Killer Instinct goes free-to-play on all platforms

Ultra combo!

Killer Instinct will go free-to-play on all platforms in celebration of its 10th anniversary, Iron Galaxy recently announced.

“The Killer Instinct Base Game will be FREE TO PLAY on all platforms: Xbox consoles (One, Series X|S), Windows PC, and Steam,” Iron Galaxy said in an update. “The free KI base game will feature one free weekly rotating Fighter and Single-Player, Local, and Ranked modes.”

Those players who own Premium Content, including accessories, skins and fighters, will have that content unlocked in the free version, dubbed Anniversary Edition. Those who access the free-to-play content for the first time will have the option to upgrade to the Anniversary Edition for $29.99 USD.

The Anniversary Edition includes Killer Instinct‘s full roster of 29 fighters alongside “all Premium Content ever released,” according to Iron Galaxy.

“Killer Instinct Definitive Edition will be retired from the store and replaced by Killer Instinct Anniversary Edition” on the Microsoft Store for both Xbox and PC, Iron Galaxy continued. “All purchased Definitive Editions will be upgraded to the Anniversary Edition for free.” The same is true for all paid versions of Killer Instinct on Steam for PC.

“We are also retiring all a la carte purchasing of individual Fighters and various Editions,” Iron Galaxy concluded. “Remember: Anything you’ve previously purchased will remain in your library, and you will still have access to it.”

Killer Instinct was an Xbox One launch title back in 2013, first developed by Double Helix Games. Iron Galaxy took over development since; a Windows PC version followed in 2016, then a Steam release in 2017.

We reviewed Killer Instinct back in 2016.

“When you do get that Ultra and each hit is chained to a musical note in the game’s soundtrack? And the announcer screams “Uuuuuuuullllltraaaaaaa cooooombooo” at the top of his lungs? Well, that feeling simply can’t be beat,” I wrote at the time. “It’s a great form of encouragement that also manages to stir something inside of you that wants to do it and hear it again.”