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

Ed Boon, Mortal Kombat 1’s development chief, recently shared a sneak peek of the T-1000 Terminator’s upcoming Fatality on social media, simultaneously teasing "future DLC." This reveal coincided with the announcement that Mortal Kombat 1 has surpassed five million copies sold, a significant jump from the previously reported four million, following the release of guest character Conan the Barbarian.

Boon’s tweet included a short video showcasing the T-1000’s Fatality, a thrilling recreation of the iconic Terminator 2 truck chase scene. The accompanying comment, “With Conan getting into player’s hands, we are excited to keep trucking forward with future DLC!”, sparked considerable excitement within the Mortal Kombat community. While this could simply refer to the imminent arrival of the T-1000, many speculate it hints at further DLC characters beyond the current Khaos Reigns expansion.

The T-1000 is the final character slated for the Khaos Reigns expansion, joining Cyrax, Sektor, Noob Saibot, Ghostface, and Conan the Barbarian. Speculation about a potential third DLC pack or Kombat Pack 3 has been fueled by the game’s sales success and ongoing fan interest.

Warner Bros. Discovery’s continued investment in the Mortal Kombat franchise further supports this anticipation. CEO David Zaslav stated in November that the company plans to double down on four key titles, with Mortal Kombat being one of them. Adding to the intrigue, Boon himself confirmed in September that NetherRealm had already chosen its next game three years prior, while pledging long-term support for Mortal Kombat 1.

While many anticipate a third installment in the Injustice fighting game franchise, neither NetherRealm nor Warner Bros. has confirmed this. The Injustice series, featuring DC Comics characters, previously saw releases in 2013 (Injustice: Gods Among Us) and 2017 (Injustice 2). NetherRealm's decision to release another Mortal Kombat game (Mortal Kombat 1) in 2023, following Mortal Kombat 11 in 2019, broke the previously established alternating release pattern between the two franchises.

In a June 2023 interview with IGN, Boon cited the COVID-19 pandemic and the transition to Unreal Engine 4 (from Unreal Engine 3 used in Mortal Kombat 11) as contributing factors to this decision. He explicitly stated that the door remains open for future Injustice games.