Developer NetherRealm has surprise-launched a Definite Edition of 2023’s divisive Mortal Kombat 1, and some fans are taking it as a sign that development is coming to an end.
NetherRealm released its Mortal Kombat 1: Definitive Edition overnight on Switch, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and PC with minimal fanfare. It bundles together the main game, its Khaos Reigns story expansion, Shang Tsung, two Kombat Packs featuring additional fighters and Kameo characters, some in-game currency, and a selection of skins. Animality finishing moves have also been added in a free update for all players.
All that equates to around 18 months of post-launch support following Mortal Kombat 1’s divisive arrival back in 2023. Eurogamer contributor Chris Moyse criticised the game’s “receding features, underbaked mechanics, and a dated online experience” in Eurogamer’s Mortal Kombat 1 review, and the game drew further complaints as the extent of its aggressive post-launch monetisation became clear. In the time since, NetherRealm has continued its schedule of DLC releases – now collected in the Definitive Edition – culminating in the arrival of Terminator’s T-1000 in March.
However, following the character’s release, there’s been little talk of future DLC plans, beyond a couple of skins intended to tie-in with this year’s Mortal Kombat movie sequel, and player numbers – on Steam at least – have settled in the low thousands, barely higher than those of the now-six-year-old Mortal Kombat 11. It’s in this context fans are interpreting the launch of Mortal Kombat 1’s Definitive Edition as a development death knell, with many mocking NetherRealm boss Ed Boone’s earlier promise the studio would “work on the game for years to come”, and his more recent commitment to “supporting Mortal Kombat 1 for a long time to come.”
“The arrival of the definitive edition meant it was over with the previous games, so… I guess that was it,” noted one poster on the Mortal Kombat subreddit, which is currently awash with similar sentiments of largely resigned apathy. Others have pointedly resurfaced claims made by a reliable leaker last year that Mortal Kombat 1 development would be ending amid poor DLC sales. “We can always hold out hope for more Beige skins with red trim,” joked another.
Mortal Kombat publisher Warner Bros. (which reported a 48 percent drop in gaming revenue earlier this week) hasn’t explicitly confirmed the end of Mortal Kombat 1’s development following its Definitive Edition release, but we’ve contacted the company for more information.
Mortal Kombat 1: Definitive Edition, should you be interested, costs £54.99/$69.99 on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, while Switch players can pick it up for $59.99. There’s also a £49.99/$59.99 Definitive Edition Upgrade ($49.99 on Switch) for Mortal Kombat 1 owners wanting to get everything in the new version without purchasing each bit of DLC separately.