Killer Instinct Adds Kilgore and Brings Back Ultimates
By Derek Nichols 04 January 2017
In a new teaser trailer, Iron Galaxy reveals the addition of the new Kilgore character to Killer Instinct along with plans to add character specific Ultimate finisher moves.
Microsoft’s free-to play flagship franchise, Killer Instinct, has evolved quite a bit since it arrived back in 2013. The title has received a lot of post launch content which has tripled the roster and even added guest characters like Arbiter, Rash, and General RAAM. Even though Season Three of the game wrapped up last year and its future still in question, the team at Iron Galaxy appear to have a few more surprises in store for Killer Instinct fans.
In a new teaser trailer, Iron Galaxy reveals two new additions to the continually evolving fighting game. The first big addition this week is a brand new character known as Kilgore, who is regarded as a precursor to the current Fulgore model according to the lore. While it may look similar and have certain moves inspired by its blade-wielding cousin, Kilgore can use the chainguns on its arms to keep opponents at range, has a few glitch style moves, and can overheat which further alters its move sets in interesting ways.
The new character is available now for $10 with half of the purchase price going straight to the 2017 Killer Instinct Ultra Tour. This community fund started with $100,000 from Microsoft Studios intended for pot bonuses and Tournament Organizer support. Purchases of Kilgore go straight to helping this fund continue to grow while supporting community events.
For longtime fans, the team is also bringing back Ultimate abilities, which is something the series hasn’t seen since the first two games in the series. These finisher style moves enable players to add some flair to their victories instead of an overly long Ultra combo. The warrior monk and poster boy for the franchise, Jago, is getting the first one, letting him essentially call down a giant fireball to destroy his opponent. At this time it isn’t clear if all characters are getting a finisher simultaneously or if the roster will be updated over time.
Since launching alongside the Xbox One back in 2013, Killer Instinct has seen three seasons of content, expanding the roster from the initial eight to twenty six in total with three more incoming. The third entry in the long running fighting franchise has also expanded in other ways as well with Iron Galaxy adding a wealth of content and modes to keep players coming back.
The most recent offering is also arguably the biggest with Shadow Lords. The new content is a single player, story-focused mode that challenges players to assemble a team of three and survive a series of procedurally generated scenarios and battles which ultimately end with a battle against Gargos. The mode also features light RPG elements such as loot, items that can be crafted from earned materials, and items that can add different status effects to a fight. Rewards are carried over between playthroughs and Iron Galaxy plans on adding more content to the mode over time.
At this point, would you rather see Iron Galaxy work on a new full-fledged sequel to Killer Instinct or do you enjoy these smaller updates? Let us know in the comments.
Killer Instinct is available now on Xbox One and Windows 10 PC.
