Killer Instinct Is a Fun Free to Play Xbox One Launch Game

Killer Instinct is a day-one digital-only release on Xbox One, and features -- get this -- one character. Jago is free to play on launch day. Everyone else -- unspecified returning characters as well as original fighters -- will cost money. Price is to-be-determined (of course).

[Majin-vegeta]

Well it's official.You have killed KI.Thankfully i can still play my full versions of yesteryear.

Edit:Is M$ being run by brainless people or what??

Just sell rare back to Nintendo or Sony along with this IP.Cuz it's obvious you guys don;t know how to use a studio too it's full potential.

[zeal0us]

Microsoft found a way to screw this up. Something told me it was too good to be true.

[xPhearR3dx]

Depends on the price of the characters. I mean, it's free to play. So if there's 30 characters for example and they're $2 a piece, that's $60. Normal price. Which would benefit gamers who only choose to play a handful of the roster.

This could be very good, or very bad depending on the pricing model. My guess? Very bad.

[Gazondaily]

Yeah what phear said. If the cost of unlocking all the characters is that of a full game anyway then this just operates as an extended demo albeit one that you can play online against other players with different fighters.

If the game turns out to be more expensive than buying a retail game.....well then MS....you're the masters of fudging things up.

[abzdine]

he was so proud to say "we listen"!! i'd love to punch his arrogant face right now!!!

What a big disgrace to gaming! As a Nintendo fan i feel insulted

[Raf1k1]

Is buying with real money the only way to get characters? It would be really shitty if it is.

F2P games need to use a proper F2P model like League of Legends where points you earn can be saved up to purchase new characters and buying with real money is just an extra option. The only thing LoL requires real money for is cosmetic changes to characters.

[user5575708]

online play will be:

and now JAGO VS.........JAGO

JAGO WINS

[Garbanjo001]

I'm pretty mad about Killer Instinct, I waited forever to play this game, and this is what they do to it? MS is turning into a bigger joke all the time. I completely agree with you. MS has the ability to do some bad ass games, but then they do shit like this and it totally pisses me off.

[dedicatedtogamers]

Woooooow. Bomb after bomb after bomb. Good luck geeting this game included in EVO. And correct me if I'm wrong, but it's not even being made by RARE: it's being made by the same people who did the GI Joe game and the Battleship game, so don't expect the fundamental gameplay to be deep or polished.

Also, the point of a fighting game is to have polish and balance. What do you think will happen when they involve the pay-to-win....er, excuse me, what do you think will happen when they involve the free-to-play model in a fighting game?

[Cueil]

??? Pay to win? Looks like you purchase the characters you want to play with... sounds like pay to play... it's an interesting concept though I wish they would have also released a full version

[Veneno]

How the hell are you going to know which characters you want to play as when you don't get to try them out? You know, like a real, full fighting game.

[fermcr]

"Killer Instinct Is a Fun Free to Play Xbox One Launch Game"

I was surprised Microsoft was offering a free game... then a read the article.

Microsoft only thinks of ...
http://www.youtube.com/watc...

[Jaces]

Now I'm down to only 2 games I'm interested in for Xbone now. Nice going MS, fucked up KI, what else can you destroy?

[GenericNameHere]

Lol this game is NOT even made by Rare! Haha what kind of joke is this? So what, Rare is still relegated to Kinect work? Hey, Microsoft, nice job! I'm pretty sure the guys who made Battleship The Board Game The Movie The Game is worthy of working on a game so beloved by fans right? Because we all know Battleship was an awesome game, and so was its movie, and Rare's much more untalented that they can only work on Kinect Sports Rivals!!

What next, you gonna make Halo 5 a game made by Gearbox Studios, the company that made such great and Game of The Year worthy games as Duke Nukem Forever and Aliens: Colonial Marines?

[badz149]

plus...the RARE we know is no more! instead of continuing to taint the name of RARE, they should just change their name to MKS, Microsoft Kinect Studio as that's all they have been doing these days!

[MizTv]

Well it's not 1998 anymore
A shell of there Former self

[FriedGoat]

The majority of the rare team went to free radical that are now called Crytek UK.

