• long running

[PC, Steam, XB1, XSX] Free - Killer Instinct (base game) @ Steam & Xbox Stores

2080

Following up on my earlier deal post about Killer Instinct 10th Anniversary Update, the (2013 reboot) base game that was previously priced at A$56.95 on Steam is now a Free-to-Play game for anyone, whereas owners of existing paid/owned copies of the pre-Anniversary Edition Killer Instinct game are now entitled to a FREE upgrade to the Anniversary Edition (standalone price A$39.95).

NOTE: the Base Game version features one free weekly rotating Fighter and Single-Player, Local, and Ranked modes.

References:

Review Scores:
  • Steam/PC - Metacritic: 83 | OpenCritic: 77 | IGDB: 71 | Steam (All Reviews, 4,000+): Very Positive
  • XB1/XSX - Metacritic: 73 | OpenCritic: 77
Trailers & Related Videos:
Game Description (Steam Store - Windows 7 & Windows 10 PCs; Steam Deck: Verified ✅):

Celebrate 10 years of Killer Instinct! The legendary fighting game franchise returns with an all new Anniversary update with improved matchmaking, balance updates, and more!

Experience the thrill of combat with 29 characters, each with their own unique fighting style, combos, and finishers. Whether you're a veteran or a newcomer, you'll find plenty of challenges and rewards in the single-player modes and online multiplayer. Don't miss this opportunity to join the ultimate fight club and prove yourself as the supreme champion of Killer Instinct!

Features:

  • Fight for Free! Play various game modes with a free weekly rotating fighter, including online multiplayer. Get the complete collection by Upgrading to the Anniversary Edition to unlock all 29 fighters, retro costumes, premium accessories, and more from Seasons 1-3!
  • 20 stages with intense stage destruction
  • Explore the lore, characters and history of Killer Instinct with all-new behind-the-scenes videos, trailers and art
  • All the music of Killer Instinct, including Killer Cuts
  • Competitive online multiplayer matches with state-of-the-art fighting game netcode
  • Test your PVP skills online and compete for place in the top 32 in Monthly Ranked Leagues
  • Extensive Dojo tutorial teaches all the core mechanics for Killer Instinct and Combo Breaker Training to master the art of breaking!
  • Discover the origins and rivalries of your favorite characters in Story Mode
  • Save the world in Shadow Lords, a revolutionary re-playable rogue-like Fighter mode! Build a team of fighters, collect powerful helper Guardians, Artifacts and Consumables to gain game changing abilities and buffs needed to stop the invasion of Gargos and his army of Mimics!
  • Free bonus- unlock Jago for use in all modes of play forever by playing Shadow Lords!
  • Fight an endless wave of fighters in Survival mode with a new twist- in Classic fight AI enemies or choose Shadow Survival to face Shadow Fighters, groundbreaking AI Fighters that use the strategy and playstyle of the real players that trained them!
  • Customizable Combo Assist Options

Steam Features:

  • Online multiplayer. Pay attention to the Performance Grading test automatically performed before your first match.
  • Steam Achievements

ADDITIONAL PC SPECIFICATIONS:

  • Additional supported peripherals: Windows-compatible keyboard, Xbox One Controller for Windows, Xbox 360 Controller for Windows, and Xbox 360 Fight Sticks.
Game Description (Microsoft / Xbox Store - Xbox Play Anywhere; Windows 10 PC):

Celebrate 10 years of Killer Instinct, the legendary fighting game series for Xbox and Windows PC. Experience the thrill of combat with 29 characters, each with their own unique fighting style, combos, and finishers. Unleash your killer instinct in stunning 4K resolution and 60 FPS on Xbox Series X consoles and compatible PCs, with improved matchmaking, balance updates, and more. Whether you're a veteran or a newcomer, you'll find plenty of challenges and rewards in the single-player modes, online multiplayer, and cross-play with Windows 11 PC. Don't miss this opportunity to join the ultimate fight club and prove yourself as the supreme champion of Killer Instinct!

Game Description (Microsoft / Xbox Store - Xbox Play Anywhere; Xbox One / Xbox Series X|S)

ALL NEW FOR 2016! The legendary fighting franchise is back with all new visuals, over-the-top action, a wild cast of combatants, rocking reactive music, and C-C-C-COMBO BREAKERS!!! Choose your ultimate combatants each with fluid animations, unique combat tactics, and enthralling special attacks. Use the open-ended combo system to rack up huge combos as your opponent looks for openings to break you and turn the tides of battle. Go online and compete against players from all over the world, or master your combat skills with in-depth tutorials and intelligent AI combatants.

