Highlights:
- Mortal Kombat 1 surpasses 6.2 million sales, topping Street Fighter 6 and Tekken 8.
- Major content support ended less than 21 months after launch.
- Ed Boon says NetherRealm remains committed to refining game balance.
- Fans express disappointment over shorter-than-promised support cycle.
MK1 tops sales chart for current generation fighters
Mortal Kombat 1 has secured its position as the best-selling fighting game of the current generation, selling over 6.2 million copies. The milestone places it ahead of Street Fighter 6, which reported five million sales two months ago, and Tekken 8, which reached three million sales five months ago.
The latest entry in the long-running franchise launched to strong sales and broad appeal, attracting both casual and competitive players. However, it still falls short of Mortal Kombat 11’s performance, which sold more than 15 million copies by 2022.
Shorter support window than expected
Despite its commercial success, major support for Mortal Kombat 1 ended in under 21 months, with NetherRealm announcing nearly three months ago that no further DLC characters or story expansions would be released.
This is consistent with the studio’s historical approach; its fighting games typically receive around 12 months of substantial updates. In contrast, Street Fighter 5 was supported for six years, while Tekken 7 enjoyed four years of major updates. Even Mortal Kombat 11 lasted two years before NetherRealm ceased major content development.
Prior to MK1’s release, series creator Ed Boon had indicated that the next title might enjoy a longer support cycle than its predecessor, but this ultimately did not materialise.
Ongoing balance updates and community feedback
Although new content is no longer being developed, NetherRealm continues to release balance patches for MK1. In a recent post on social media, Boon said: “With over 6.2 million games sold, we’re still committed to refining MK1 to be our most balanced game,” alongside the latest patch notes.
He also invited community feedback, asking players which four fighters most needed buffs and which needed them least, as well as their preference for multiple smaller DLC packs versus fewer larger ones.
- YouTube YouTube/ MKIceAndFire
Mixed reaction from players
While some welcomed the continued balance improvements, many fans have expressed disappointment at the early conclusion of the game’s major support period, especially given previous suggestions it might last longer than Mortal Kombat 11.
The discussion has reignited hopes that the eventual Mortal Kombat 2 might receive a more extended post-launch development cycle.
