NetherRealm Studios allegedly scrapped plans for future DLC for Mortal Kombat 1 after the fighting game's expansions underperformed commercially, an insider claims.
The situation comes as the developer originally said that it would be providing post-launch support for Mortal Kombat 1 longer than the previous entry in the franchise. This led fans to believe that the game would get several story expansions and Kombat Packs.
Mortal Kombat 1's Future Content
It seems like the latest entry in the Mortal Kombat franchise's failure to meet certain standards forced the studio to scrap such plans. This is seen in the relatively weak performance of Mortal Kombat 1's Khaos Reigns expansion.
Insider Fate Unknown claims that NetherRealm Studios canceled its original plans for Mortal Kombat 1 regarding a third Kombat Pack and a second story expansion. This means that fans will no longer get anything after Kombat Pack 2 early next year.
The game's second Kombat Pack includes the arrival of the T-1000 Terminator and Conan the Barbarian. It was also noted that future Kameo fighters could still be added to the game sometime in the future, according to Comic Book.
The insider added that the reason behind the scrapping of the plans was because Mortal Kombat 1's Khaos Reigns expansion "sold poorly." The DLC released in September 2024 and was criticized by fans for costing $49.99 at a minimum.
Many players said that the expansion was too expensive even if it included the entirety of Kombat Pack 2 and six new fighters. This is particularly true given that Mortal Kombat 1 was only released a year prior.
Khaos Reigns' Poor Sales
The situation comes as Warner Bros. recently showed its commitment to the Mortal Kombat franchise following an announcement by CEO David Zaslav.
He said that future game development efforts were going to focus on the studio's core franchises, which includes Mortal Kombat, Insider Gaming said.
The head of the series, Ed Boon, also shared similar words, adding that NetherRealm Studios was working hard on its next game even before the release of Mortal Kombat 1. Many fans are now wondering what kind of future DLC the studio had planned before they were scrapped.
On top of selling poorly, Mortal Kombat 1's Khaos Reigns expansion was reviewed relatively badly compared to the base game. Some people found the added story content too short for its relatively expensive price.
Fortunately, fans can still expect something from a new game in the Mortal Kombat franchise sometime in the future, according to The Gamer.
