History VideoGame / KillerInstinct2013

->''"Coming to your home in 2013, only on UsefulNotes/XboxOne..."''

After a 17 year-long hiatus since the last installment, the ''VideoGame/KillerInstinct'' franchise made its triumphant return. Titled simply ''Killer Instinct'' (known among fans as ''Killer Instinct 2013''), the game first released on November 22, 2013 as a launch title and KillerApp for the UsefulNotes/XboxOne. It was also later ported to PC in 2016.

** The UsefulNotes/{{Steam}}/Definitive and later Anniversary versions of the game notably give you all the characters and all Season 1-3 content in one single purchase. The only things that still require purchase in these versions are the items for Shadow Lords mode.

After Season 3's completion, several more characters and balance changes were added, ending in 2020 with an update to ensure backwards compatibility on the Platform/XboxSeriesXAndS. It seemed ''Killer Instinct'' had settled into its final state -- until three years later, when a 10th anniversary update was announced at EVO 2023, planning to add 4K support and a new batch of balance changes in fall 2023.

After Season 3's completion, several more characters and balance changes were added, ending in 2020 with an update to ensure backwards compatibility on the UsefulNotes/XboxSeriesXAndS. It seemed ''Killer Instinct'' had settled into its final state -- until three years later, when a 10th anniversary update was announced at EVO 2023, planning to add 4K support and a new batch of balance changes in fall 2023.

* BonusBoss: This game has a special version of Shadow Jago as a secret endboss in Season One's story, available only after unlocking everyone else's endings and then completing Story Mode again on at least Medium difficulty without losing once. This guy is definitely much tougher than the original Jago.

* Feelies: Like the first game, physical copies of the Definitive edition came with a bonus CD that contains the Soundtrack of the game. However, only 12 music are actually on the disc. The full soundtrack is included as part of the bonus content in the Definitive Edition disc itself, along with the full soundtrack of previous games. A discount coupon for Killer Instinct merch is also included in the box.

* EmbeddedPrecursor: Opting for the top tier package of the 2013 game includes an emulated version of the original ''Killer Instinct'' (a game that, until then, had yet to get a full arcade-quality home port), this time with online play enabled. An online-available port of ''Killer Instinct 2'' was packaged with the higher-tier bundle of Season 2.
%%* DarkerAndEdgier:

* AllegedlyFreeGame: Can be downloaded for free, but has a single playable character that rotates on a regular basis (with Jago being the free character at launch). The remaining cast can be downloaded individually, or can be bought all together in a single purchase. Buying the characters individually also discounts the cost of each individual character so that players who purchase characters individually never pay more than those who buy the full pack of characters. The only two characters that are actually free are both unlocked from the Shadow Lords single player mode - Jago is unlocked after beating the tutorial, and Orchid is unlocked after collecting 50% of the Shadow Lords dossiers.
** The UsefulNotes/{{Steam}} and Definitive versions of the game drop the pretense completely, giving you all the characters and content from the start for a more natural purchase. The only things that still cost in-game currency are the unlocks you get for levelling up characters, naturally.

-->-- '''The E3 2013 trailer for ''Killer Instinct''.''' Ironically, they didn't fulfill this either. [[note]]The game was initially Xbox One-exclusive, but later received a port to PC. This mirrors how the original ''KI'' never made it to Ultra 64 either, despite its advertisement.[[/note]]

After a 17 year-long hiatus since the last installment, the ''VideoGame/KillerInstinct'' franchise made its triumphant return. Titled simply ''"Killer Instinct"'' (known among fans as ''Killer Instinct 2013''), the game first released on November 22, 2013 as a launch title and KillerApp for the UsefulNotes/XboxOne. It was also later ported to PC in 2016.

After Season 3's completion, several more characters and balance changes were added, ending in 2020 with an update to ensure backwards compatibility on the UsefulNotes/XboxSeriesXAndS. It seemed ''Killer Instinct'' had settled into its final state -- three years later, a 10th anniversary update was announced at EVO 2023, planned to add 4K support and a new batch of balance changes in fall 2023.

After Season 3's completion, several more characters and balance changes were added, ending in 2020 with an update on Xbox One to ensure backwards compatibility on the UsefulNotes/XboxSeriesXAndS. It seemed ''Killer Instinct'' had settled into its final state -- three years later, a 10th anniversary update was announced at EVO 2023, planned to add 4K support and a new batch of balance changes in fall 2023.

After Season 3's completion, several more characters and updates were released to tie the game up. However, as of 2018 the game's updates ceased, and it seems to have settled comfortably into its final state. In 2020, it received a final update on Xbox One to ensure its backwards compatibility on the UsefulNotes/XboxSeriesXAndS.

* Season 2's Rivals Mode, which is more like a typical fighting game story mode for the new eight characters. It details the battle with Ultratech, and ends in Ultratech [[SummoningRitual summoning]] the evil Gargos to the Earth.

* Season 2's Rivals Mode, which is more like a typical fighting game story mode for the next eight characters. It details the battle between our heroes and Ultratech, and ends in Ultratech [[SummoningRitual summoning]] the evil entity Gargos to the Earth.

* Season 1's Arcade Mode, which features a very loose narrative for each character. It's mostly concerned with introducing the world to the player while planting the seeds for Ultratech's [[EvilPlan upcoming plan]].
* Season 2's Rivals Mode, which is more like a typical fighting game story mode. It details the battle between our heroes and Ultratech, and ends in Ultratech [[SummoningRitual summoning]] the evil entity Gargos to the Earth.
* Season 3's Shadow Lords, which is a series of strategic battles across the globe. It contains the bulk of the fight against Gargos, wherein heroes and villains alike [[EnemyMine team up]] to defeat his army and save the world.