[MizTv]

We saw it and were like for real?
Looks like a game I would play on my vita
Next gen? I think not

[Veneno]

Dude watch your mouth, Vita's got

Marvel vs Capcom 3
Mortal Kombat
BLazblue CS Extend
Street Fighter X Tekken
Dead or Alive Plus
Dive Kick
Playstation Allstars BR

The Vita is 100 times the fighting game console the XSux One will ever be.

[Veneno]

You guys! You guys! Microsoft really did listen! They're bringing back the Killer Instinct we all know and love! Remember how we used to not have the full roster of characters out the gate and we had to buy them all separately? Just like the good ol' days amiright?

[whoyouwit04]

Now I bet if sony was doing this with one of their games you would think it was genius. there is absolutely nothing wrong with what microsoft is doing with killer Instinc if the characters are priced right. 2 bucks a character is 40 bucks which is a deal.

[kenshiro100]

If Sony did this, nobody would agree with it. Stop defending Microsoft.

[kenshiro100]

...WHAT.

Just...what?

You have to buy the rest of the characters?! What the...what are they thinking?!

Okay, this is not the KI I grew up with. I had KI for Gameboy and Super Nintendo. That was my favorite fighting game along with the SF and MK series.

...-shakes head-

[FrigidDARKNESS]

Rare is not developing this game and the Original Rare developers have been long gone. No one cares if you play your N64 this game rocks and kicks ass on the xbox one.

[MattyF]

This is not what I expected. Thanks MS! You just completely killed Killer Instinct.

[MrBeatdown]

I kind of sensed something was up with that "Round One" subtitle. It didn't fit for a big budget title.

[BullyMangler]

i'll pay whatever it takes to have Jago's ninja blade back.

Jago is no Longer a match against Leonardo like this .. .

[Riderz1337]

One character...

[Majin-vegeta]

-
http://cdn.memegenerator.ne...

[Baka-akaB]

All in one , input for one .... one character . Welcome to Xbox One !!

[whoyouwit04]

this is only bad if they fuck it up by over pricing the characters but you Sony fans are going to make something that isn't a negative a negative any ways.
this is basically letting you customize the game with the characters you want to play with.

[vividi]

How do I know what characters I want to play if I can't try them?

[animegamingnerd]

micro$oft can go to hell

[ElementX]

I bet the people complaining weren't going to buy an Xbox One anyway

[Majin-vegeta]

I was until i learned of all thier dumb retarded xbox crap.

Here's my GT: http://www.xboxgamertag.com...

Maximillion isn't going to be happy.
http://youtu.be/D5hjSmftXHA

[Cueil]

I'm impressed... looks like you rented a console for a few days http://www.xboxgamertag.com...

[KwietStorm_BLM]

So if someone had been waiting for the return of a game after xx years, only to be told they have to buy it in pieces, that should be cause for celebration?

[Legion]

As normal MS is likely to be selling characters in different fashions.

Individual character choices will likely be an option. But bundles character choices and complete bundled selection is most likley going to be the sales choices.

So see a complete character selection available for purchase at a reasonable low price.

It's almost like you guys have never purchased anything on XBL before?? Wait... let me guess... most of you are PS3 users and don't know any better?

Just pissed that you don't get to play KI?

[dedicatedtogamers]

Yeah, I'm betting all the Killer Instinct fans out there WANTED their beloved franchise to be revived as a free-to-play, right?

@ below

smh. smh.

[green]

I like the idea. I never used all the characters. Orchid and Kim Wu were my main characters so i like the idea it is free to play and i will only pay for the characters i use.

[Cueil]

for those who only play a couple of fighters it seems like a deal...

[grimmweisse]

Your salty tears taste good!

[monkey602]

Their conference actually impressed me and Sony's drove me dull but man that 399€ price point and those used game announcements put Microsoft to absolute shame

[KwietStorm_BLM]

LOL how did they leave this one tiny little detail out?

[Garbanjo001]

They left it out because look what's happening here??? PEOPLE ARE BITCHING ABOUT IT!!! MS just screwed one of my favorite games. PS needs to buy the property and do it right.

[HarryMasonHerpderp]

Awww what the heck? this was one of the Xbox One games I was actually excited about. Still, not enough to put up with the actual console with no used games, DRM and all the spyware crap. Seriously Microsoft what are you doing?

[Hicken]

When I saw KI, I was like, "Oh, damn. That'll draw in some people, for certain."

