Dan Forden retires after 37-year career in the video game industry

Dan Forden has retired, concluding his 37-year long career in the video game industry. The sound director is best known as the Toasty guy in Mortal Kombat, but his impact on video games expands beyond. The audio director announced his departure on Instagram, where he stated that he is really proud of what they accomplished, as well as how much fun the team had making games.

“There are so many smart, talented people there (NetherRealm) – look for more great things to emerge over the next several years,” he wrote in the caption. 

“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.” 

According to Ed Boon, co-creator of Mortal Kombat & Injustice who is currently serving as Chief Creative Officer for Mortal Kombat, Dan Forden’s impact on pinball, video games, NetherRealm and Mortal Kombat cannot be overstated. 

He shared his sentiments on social media:

”Remember the amazing music that defined the atmosphere of the fighting arenas? That was all Dan. […] Dan’s audio single handedly created a literal atmosphere that played a major role in the feel and vibe of Mortal Kombat,” he wrote. 

The Toasty easter egg shows Dan Forden’s face as an emote, occurring occasionally when players uppercut their opponent in the Mortal Kombat games. 

The original Mortal Kombat was released in October of 1992 as an arcade game. It was created by Ed Boon, in charge of programming, John Tobias, in charge of art and story, John Voge, in charge of graphics, and Dan Forden, responsible for sound design. NetherRealm Studios was founded later in 2010, serving as a successor to Midway Games, the creators of the original Mortal Kombat series.