat social media account, Warner Bros. expressed understanding of the disappointment this news would cause fans. They stated, "but 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 leans towards Injustice 3, the next installment in NetherRealm’s DC fighting game series.

Here’s 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 last major content update for Mortal Kombat 1, a year and a half after the game's initial launch. For comparison, NetherRealm announced in July 2021 that it had begun work on its next project (Mortal Kombat 1), and as a result, no further DLC would be released for Mortal Kombat 11. That announcement came two years and three months after Mortal Kombat 11's release. The current announcement for Mortal Kombat 1 comes one year and eight months post-launch.

Players have recalled earlier promises from NetherRealm development chief Ed Boon, who assured fans of long-term support for the game. A tweet from Boon in September 2024 aimed to reassure fans that "NetherRealm is still fully committed to supporting Mortal Kombat 1 for a long time to come," which now appears to be contradicted by this latest announcement.

Mortal Kombat 1 experienced a brief revival in January with the introduction of a secret fight against Floyd, the pink ninja developer Boon had teased for years. This sparked a community-wide effort that rejuvenated the game, but it remains a rare highlight in an otherwise disappointing release for many core Mortal Kombat fans.

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