Ed Boon Hints at T-1000 Fatality in Mortal Kombat 1, Promises Future DLC

Ed Boon, the development chief behind Mortal Kombat 1, recently took to social media to give fans a thrilling sneak peek at the upcoming guest character, T-1000 from the Terminator series, showcasing one of its Fatalities. This reveal comes alongside the release of another guest character, Conan the Barbarian, marking a significant milestone for the game as Boon announced that Mortal Kombat 1 has now surpassed five million copies sold, up from the previously reported four million.

The T-1000's Fatality clip shared by Boon evokes nostalgia among Terminator 2 fans, featuring the character driving a smashed-up truck into his opponent, reminiscent of the iconic chase scene in the film. Alongside this exciting reveal, Boon teased the community with a hint about "future DLC," sparking speculation and excitement about what might be next for Mortal Kombat 1.

Boon's tweet read, "With Conan getting into player's hands, we are excited to keep trucking forward with future DLC!" While this could refer to the upcoming T-1000 release, fans are hopeful that it signals even more content on the horizon after the current set of DLC characters, which includes Cyrax, Sektor, Noob Saibot, Ghostface, Conan the Barbarian, and now the T-1000, is complete.

The T-1000 marks the final character in the Khaos Reigns expansion, leading fans to wonder if NetherRealm Studios has plans for a third set of DLC characters or a Kombat Pack 3. This curiosity is fueled by questions surrounding the game's sales success and the future direction of the franchise.

Warner Bros. Discovery, the parent company of NetherRealm, has expressed continued confidence in Mortal Kombat. In November, CEO David Zaslav stated that the company intends to focus heavily on four key titles, one of which is Mortal Kombat. Additionally, in September, Boon himself mentioned that NetherRealm had already chosen its next project three years prior but reassured fans that support for Mortal Kombat 1 would continue "for a long time to come."

While many speculate that NetherRealm's next project could be a third installment in their DC fighting game series, Injustice, neither the studio nor Warner Bros. has confirmed this. The Injustice series, which began with "Injustice: Gods Among Us" in 2013 followed by "Injustice 2" in 2017, has been on hold since NetherRealm shifted focus to release "Mortal Kombat 11" in 2019 and the soft reboot, "Mortal Kombat 1," in 2023.

In an interview with IGN in June 2023, Boon discussed the decision to prioritize another Mortal Kombat game over an Injustice sequel, citing factors such as the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the studio's transition to a newer version of the Unreal game engine. Mortal Kombat 11 used Unreal Engine 3, while Mortal Kombat 1 utilizes Unreal Engine 4. Boon emphasized the importance of safety during the pandemic and the desire to leverage the new engine's capabilities.

Despite the focus on Mortal Kombat, Boon assured fans that the door is not closed on the Injustice franchise, leaving room for potential future developments in this beloved series.