NetherRealm Studios, the developer behind Mortal Kombat 1, has unveiled the first gameplay for guest DLC character the T-1000, while also confirming Madam Bo as a new DLC Kameo fighter.
The T-1000 gameplay showcases a variety of attacks that evoke iconic moments from Terminator 2, including the character's signature blade and hook-arm transformations. Some of its moves exhibit similarities to those used by Baraka and Kabal. At one point, the T-1000 dissolves into a liquid metal pool before rising from the ground with an uppercut reminiscent of Killer Instinct's Glacius.
Mortal Kombat 1's T-1000 is voiced and modeled after actor Robert Patrick, who famously portrayed the character in the 1991 film. This new teaser highlights Patrick's voice work for the first time during a confrontation with Johnny Cage. It culminates with a detailed look at one of the T-1000’s Fatalities, which faithfully recreates the famous truck chase scene from Terminator 2—where the liquid metal terminator relentlessly pursues Arnold Schwarzenegger's T-800 and Edward Furlong's John Connor. In this Fatality, the T-1000 flows out of the truck's driver seat to mercilessly gun down a helpless Johnny Cage.
In a surprise announcement, NetherRealm also revealed that Madam Bo will join Mortal Kombat 1 as a DLC Kameo fighter alongside the T-1000. Madam Bo became a fan-favorite character in the base game's story—an elderly restaurant owner who fights off Smoke and his thugs before Raiden and Kung Lao join the fray.
The teaser offers a brief look at Madam Bo in action, first in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it shot before the T-1000 and Johnny Cage clash, and later when the T-1000 summons her for a Kameo assist attack.
The T-1000 arrives in Mortal Kombat 1 on March 18, available first during the early access period for owners of the Khaos Reigns expansion. It will be available for wider purchase starting March 25. Madam Bo launches on March 18 as a free content update for Khaos Reigns owners, or as a standalone purchase.
The T-1000 is the final DLC character to be added to the brutal fighting game as part of the Khaos Reigns expansion, joining playable fighters such as Cyrax, Sektor, Noob Saibot, Ghostface, and Conan the Barbarian. Fans have long speculated about whether NetherRealm plans to release a third wave of DLC characters—commonly referred to as Kombat Pack 3—amid ongoing questions regarding Mortal Kombat 1's commercial performance.
Parent company Warner Bros. Discovery has expressed continued faith in the Mortal Kombat brand. In November, CEO David Zaslav indicated that the company intends to focus heavily on just four core gaming titles, with Mortal Kombat being one of them.
Back in September, Mortal Kombat creative director Ed Boon stated that NetherRealm had decided on its next project three years earlier, but reassured fans that support for Mortal Kombat 1 would continue "for a long time to come."
Many fans expect the studio to develop a third installment in its DC fighting game series, Injustice, although neither NetherRealm nor Warner Bros. has officially confirmed this. The original Injustice: Gods Among Us launched in 2013, followed by Injustice 2 in 2017. NetherRealm released Mortal Kombat 11 in 2019, and for a while it appeared the studio alternated between Mortal Kombat and Injustice releases. However, instead of a new Injustice, the studio launched Mortal Kombat 1—a soft reboot of the series—in 2023.
In a June 2023 interview with IGN, Boon addressed the decision to create another Mortal Kombat in vague terms. "A variety of factors went into it—some I can discuss, others I probably shouldn't," he explained.
Among the reasons Boon did share were the disruptive impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the team's transition to a newer iteration of the Unreal Engine. Mortal Kombat 11 was built on Unreal Engine 3, while Mortal Kombat 1 utilizes Unreal Engine 4.
"We moved to a new graphics engine, Unreal," Boon noted. "We also had to navigate the challenges of COVID, prioritizing the safety of our team. With all these variables, we concluded, 'Let's develop another Mortal Kombat, and hopefully return to the Injustice series down the line.'"
When pressed on whether the Injustice franchise had been shelved indefinitely, Boon offered reassurance.
"Not at all," he confirmed.
