Ed Boon, the development chief behind Mortal Kombat 1, recently shared exciting news on social media about the game's future. To celebrate the release of the guest character Conan the Barbarian, Boon announced that Mortal Kombat 1 has surpassed five million copies sold, up from the previously reported four million. Alongside this milestone, he teased fans with a glimpse of an upcoming guest character, T-1000 from the Terminator series, showcasing one of its Fatalities. The clip features the T-1000 driving a smashed-up truck into an opponent, reminiscent of the iconic chase scene from Terminator 2.

Boon's tweet also hinted at more content to come, stating, "With Conan getting into player’s hands, we are excited to keep trucking forward with future DLC!" This comment has sparked speculation within the Mortal Kombat community about the possibility of additional DLC characters beyond the current Khaos Reigns expansion, which includes T-1000 as its final character alongside Cyrax, Sektor, Noob Saibot, Ghostface, and Conan the Barbarian.

The future of Mortal Kombat 1 and its DLC plans are of particular interest given the game's sales success and the broader strategy of its parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery. In November, CEO David Zaslav expressed the company's commitment to the Mortal Kombat franchise, indicating plans to focus on just four key titles, including Mortal Kombat.

Despite the focus on Mortal Kombat, fans are also curious about NetherRealm's next project. In September, Boon mentioned that the studio had decided on its next game three years prior but assured continued support for Mortal Kombat 1. Many speculate that NetherRealm might return to its DC fighting game series, Injustice, with a third installment. The first two games, Injustice: Gods Among Us and Injustice 2, were released in 2013 and 2017, respectively. However, instead of alternating between Mortal Kombat and Injustice as previously expected, NetherRealm released Mortal Kombat 11 in 2019 and followed it with Mortal Kombat 1 in 2023.

In a June 2023 interview with IGN, Boon discussed the decision to release another Mortal Kombat game, citing factors such as the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the switch to a newer version of the Unreal game engine. Mortal Kombat 11 used Unreal Engine 3, while Mortal Kombat 1 runs on Unreal Engine 4. Boon emphasized the studio's desire to ensure safety during the pandemic and their commitment to eventually returning to the Injustice series, stating, "Not at all," when asked if the door was closed on Injustice.