Two decades ago...

Through an underground campaign of propaganda and deception, an organization known as Ultratech rooted out the most extreme human beings on the planet and forced them to fight in an underground tournament. Among them were an isolated wolf-man hoping to return to human form, a warrior monk capable of channeling the pure energy of faith, and a paranoid agent bent on infiltrating the sinister organization's technological wish fulfillment.

Today...

Suspicious industrial accidents have left Ultratech a smoldering ruin, yet somewhere in the ashes of Ultratech, beneath the bankrupt subsidiaries, an electric heart still beats. Old vows have been renewed. The embers of Ultratech's promise to usher in the next stage of human evolution are secretly fanned into flame, and the desperate, the driven, the paranoid, and the extreme take up their battles once again.

Fight

Challenge AI Opponents

Player vs. CPU
Play against an AI opponent.
Story
Play through story mode.
New Season 2 Character Story Mode (**Omen not included)
Play through story mode to explore each character's background and gain deeper knowledge into their motivation for battle.
Survival
Play Versus Forever until your eyes bleed!
CPU vs. CPU
Pit two AI Opponents against each other.

Master

Improve your Skills

Dojo
Individual Lessons to teach you the ropes!
Practice
Hone your skills with a variety of Practice Options.
Combo Breaker Training
Practice your combo breaking skills against opponents of multiple skill levels!


Trials
Compete Quick Challenges for XP Reward!

To play online, select Multiplayer from the Main Menu. There are three types of online modes and a local offline multiplayer mode available in Killer Instinct:

Local Play
Play locally offline against your friends.
Exhibition
An Exhibition Match is a one-on-one match that you can invite a friend to. They will not affect your online ranking and allow you to quickly rematch to continue playing against the same opponent.
Ranked Leagues
Ranked Leagues are a Monthly Ladder Race to find the Top 32 Killers. At the end of each month, the Top 32 players in the Killer Ladder will be rewarded with “Pro Status”, a status that will be permanently anchored onto you player card.
Lobby Mode
Create a lobby with up to 7 other players. Chat and challenge each other to endless matches. Lobby matches do not affect Ranked Leagues.

Here you can create fighters called "Shadows" that strategize and fight exactly like you! Use these Shadows to win matches and earn shadow points, even while you're away!

Create Your Shadow
In order to create a Shadow Brain, you will need to fight 3 matches against a Dojo Master, who will vary up their tactics in each match.
Graduate Your Shadow
After forming your Shadow Brain, you must fight against your own Shadow to graduate it into the wild.

Test your shadow
To get an idea of how your Shadow will behave in the wild, select "Test Shadow" to spar against it. You can always record more matches to improve your Shadow!
Shadow Data
This is your Shadow's brain. Here you can dive deeper into your Shadow’s Brain and learn about how the system has analyzed you and replicated how you play. You can also see how many recordings you have, and even spar against your Shadow.
Shadow Survival
This is a fresh twist on the classic Survival Mode, except in this one you fight through Shadows instead of computer AI! Whenever you beat a Shadow in this mode – two things happen:
  1. You earn Shadow Points
  2. The person who owns the Shadow you beat is issued an automatically generated ‘Bounty’ letting them know who beat their Shadow, match details, and most importantly gives them the options to earn Shadow Points for AVENGING their loss!

Challenge Shadow
Directly challenging someone’s Shadow is where stakes are the highest! Every Shadow costs points to challenge, depending on how successful it’s been fending off challengers. If you win the match against the Shadow you challenge, you win your points back, plus the cost to play. The bigger the fish, the bigger the payoff! If you lose, you’ve spent those points and need to earn more! You can also spar against your friends’ Shadows for FREE.
Shadow Activity
Track your shadow's activity in the community. See what opponents it faced, the outcome and your reward for the match.
For every player that your shadow defeats while you’re away, you’ll earn shadow points and xp! That means the more times you put your shadow into the system, the more rewards you’ll earn when you’re away from it. Just think of the loot you’ll be hauling in with just a few of these at your disposal!
Shadow Leaderboards
This is a brand-spanking new set of Leaderboards just for this mode. Sort the best Shadows by character type and find the top Shadow Survival scores to see who’s best at kicking Shadows around.

Ranked Leagues are a Monthly Ladder Race to find the Top 32 Killers. At the end of each month, the Top 32 players in the Killer Ladder will be rewarded with “Pro Status”, a status that will be permanently anchored onto you player card.

Qualifying
To begin your ascension, first you have to Qualify. The Qualifier Round gives you 10 matches to show us what you’ve got. Based on your performance in these rounds, you will be slotted in one of three Ladder Tiers:
  • Bronze
  • Silver
  • Gold
Once you are qualified and slotted, there is no going back. You will never need to Qualify again, and you will never drop down a Ladder Tier. You will, however, need to fight your way up through the Tiers to advance to KILLER, where the Battle for the Top 32 begins.
Ladder Tiers
Tiers are also used to matchmake players. Whenever possible, Bronze vs Bronze players, Silver vs. Silver, and so on will face off. You need to win matches to gather enough points to be ‘Promoted’ to the next tier. Once you are at your new tier, you can never fall backwards!
KILLER Tier
Killer Matches are now BEST 2 OUT OF 3 and now everyone in this ladder are no longer worried about being promoted… they are all striving to be immortalized in the Top 32 for that month before time expires. If you make it, you are awarded “Pro” Status (think of it like Prestiging).
Once you’re in Killer you STAY in Killer. Everyone’s Killer record is reset and the next month's battles begin again.

