Mortal Kombat 1's Ed Boon Teases T-1000 Fatality, DLC

Mortal Kombat 1 creative director Ed Boon has shared a preview on social media of the upcoming guest character T-1000 Terminator's Fatality, while also hinting at "future DLC" plans.

Celebrating the launch of guest fighter Conan the Barbarian, Boon confirmed via Twitter that Mortal Kombat 1 has surpassed five million copies sold, up from the previously announced four million. He also posted a short video demonstrating one of the T-1000's Fatalities—a move that will surely delight fans of Terminator 2.

The Fatality shows the T-1000 crashing a wrecked truck into his opponent, instantly bringing to mind the legendary highway chase from Terminator 2, in which the T-1000 pursued Arnold Schwarzenegger’s T-800 and Edward Furlong’s John Connor in the same vehicle.

(5 of 7) With Conan getting into player’s hands, we are excited to keep trucking forward with future DLC ! pic.twitter.com/eC3Aqj5KDc

— Ed Boon (@noobde) January 21, 2025

However, it was Boon’s caption that sparked excitement within the Mortal Kombat fanbase: “With Conan getting into player’s hands, we are excited to keep trucking forward with future DLC!”

Though the phrase “keep trucking forward with future DLC” likely refers to the impending T-1000 release, many are speculating it could also mean additional DLC characters are planned beyond the current lineup.

The T-1000 Terminator is the final DLC fighter scheduled for the violent fighter as part of the Khaos Reigns expansion. It follows previously released characters such as Cyrax, Sektor, Noob Saibot, Ghostface, and Conan the Barbarian. For some time, fans have questioned whether developer NetherRealm intends to release a third wave of DLC fighters—often referred to as Kombat Pack 3—especially given ongoing discussion around Mortal Kombat 1's sales performance.

Parent company Warner Bros. Discovery has expressed continued confidence in the Mortal Kombat brand. In November, CEO David Zaslav stated that the company intended to focus heavily on a select few game franchises, naming Mortal Kombat as one of them.

Back in September, Boon mentioned that NetherRealm had decided on its next project three years earlier but reaffirmed a long-term commitment to supporting Mortal Kombat 1.

Many followers of the studio anticipate a third installment in NetherRealm’s DC fighting game series, Injustice, though neither the studio nor Warner Bros. has officially announced such a project. The original Injustice: Gods Among Us launched in 2013, followed by Injustice 2 in 2017. After releasing Mortal Kombat 11 in 2019, it appeared the developer would alternate between Mortal Kombat and Injustice titles. Instead, the studio shifted direction, launching Mortal Kombat 1—a soft reboot—in 2023.

In an interview with IGN in June 2023, Boon addressed the decision in general terms. He acknowledged that “a number of factors” contributed to the move, some of which he could discuss and others he couldn't.

Among the reasons he shared were complications brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic and the team’s transition to a more recent version of the Unreal Engine. Mortal Kombat 11 was built on Unreal Engine 3, while Mortal Kombat 1 uses Unreal Engine 4.

Boon explained, “We did switch to a new graphics engine, Unreal. We also had to carefully manage the impact of COVID-19 to ensure everyone’s safety. Taking all those factors into account, we eventually agreed, ‘Alright, let’s develop another Mortal Kombat, and hopefully we’ll return to the Injustice series down the line.’”

To clarify, IGN asked Boon directly whether the Injustice franchise had been shelved indefinitely.

“Not at all,” he replied.