Then I saw it action, and I was like, "Oh, damn. It looks so much like Street Fighter IV."

Then I read this, and I'm like, "Oh, damn. Monetizing an entire game now. And a fighting game, of all things."

[HarryMasonHerpderp]

Exactly my thoughts.
What a way to kill any hype for a new Killer Instinct. It's a damn shame Microsoft own Rare.

[Jeff257]

It is official MS has completely lost it.

[Hadoukameha]

I knew something was fishy. Fucked the series up. Great going.

[green]

That's good for me. Will just download Orchid, Kim Wu and Jago and i am good to go.

[r21]

I guess thats nice of them, I suppose.

[grimmweisse]

Just when i thought MS couldn't do anything more stupid!

[Cueil]

just when you thought they were going to screw you they give you the option of only buying the characters you want to play as... you can spin it in both directions

[Majin-vegeta]

*I'm impressed... looks like you rented a console for a few days

Regarding your top comment.I don't use it anymore cuz i get more use out of my PS3.

[Cueil]

dude... don't sit here and lie to me... you clearly don't own a 360.. there are plenty of games that you'd have played if you did own it... unless you're not a gamer and only a shill for Sony... it's fine if you just played it a little at a friends house there is nothing wrong with that

[sjaakiejj]

What about my friends who might want to play as other characters as me? And can I try the characters before buying them? Because I have no idea which character I'll like playing as, or am I supposed to go by looks?

[grimmweisse]

I am spinning nothing. A game that fans have been waiting for for a long long time, the best they give us is a f2p model. It's a launch title, then might as well give it all the bells and whistle.

How about MS holding some things with some respect. MS has nothing but shit on Rare's games.

[kenshiro100]

Anyone who defends this crap is not a gamer, plain and simple. I remembered the days where characters were available in the game ALREADY.

[Felonycarclub8]

They killed my KI, damn you Microsoft and damn you Nintendo you should have just bought RARE, but I wished Sony would have bought them we probably would have gotten good games by now from them.

[Foxgod]

Free to play makes it even nicer, can try before i buy.

[sinjonezp]

Free to Play is a glorified demo. They should rename it pay to play. Just wait. Then they will say, "Jago is out of energy, please buy more stamina. 99 cents will get you 10 stamina slots so you can continue." F&*k Microsoft.

[Foxgod]

Free to play is the same everywhere, PC, Ps4, etch.
So its not MS only that charges for it.

[Felonycarclub8]

And you killed JAGO Microsoft, WTF was that, RIP JAGO and RIP KILLER INSTINCT, it was too good of a day I knew something bad had too happen. :-( well at least I have the old versions so I can relieve those good moments

[boybato]

I guess this is why MS did not approve of Harada's tekken f2p game.

[talocaca]

How can you kill KI? For a few hours I thought "finally a game on Xbox One that I'd like on PS4"....

Then I heard its not made by Rare....and now this?

Way to go Microsoft!

[Ipunchbabiesforfun]

This was the one game I kept wanting for the 360. good job microsoft, you're cementing my change to PS only. Wow

[loulou]

Its like the people on here share one brain.. So you download the basics for free. Then i suppose if you want 100& of the game you arrive st retail price. Options and choices.

Yet the same whiners are here moaning about something were never going to buy

[badz149]

probably 1 level and it's confirmed to be only 1 character for free...sounds like a deal to you? the free version is Jago vs Jago if that is even possible!

[Baka-akaB]

lol the basics ? Today they release a f2p version i couldnt care less about (tekken revolution) with 8 characters , and you call that the basics ?

The basic and gentleman thing to do , has usually been so far to include min 4 chars in a demo /trial version for a game with 20+ chars , or 2 for a game with a cast of 8 to 12.

[Irishrocket69]

Why is it up for per-order on Amazon then?

[badz149]

to fish those early pre-order and now they must be face palming so hard!

[Veneno]

Are you sure it's not Lego's NinJAGO for Xbone that you're seeing on amazon?

[nick309]

This game looks good. I was more impressed by ms than sony cuz sony showed more indie stuff. Im gonna get both consoles , im not a fanboy, im entitled to have my own opinion, but theres too many fanboys here that like that disagree button, ignorant children.

