Killer Instinct is back and bloodier than ever

Microsoft have brought another classic franchise out of retirement and will make it available at the launch of Xbox One.

Killer Instinct isn’t the game you all remember, though. This is a F2P beat-em-up and players will only receive one character at launch. It’ll be up to them to pay for the rest.

This news has split people down the middle and many diehard fans are upset by the move, despite being happy to see the franchise return, but the game will be an Xbox One launch title and will be available to download for all Live subscribers.

The game will run at 60 FPS and is being overseen by people who are ‘core’ to the franchise and part of the original Rare team who worked on it on the SNES.

The game is being created by Double Helix, a developer renowned for fairly poor, movie-licensed games, however Microsoft is confident that they ‘get’ the franchise and are going to deliver something fans will want to play.

Obviously, multiplayer is pretty core to what the game is right now, but when you think about asynchronous matchmaking, and I don’t know if it really came across [during Microsoft’s media briefing], but while you’re playing your match, your next fight is being set up. So, you’re literally just carousel-ing from fight to fight. A fighting game, given its round-based nature and how long the rounds are, is a great opportunity to showcase the asynchronous matchmaking

Series favourites Jago, Glacius and Sabre Wolf are confirmed for the game, though others are to be confirmed as we move closer to launch. Jago will be the only character players get at launch, and it’ll be up to them whether they want to buy more.

The ultra-combos are most definitely back, but look bigger, badder and faster than ever.

More details as we get them. For now, check the announcement trailer.

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