FEATURES:

  • Online multiplayer Cross Play between Xbox One and Windows 10.
  • Fight for Free! Play all game modes with a free fighter, including online multiplayer! Fighters are available for individual purchase or get the whole cast in a bundle.
  • Extensive cast of powerful combatants with tons of customization options including Retro Costumes and Accessories.
  • Play anywhere with Cloud Save between Xbox One and Windows 10.
  • 20 Stages with intense stage destruction.
  • Competitive online matches with state-of-the-art fighting game netcode.
  • Test your skill online in Monthly Ranked Leagues.
  • Cinematic Story Mode.
  • Extensive Dojo tutorial teaches all the core mechanics for Killer Instinct.
  • Train an AI combatant and challenge your friends to asynchronous matches in Shadow Lab.
  • Free Updates to the base game - all Fighter balance patches are included for free.

Related Stores

Steam
Steam

Comments

  • +11

    Amazing.

    At first I thought 'wow, that old dinosaur fighting game I played as a kid!'
    Then I was disappointed because it said '10 year anniversary' and the game is much older than that.
    Then I clicked the link and realised they'd released a modern version I didn't even know about 10 years ago, and now it's free!

    • +6

      Primal Rage?

      • +6

        Oh what the heck? You're right, I was actually thinking of Primal Rage. Not sure what happened with my brain there, because I genuinely associated "Killer Instinct" with the dinosaur fighting game. I also played the original Killer Instinct too, so great nostalgia hit either way.

        I can tell by your username that you're an old school gamer too!

        • Haha i did too

        • +2

          Clayfighter, anyone?

    • +9

      One must fall 2097 was my favourite. The joys of upgrading your robot!

      • +1

        loved that game !!

      • +1

        One must Fall 2097 was an amazing game. It was everything Rise of the Robots was hyped to be, but wasnt.

      • +3

        If anyone wants to try out One Must Fall 2097 for their first time, or revisit it for nostalgia, its available as a freeware download, and fully playable using DOSBox. Here are some relevant links:

        One Must Fall 2097 v2.1 Full / Full CD ISO (plus shareware, utilities, fan-made tournaments, music, other media, guides, etc.)

        Hardcore Gaming 101's Feature article on One Must Fall 2097

        OpenOMF - a work-in-progress (currently alpha stage quality) open-source remake. This adds TCP/IP multiplayer and gamepad support for 64-bit Windows and Linux, windowed/widescreen mods through scaling.

  • +3

    what great memories, this game had 10 tokens for the next players in the queue at timezone.

  • This is one of those games I never understood.

    But… Free is free

    • Neither do I, but I manage to do a lot of the combos just by mashing buttons. Fun game.

  • +5

    C-c-c-c-combo breaker!

    • ULTRA… ultra… ultra.. ultra

      • +1

        Ultraaaaaaaaaaaaaaa combooooooooo

  • +3

    That was a fun trip down memory lane. Played this almost 30 years ago in primary school after school care.

  • +2

    Bought it but never played it. Now I have a free upgrade to the Anniversary edition. Win win.

    • every time someone confesses they bought a game they never played, jv gets extra 5 minutes of OzBargain Premium for free

      little to say, jv is a premium member for life. make it legendary @jv!

  • I have added links to the deal post description for the Microsoft / Xbox Store's versions of the Killer Instinct base games, one for Microsoft Windows 10 PCs, and one for Xbox One / Xbox Series X|S consoles. These are also now free-to-play and can be added to your Microsoft Store / Xbox account's library.

    • +2

      Is there a benefit adding it to your account now its free to play? You can play/add it anytime right?

  • I cant get the store page to load in my steam app.

    I can search for the game & see it & I can wishlist the game - but when I try to load the games store page (in the steam app) I get a black screen

    • Same problem earlier, actually it has been a while. But it loaded for me now. Maybe a steam issue because other sections of the app was working. I even turned off adblock

      • thanks for the info. I tried again & now it shows up - thankyou

  • +1

    Thanks. Got it on both!

  • I clicked in and already had the base game but Steam still displays the Anniversary Edition for purchase so I don't think I've been automatically upgraded for whatever reason

    • According to the official blog post, if you're an owner of the pre-Anniversary Edition version of the game on your Steam account, you should be entitled to a free upgrade to the Anniversary Edition.

