Thinking about the top-selling fighting game of recent years? You might immediately picture Tekken 8, Street Fighter 6, or perhaps one of the newer Dragon Ball titles.
However, the actual best-seller might come as a surprise. It’s not from a development house based in Japan.
The champion? It’s Mortal Kombat 1, the reimagining of NetherRealm Studios’ iconic fighting series.
Top Fighting Game of This Generation, Yet Content Support Ceases
Ed Boon, co-creator of the Mortal Kombat franchise at NetherRealm, announced on social platform X (formerly known as Twitter), that Mortal Kombat 1 has exceeded 6.2 million copies sold. This figure surpasses Street Fighter 6, which had reached five million units a few months back, and Tekken 8, which Bandai Namco reported to be at three million units over four months ago.
Consequently, Mortal Kombat 1 currently holds the title of best-selling fighting game of this generation.
Despite its impressive sales, NetherRealm has chosen to discontinue post-release content development. In May of this year, the studio revealed that DLC support would end, as NetherRealm is apparently dedicating its resources to a new, yet-to-be-announced project.
Interestingly, even with the halt of content updates, Boon has stated their ongoing commitment to “refining MK1 to be our most balanced game,” a commendable goal, one might say.
It’s both intriguing and disappointing that a game’s commercial success isn’t always enough to guarantee extended support. What would it take for NetherRealm to reconsider more content? The answer remains unknown, but evidently, selling over six million units wasn’t the threshold.
Launched in September 2023, Mortal Kombat 1 introduced several post-release characters, culminating with the T-1000 from the Terminator films, featured in the Khaos Reigns DLC pack.
For those interested in acquiring the game along with all available DLC, Warner Bros. released the Mortal Kombat 1 Definitive Edition some time ago. Players won’t have to fear missing out on future content, as no further updates are planned.
Our review of Mortal Kombat 1 expressed positive sentiment, noting, “While the story mode is relatively brief, it’s compelling. Beyond that, there’s a wealth of single-player content ensuring replayability. And of course, the fatalities are more gruesome and graphic than ever.”
In related fighting game news, Arc System Works, currently developing Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls for PlayStation, has expressed a desire to support their game for up to a decade.
Mortal Kombat 1
- Released
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September 19, 2023
- ESRB
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M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language
- Publisher(s)
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Warner Brothers Games
- Engine
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Unreal Engine 4