There’s a sweet spot in the lifespans of games. Excitement peaks at release, then wanes steadily. A title is lucky if, a year later, it’s still relevant. Yet Iron Galaxy’s Killer Instinct for the Xbox One is an exception to the rule. It’s a year and a half old, but still going strong.
Part of this is due to the continued release of seasons. More characters are added with each release, giving people a chance to experience new content and see Killer Instinct grow each year. Two seasons worth of extra characters and stages are available, with season two characters rolling out. Hisako, for example, was only just released in April.
It’s through these updates that Iron Galaxy’s dedication shows through. The developer is focused on Killer Instinct , determined to keep it fresh and interesting for players. This is especially evident in the $19.99 Shadow Jago Community Bundle . Iron Galaxy used these digital sales as a crowdfunding endeavor to see if the community wanted to use their purchases to help fund tournaments.
It only took 3 days for Killer Instinct ‘s Shadow Jago Community Bundle to get $100,000 put toward tournaments. It’s even immediately going into action, as Iron Galaxy is taking it and putting it into EVO 2015 in July. $50,000 will be in the Killer Instinct prize pool at the event. That kind of immediate action is impressive.
The fact that such funding was acquired so quickly is the most impressive feat here. Killer Instinct will be two years old come November 2015. Yet the Xbox One owners who have and are playing it love it so much that they’re willing to kick in that much money to make tournament funding happen. The community is still so active, it managed to make that happen within 72 hours.
The dedication of Iron Galaxy and players have made Killer Instinct something special. People believe in this game. They keep coming back to and enjoying it. It’s become loved, and those who aren’t aware of it or perhaps abandoned the title shouldn’t let it become a memory. Killer Instinct is still thriving, and that’s great.