Loyal Microsoft customers will be given a free download of Killer Instinct upon the release of the Xbox One on the 22nd, but it has yet to be determined just how loyal of customer one has to be to play for free.
An e-mail from Microsoft to some customers stated the following:
“You’re a fan of ours and we’re a fan of yours,” the offer reads. “Thank you for your dedication to Xbox. We want to show you our appreciation, so we’re giving you Killer Instinct. We’ve unlocked all characters so you can hit the ground running. Watch your inbox on 22 November for instructions on how to claim your free gift.”
Because Killer Instinct does not follow the traditional-free-to-play model Microsoft has not labeled it as such though, in all technicalities, it is free-to-play as it will be available to download for free.
Though all characters will be unlocked, only one character, Jago, will be available when the game is downloaded for free. The other 5 characters can be purchased for $4.99 each, or through the Killer Instinct Combo Breaker pack for $19.99, which also grants access to two up-coming DLC characters.
A slightly fishy side to the tale is that it seems only certain customers are receiving the offer. It has not been determined whether or not only certain customers will be able to play Killer Instinct for free, or if the e-mails are just being sent in waves.
