Warner Bros. has officially confirmed what many Mortal Kombat 1 fans dreaded following the launch of the Definitive Edition: there will be no additional DLC characters or story chapters released for the game. Despite selling 5 million copies and contributing to the franchise's milestone of 100 million total sales, Mortal Kombat 1 has fallen short of the expectations set by its predecessors. For comparison, Mortal Kombat 11 quickly surpassed the nearly 11 million units sold by Mortal Kombat X and eventually reached over 15 million copies sold by 2022.

In a tweet from the official Mortal Kombat social media account, Warner Bros. expressed understanding of the disappointment this news would bring to the community. 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 upcoming project, speculation leans towards Injustice 3, a continuation of 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, introduced in March 2025, marked the final major content update for Mortal Kombat 1, coming a year-and-a-half after the game's initial release. For context, NetherRealm announced the shift to their next project (which turned out to be Mortal Kombat 1) in July 2021, ending further DLC for Mortal Kombat 11 two years and three months after its launch. The current announcement comes one year and eight months after Mortal Kombat 1's release.

Many fans have recalled earlier statements from NetherRealm development chief Ed Boon, who had promised extended support for Mortal Kombat 1. A September 2024 tweet from Boon, aimed at reassuring fans about the game's ongoing support, has resurfaced, adding to the sense of disappointment: "NetherRealm is still fully committed to supporting Mortal Kombat 1 for a long time to come."

Despite the overall disappointment, Mortal Kombat 1 experienced a brief resurgence in January with the secret fight against Floyd, the pink ninja teased by Boon for years. This event sparked community engagement and temporarily revitalized the game.

Looking ahead, Warner Bros. Discovery remains optimistic about the future of the Mortal Kombat franchise. In November, CEO David Zaslav mentioned plans to focus on four key titles, with Mortal Kombat being one of them. Additionally, the movie adaptation Mortal Kombat 2 is set to release later this year, signaling continued investment in the brand.