Mortal Kombat has been an institution since the early ’90s, led by many talented developers who are still at its current steward, NetherRealm Studios. Despite the acquisition from Warner Bros. several key staff members like Ed Boon (who directed the most recent series entry) have remained on. Now, one is departing after 36 years of working on Mortal Kombat.
Shared on his Instagram, iconic sound programmer, music composer, and audio lead Dan Forden is leaving the company. Forden was the creator of the “Toasty!” quote, which originated in Mortal Kombat II, and is now uttered by millions of fans online and in follow-up games. You may have even seen his name credited as Dan “Toasty” Forden.
Dan Forden Had a Huge Influence On Classic Mortal Kombat
His Sound Effects And Music Echo On
There are many reasons why Mortal Kombat rose to prominence in the fighting game genre and pop culture as a whole, but the audio played a significant part. From the squishy sound effects to the iconic music, Forden’s fingerprints were all over the series. As far as his memorable “Toasty” quote goes, it was featured in many different games, as well as Easter eggs in other gaming-related works.
In addition to Mortal Kombat, Forden also worked on the Injustice series with NetherRealm, as well as various sports games like Blitz: The League and MLB Slugfest. Here’s Forden’s full statement on leaving the company, directly from his Instagram post:
“Wednesday was my last day at Netherrealm. We made a lot of fun stuff over the years. I’m really proud of what we accomplished as well as how much fun we had making that stuff. There are so many smart, talented people there – look for more great things to emerge over the next several years. I love the little touches that people left around the studio like this little Toasty homage on the bathroom mirror. I wouldn’t have lasted 37 years in the industry if fans weren’t out there playing the games we made. Thanks to all of you for supporting what we’ve done. Live long and…Toasty!
Anyone who has played a classic Mortal Kombat game can recite the “Toasty!” quote from memory, and it has often made its way into the common vernacular of fighting games, from professional commentary to good old-fashioned slugfests at home.
Forden teases us a bit with projects to come, noting that there will be “great things to emerge over the next several years.” Hopefully, that includes a new game that sets the world on fire a bit more than Mortal Kombat 1 did. We could also see another Injustice game at some point, with a heavy emphasis on James Gunn’s new DCU.
Mortal Kombat Is In An Interesting Spot
Hopefully, NetherRealm Can Keep The Magic Alive
For many fans, Mortal Kombat 1 hasn’t really set the world on fire, and with institutional talent exiting, I’m anxious to see what NetherRealm does next. MK1’s EVO turnout was low this year, and fans have been wanting NetherRealm to take bigger risks. The movie seems to be in potential rough waters too, following a massive delay into 2026. Hopefully, WB as a whole can get everything in order.