[optimus]

This isn't anything new as some live arcade games share this practice already, particularly pinball fx2 where the core game is "free" but you pay for the tables. Didn't think they would do that with a fighter but ala's they did...

Judging from the cost for characters for current fighters which run at about $4, and being that this is a digital only game then i can only predict $2 per fighter... The wrench being they could consistently add more characters and the game could very well end up costing people up to $90 or more if they feel people are that stupid... And of course with the kinect they will KNOW who the stupid people are and fool them accordingly.

As for the game itself i was never a big fan of the original killer instinct, something about doing 80 hit combos with just 5 button presses that didn't appeal to me, plus the digital polished claymation art just didn't work for me...and this "updated" version looks washed out and no where as sharp or clean as the original so i'll be passing on this one, what am i talking about i'm passing on the whole box anyway...how's THAT for an ultra-combo.

[Master of Unlocking]

That game didn't look like Killer Instinct at all to me. Seriously, where's all the unbelievable tech that offered the jaw-dropping visuals of yore in the arcades and on the super nes? Why aren't the characters er, how do you say that, "digitized" (?) in that game they showed? I think I've played better looking 2d fighters 25 years ago!
Plus now we know the game will be a fee-fest to enjoy it so, here you go M$, way to announce something just for the sake of the announcement effect and be cheered by people who only react to what they hear, not what they see or what they know... ('-_-)

[sandman224]

Man I love killer instinct, and its an xbox exclusive. I might have to buy xone just to play a game i spent a ton of quarters on at the arcade when I was young.

[Veneno]

It would probably be cheaper for you to hunt down a KI arcade cabinet and set it for free play.

[SonyNGP]

This breaks my heart.

[Temporary]

Horrible news...mismanaged franchise, nothing more depressing in the gaming world than that.

[nigelp520]

-_____________________________ _______________________________ __________-

[TrevorPhillips]

Microsoft needs to stop embarrassing themselves period!

Jim Sterling of Destructoid had this to say on FB:

"We listened," said Microsoft about Killer Instinct.

I refuse to believe anybody told Microsoft they wanted a "free" to play Killer Instinct where you have to buy every single character, developed not by Rare but by the team responsible for such games as G.I Joe: Rise of the Cobra.

[nigelp520]

THIS WAS GOING TO MAKE ME GO AGAINTST MY CURRENT HATE FOR MICROSOFT AND BUY THE CONSOLE LATER AFTER LAUNCG BUT THIS IS NUTS

[silvacrest]

this blows so hard, they knew KI had cult status but still decided to give it this type of treatment??

they should have just given full creative control to double helix

[buynit]

Wait what??? A free fighting game but its free with 1 fighter? Ms how you going to kill killer instinct like that. Ms you wasnt ready should have passed on the new gen.

[tiffac008]

Micro transaction for the entire roster, except one? Your suppose to have a roster first before selling whatever characters you want to add...

[just-joe]

Be careful what you wish for.

[BlaqMagiq24]

This just killed what hype I had growing for this game. I loved the original Killer Instinct but now Microsoft is screwing THIS franchise over? Oh hell no. F*** you Microsoft. Your greedy ways will never cease to amaze me.

[mamotte]

And there goes my only reason to get a Xbox One.

I suposse I'll have to wait for Guilty Gear Xrd.

[mochachino]

Horrible idea is horribly horrible.

[silvacrest]

should have just given the IP to someone who gave a damn

[-Gespenst-]

Yeah, you sure did "listen". Instead of allowing Rare to continue all their awesome franchises you had them make a bastardization of Banjo Kazooie, and now you're having a f2p, digital only version of Killer Instinct made, and NOT EVEN BY RARE. Yeah, that's what I call really honouring a classic franchise...

No clue...

[-MD-]

This is the biggest joke of a company I've ever seen.

Let's revive an old IP Rare fans have been dying to have for over a decade, hand it off to some D+ level developer and slap a F2P sticker on it and charge for characters.

Microsoft needs to crash and burn after this fiasco. 0/10

[majedx9]

WTF the fucked up Killer Instinct to??!!

[Max-Zorin]

Childhood just been ruined.

[MadMax]

I give up on you Microsoft! I was really hoping for better at E3 and was greatly let down. Went with a PS4 instead. Heres for losing fans!!!