Ten years ago today, Microsoft and Double Helix Games released Killer Instinct, rebooting the old and glorious fighting franchise. The game was then taken over by Iron Galaxy, which today is celebrating its anniversary.
Several years have passed since the last patch, but now the game is getting an entirely new edition and a sizable update.
As announced during the 10th anniversary livestream, Iron Galaxy is preparing to launch the Killer Instinct Anniversary Update. While no date has been revealed, it's now in final testing.
Updated 11/28/2023: The Anniversary Edition has now been released on both PC and Xbox.
When it launches, there will be two versions of the game. The base game will be free, on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC (via Steam and Windows Store). It'll include one free weekly rotating fighter, single-player, local, and ranked modes.
The Killer Instinct Anniversary Edition will be priced at $29.99 and include all 29 fighters ever released and all premium content, including the VIP Double XP Booster, holiday accessories, and more.
Those who have purchased the Killer Instinct Definitive Edition on Xbox and Windows Store, on top of the paid version available on Steam, will get upgraded for free to the Anniversary Edition.
The Definitive Edition App and classic Killer Instinct 1 and 2 for Xbox won't be included in the Anniversary Edition as they're rated M, and the new edition is rated T. That being said, if you have purchased the Definitive Edition you'll still be able to download them.
Players won't be able to purchase single fighters anymore, but all the content purchased before the edition change will still be available to them even if they decide to stick with the free base game.
The patch notes for the update coming with the new edition are already available, including a fix to a bug that has been affecting the damage of projectiles.
Most characters are receiving changes, but the following characters did not receive actual balance updates besides a few fixes. The rest are receiving bigger balance changes.
- Sabrewulf
- TJ Combo
- Kan-Ra
- Riptor
- Hisako
- Cinder
- Shadow Jago
- Arbiter
- Mira
- Kilgore
