Xbox One Killer Instinct Will Be Free-to-Play, Includes One Character

Just when you thought Microsoft couldn't make any more questionable moves, the company revealed Killer Instinct would be a free-to-play digital-only title... with one playable character to start.

According to IGN, Killer Instinct will arrive with only Jago playable, with every other character, new and old, to be purchased as downloadable content. While it's great Killer Instinct will be a launch title for the Xbox One, the decision to have users pay for every last bit of content is a curious one.

No price points were discussed, which gives Microsoft plenty of time to potentially adjust its strategy before the Xbox One arrives in November. Free-to-play isn't a bad strategy per se, but this kind of nickel-and-diming isn't something console owners have had to deal with on a large scale as of yet. IGN postulates this type of model could be the way demos are handled, meaning you'd be paying to unlock the full game anyway. While that's not a terrible idea in practice, paying for each individual character for a fighting game seems gratuitous.

We'll likely learn more about Microsoft's plans for Killer Instinct as we draw closer to the Xbox One launch later this year. What do you think of the free-to-play Killer Instinct?