Creative director on first-party Xbox One games Ken Lobb, has spoken to Eurogamer on how Killer Instinct is not in fact a free-to-play game. Rather he describes the title as a generous demo.

“No, it’s not free-to-play,” Lobb argued. “What is free-to-play? It’s a thing you really can’t ever own at all. Day one, if you want to buy our game, buy it. You own it. There’s no grind for little coins that unlock things later. None of that.”

“The free part is, day one, you can download Jago for free and you get the whole game with Jago. Then if you decide you like Thunder for example, you can buy Thunder for five bucks or equivalent. Maybe that’s all you want, so why should you have to pay forty bucks? Just pay five and then you have Thunder.”

“If you buy the $40 pack, there are a couple of other little things you’ll be able to buy, but you’re done. It’s not like there’s some buy coins to unlock thing. That’s why I’ve always said this is not a free-to-play game.”

“I like to call it, we’ve just made the world’s most generous demo. And if you want to buy the game as a bunch of little premium DLCs, go ahead. But if you want to cherry pick your favourite five or six out of the first few years, go ahead, and you’ve paid fifteen, twenty, twenty five dollars, right? Instead of having to buy two full retail price things that don’t even play together.”

With Jago being a free character in the game, every other character for the game can be downloaded seperately for £3.99 or together, also allowing access to future DLC characters, for £16.99. If that price point doesn’t suit you there will also be an Ultra Edition for £34.99 which also adds in early access, character skins and accessories and access to the original Killer Instinct title.

Killer Instinct will be a launch day title for Xbox One and will only be available on that system.

What do you think of Killer Instinct? Do you like it’s flexible price point? Let us know what you think in the comments.