Though it’s a franchise that’s gone under the radar for many players, passionate fighting game fans will no doubt recognize the name Killer Instinct. Rare’s action-packed brawler series was very popular in arcades and on Nintendo’s consoles in the mid-90s, and back in 2013, it got rebooted by Double Helix Games for Xbox One and PC, with development responsibilities eventually moving to Iron Galaxy Studios.
Killer Instinct got plenty of post-launch content — the biggest additions being new playable characters in the roster — and Iron Galaxy has valiantly updated the game with server improvements, Xbox Series X|S upgrades, and the option for ranked crossplay matchmaking. The 2023 Anniversary Edition also gave players an easy way to buy all of the game’s characters in one purchase.
But while Iron Galaxy has done an impressive job keeping Killer Instinct modernized in the past decade, there’s widespread desire for a new Killer Instinct game in the fighting game community — and one of the genre’s biggest developers wants to know how you think Microsoft and Xbox should go about making one.
One thing that’s immediately clear upon looking at the poll’s results is that the community does not want the future of Killer Instinct to be exclusive to the Xbox ecosystem. Only 5.4% of fans want it to be a $70 game that’s Xbox-only, with 5.3% desiring a free-to-play Xbox exclusive.
The majority, 46.3%, want the next Killer Instinct to be a paid game available on all platforms, but it’s a narrow lead; 43% believe it should be multiplatform, but free-to-play instead. It’s worth noting that the 2013 Killer Instinct reboot is free-to-play at base, with a pair of playable characters rotating weekly for those that choose not to get the Anniversary Edition and unlock the full roster.
There are pros and cons to both models, with a premium upfront price tag reducing pressure on the game’s developers to generate lots of revenue with long-term live service, and a free-to-play structure completely removing the barrier to entry and making it very easy for anyone to jump in.
Considering how niche Killer Instinct is in an already niche genre, I think the free-to-play route makes more sense, as it may be difficult for Microsoft and Xbox to get players to invest $70 to get their foot in the door. Perhaps it could target a more wallet-friendly $40, though; they’re not fighting games, but Helldivers 2 and ARC Raiders have proven how viable that pricing can be.
In the end, regardless of how it’s sold, it would be awesome to see Killer Instinct finally get another installment. And like the 2013 game, I’m sure a new one would be available (or have its paid content available) to play through Xbox Game Pass.
How would you bring back Killer Instinct?
Which option in Ed Boon’s poll did you choose? If you had the power to, how would you bring Killer Instinct back? Let me know in the comments.
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