      You may want to reach out to the developers' support channel(s) on the Ultra Combo website and/or Steam store, and raise a ticket

      • +1

        The store says I have the game in my steam library and still has the option to buy the anniversary edition. But when I go in game, I have access to all the characters.

    • @SpainKing as per Mugsy's comment, did you try launching the game itself, and not just rely on what the Steam store / Steam launcher's library says? Perhaps all of the Anniversary Edition content have been downloaded and are accessible after all, by directly launching the game?

      • +1

        I didn't, so if Mugsy's comment is right I probably do have it. Laptop's low on space so I didn't want to download it to check

  • +1

    Love this game!

    Cannot believe MS hasn't used the devs to make a MS IP fighting game.

    Would be incredible!

    And fyi the game was already 4K on Xbox One X but now for Series S and X it also has a 4K UI and some effects which were a lower res are apparently also 4K.

  • +1

    I'll play my SNES version of the real classic.

    Loved this on the arcade machines, supposedly there was going to be an n64 release to be like for like of the arcade version but couldn't find one down under.

    Orchid and glacier were the all time favs

    • +1

      My understanding is that the original port of KI to N64 ended up being the SNES version because of the fiasco between Nintendo dropping Sony's CD tech (which later became the Playstation) and the delays that came from it.

      Conversely, I'm more sad that KI2's slated SNES conversion didn't come to light. As cool as the arcade version's graphics are, there was always a charm the SNES version (and 16-bit consoles in general) had that I would have loved to have seen the sequel on there too. As great as Street Fighter 2 and Mortal Kombat are, when I think of the definitive fighting game for the SNES, I think KI… it was home grown and it was glorious!

      The newer 3D reboot isn't bad though. Pity it doesn't have an MK styled story mode. KI has so much back story it would work.

      • +1

        The lore stands out in a lot of ways.

        There was another arcade fighter at the same time where is was a middles ages type fighting game. You could pick from a number of characters such as executioner with axe and mask as well as a knight just to name a couple. There were many more and also had an execution or fatality as well.

        Great game.

        • +2

          I'm assuming you're not referring to Soul Edge or Soul Calibur as that name is pretty widely own and the theme isn't middle ages.

          Was it Mace: The Dark Age?

          https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mace:_The_Dark_Age

          EDIT: Just re-read your post… definitely not the Soul games since they have no fatality… unless one considers a ring out a fatality.

          • +1

            @Mugsy: Mace: The Dark Age would have been my guess as well, to Kiro's comment about a 2D fighting game with a Middle Ages-setting, on arcade machines …

            … if Kiro had said it was a console game, I was thinking it could possibly be WeaponLord on SNES and Mega Drive/Genesis ?

          • +1

            @Mugsy: That's it, wish they had it on console….. Even mame. Great fun.

  • +2

    For those who don't read before they download 30gb of data and are slightly disappointed with themselves…:

    "NOTE: the Base Game version features one free weekly rotating Fighter and Single-Player, Local, and Ranked modes."

  • I've added Hardcore Gaming 101's 3-part series feature on the Killer Instinct series to the deal post description's References list, which covers:

  • +1

    One of the best fighting games I've ever played!

  • +2

    I have updated the deal post's description > References bullet points to include:

    Killer Instinct Anniversary Edition – Now Available!

    Now that it’s live, we’d like to clarify what the free upgrade to the Anniversary Edition looks like for people who have owned previous versions of KI.

    If you have ever purchased any of the following on Xbox or Windows PC:

    1. Any Killer Instinct Season or Edition
    2. Any Killer Instinct Fighter
    3. Any Premium Skin Pack or Color Pack

    …you will get updated to the Anniversary Edition for free!

    Also, if you purchased a physical version of Killer Instinct, including the Definitive Edition, you will be upgraded to the Anniversary Edition while the disc is in the drive, and all Anniversary Edition content and features will be unlocked.


    For @SpainKing @Mugsy @Piranha2004 and anyone else who have paid/owned versions of the pre-Anniverary Edition game/DLCs:

    For those who may be experiencing issues accessing or playing the Anniversary Edition, we’ve updated our FAQ to address some of the questions we’ve been seeing most often. We’ve also opened a troubleshooting thread on our forums to make sure we can address any other issues you may be experiencing.

Login or Join to leave a comment