Last night was a treat for fighting game enthusiasts. Particularly those of us fond of a little old game called Killer Instinct. Fans were treated to one of the most exciting fighting game tournaments thanks to a collaboration between streaming platform Twitch’s Twitch Rivals division, super popular content creator, streamer, and longtime advocate of the FGC (Fighting Game Community), Maximillian Dood, and numerous other supporters.
The premise was simple: Get 32 of some of the best Killer Instinct players and host an online tournament to not only generate some excitement, but also remind people of how good of a game the 2013 Killer Instinct is (and also give the Winners and Top Placers a nice little cash prize.). What we got was a rather professional tourney complete with energetic commentary, documentary snippets, and interviews that highlighted the production process and what actually went on behind the scenes of the game’s development process. This was the icing on the cake as we were treated to some of the highest level of play you’ve ever witnessed in a fighting game.
Longtime players like @WheelsFGC, @NickyFGC, @CharbokFGC, @XiBassiX, @Hologrammmxx1, and so many others brought nothing less than their best to put on a show like no other. It’s always a personal treat for me to see and interact with longtime players and community members during these events. When it comes to Killer Instinct, participating in a tournament feels more like gathering friends and family together for a Super Bowl party than watching your typical online event.
Ever since the reboot debuted all the way back in 2013 (Has it really been 8 years already?!) a very passionate and dedicated community was formed around KI. From its humble beginnings with a 6 man roster in Season 1 which eventually evolved into its insanely diverse and eccentric cast of 29, Killer Instinct was always supported by a seemingly ravenous community that remained hungry for more content. Of the 29 available fighters, we saw 18 of them on display last night; more than half of the roster. This speaks to how well designed the entire cast is, as there is quite literally someone for every type of player here.
The most important takeaways from last night’s festivities is that Killer Instinct is very much alive and still has a lot to offer newcomers and veterans alike. Not only this, but as over 43K viewers tuned in on an unassumingly ordinary Monday evening, it shows Microsoft that the IP still has a magnetic draw.
With the exception of the recent update that improved the game’s performance for the Series X/S consoles in Oct. 2020, Killer Instinct had largely remained untouched since 2018. KI is easily one of the most content complete fighting games on the market with its huge roster, single player offerings, bevy of multiplayer modes, and some of the best Tutorials and on boarding you’ll ever come across. Not only this, but there is a smorgasbord of community created content to help new and longtime players learn and improve. Of particular note is @Infilament’s insanely detailed guide that breaks down nearly every single nuanced element of the game. You can view that right HERE.
Ever since I walked into my local PowerZone arcade and heard Chris Sutherland (original announcer) screaming at the top of his lungs and being entranced by the crazy 1994 cabinet design all those years ago, I’ve held Killer Instinct close to my heart. This IP is special, and absolutely deserves to be nurtured further. The Xbox brand is in the perfect position to really elevate the franchise and bring it to as many people as possible. It would be absolutely criminal to let it languish as long as it did before its 2013 reboot all over again.
In the meantime, we can still enjoy this absurdly entertaining gem via Crossplay on Xbox consoles, Windows 10 (also available on GamePass!), or on Steam (Note that progress from other platforms does not transfer over to the Steam version).
Fight on, friends. Fight on.