The classic fighting title Killer Instinct from Iron Galaxy was launched in 2013 as an Xbox One exclusive and was very well received by both fans and critics. The game is currently celebrating its 10th anniversary, and the developers have exciting updates. Iron Galaxy has announced that the base game will be going free-to-play and is also getting an Anniversary Edition, a new major update, and more.
Killer Instinct Is Getting a Free-to-Play Version and a New Anniversary Edition
Killer Instinct is the third entry in the classic fighting game series and was available for free on Xbox One as it was an exclusive, but Steam players had to pay for the game. Developer Iron Galaxy has announced in a blog post that this is now going to change, as with the release of its 10th anniversary update, the base game is going to be free to play. In addition, the game will also be getting a new Anniversary Edition as part of its 10th anniversary celebrations.
The base version of the game will be free on all platforms, including Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, and Steam. The base game will have one weekly rotating fighter, and players will have access to single-player, local, and ranked game modes. The Killer Instinct Anniversary Edition will be available for Xbox and PC for $29.99 and will feature all 29 fighters and all the premium content, including the VIP Double XP Booster, holiday accessories, and more.
Moreover, players who own premium content such as fighters or skins in Killer Instinct on Xbox or PC will still own the items in the Anniversary Edition of the game. Iron Galaxy also announced that with the release of the Anniversary Edition, the Killer Instinct Definitive Edition will be retired from stores on Xbox and Windows PC.
After this, only the Anniversary Edition will be available. However, players already owning the Definitive Edition need not worry, as it will be upgraded to the Anniversary Edition for free.
There will also be a few changes in the Anniversary Edition of the game from the KI Definitive Edition, as the game will not feature Mature-rated content, and include the Definitive Edition App with developer interviews, concept art, Killer Cuts soundtrack, and Xbox KI Classic 1 & 2. However, players will still have access to the additional content if they already own the Definitive Edition, even after it is retired.
The currently available purchase-only Steam version of the game will be replaced by the KI Anniversary Edition too. The already-purchased version will be upgraded to the Anniversary Edition. The Anniversary Edition on Steam will feature the Permanent VIP Double XP Booster and Gargos’ Golden God and Argent Shroud colors for the first time.
The developers have also announced that players will no longer be able to buy individual fighters and various editions, but already purchased items “will remain in your library, and you will still have access to it.” However, Iron Galaxy did not announce any specific date when the Killer Instinct Anniversary Edition will be released or when the base game will be free to play, but Microsoft’s James Goddard added that it is in final testing.
He stated, “It is in final testing right now and we’ll announce a release date as soon as possible so stay tuned to KI socials for that announcement.”
The developers have also released the patch notes for the major 3.10 update that will be dropping soon. This is the first big update that will be coming to the game after five years, as the last 3.9.13 update launched in 2018. The update will bring bug fixes and balance updates for fighters such as Jago, Glacius, and more. Players can visit the Patch Notes blog page for more details on the update.
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