Arbiter

To bear the title Arbiter is to endure the Mark of Shame and face inevitable death in combat, an ancient and terrible honor. Embrace the glory of battle with one of Halo’s most renowned alien warriors, wielding a brutal Energy Sword, devastating Plasma Grenades, rapid-fire Covenant Carbine, and cloaking capabilities as you continue the fight from Halo…right into Killer Instinct.

To practice all of Arbiter’s attacks and combos, visit the Practice Mode in Single Player.

Kim Wu

A feisty college student and martial artist, Kim Wu is the inheritor of the Dragon Spirit. Called on by the warrior-monk Jago to combat Gargos and his minions, Kim leads a bold resistance across a ravaged Earth. With agility and style on her side, and wielding her enchanted dragon nunchaku, Kim flips, kicks, and burns her way through her opponents, determined to end Gargos on her own terms.

To practice all of Kim Wu’s attacks and combos, visit the Practice Mode in Single Player.

Rash

Axe kicks, spiked boots, ram attacks, wrecking balls, and outrageous taunts are at your disposal when you take control of Rash. With no Dark Queen in sight, and tired of all the speed runs from his classic games, Rash crashes the party that is Killer Instinct, bent on causing his own kind of outrageous mayhem.

To practice all of Rash’s attacks and combos, visit the Practice Mode in Single Player.

Tusk

The immortal defender of Earth, Tusk stood vigilant against the threat of evil from the Astral realm. Robbed of his memories, he sat idle while Gargos and his minions invaded. Awakened from his stupor, he sets out to stop Gargos. Wielding his arcane blade Warg-gram, Tusk smashes and cuts through his enemies with barbaric power, his solution to defense: the sheer power of his massive attacks.

To practice all of Tusk’s attacks and combos, visit the Practice Mode in Single Player.

Shadow Jago

Shadow Jago is HERE! Torn by inner conflict for his past deeds, Jago embraces the Tiger Spirit only to discover it is a false prophet. Corrupted by the evil of Gargos, Jago is transformed into Shadow Jago, a dark reflection of the once noble warrior. Driven to conflict, every one of his defeated opponents feeds energy to Gargos, drawing him closer to this plane of reality and the eventual destruction of mankind.

To practice all of Shadow Jago’s attacks and combos, visit the Practice Mode in Single Player.

Jago

After a lifetime devoted to purity and discipline, Jago is tortured by the knowledge that the last vestiges of the evil Tiger Spirit, Gargos, remain within him. He sets forth to discover an opponent strong enough to purge Gargos' corruption in the crucible of combat.

To practice all of Jago’s attacks and combos, visit the Practice Mode in Single Player.

Orchid

Paranoid, unstable, and disavowed from her agency, Orchid is determined to carry out her crusade against the dismantled organization, Ultratech. In war-torn Eastern Europe, she sets out to build an underground network that will prove Ultratech is still active.

To practice all of Orchid’s attacks and combos, visit the Practice Mode in Single Player.

Sabrewulf

Having endured agonizing procedures to remove his freakish cybernetic implants, Sabrewulf feels no closer to reclaiming his humanity. Barely clinging to sanity, he nurses an addiction to ancient medicines and artifacts which seem to slow his descent into savagery.

To practice all of Sabrewulf’s attacks and combos, visit the Practice Mode in Single Player.

Sadira

Leading the Red Eyes of Rylai assassins, Sadira has long observed the fighters of previous tournaments. Ordered by a shadowy figure to “prepare the way," she has chosen this moment to reveal her singular purpose: eliminating all former competitors.

To practice all of Sadira’s attacks and combos, visit the Practice Mode in Single Player.

Thunder

Unable to let go of his grief and consumed by the mysteries that still surround the loss of his brother Eagle, Thunder strikes an accord with an unfamiliar figure in exchange for recovering Eagle's remains so that he can be given a traditional burial and both can find peace.

To practice all of Thunder’s attacks and combos, visit the Practice Mode in Single Player.

Glacius

Honor-driven Glacius has returned to Earth as protector against misuse of the technology he was forced to leave behind after his last journey. Finding his ship's power core stolen, Glacius is determined to locate the thief and undo any damage caused by his abandoned tech.

To practice all of Glacius’s attacks and combos, visit the Practice Mode in Single Player.

Spinal

Awakened after centuries, and under the control of an ancient artifact, Spinal's sole quest is to find the Mask of the Ancients. The relic was used to give him life and bind him to this world. Spinal's hope is that once it is in his possession, it will grant him freedom.

To practice all of Spinal’s attacks and combos, visit the Practice Mode in Single Player.

Fulgore

A new Fulgore is online, with a singular directive: ELIMINATE ENEMIES OF ULTRATECH.

To practice all of Fulgore’s attacks and combos, visit the Practice Mode in Single Player.

TJ Combo

Not willing to admit defeat to younger challengers, TJ resorted to illegal cybernetic implants to keep his title of world champion. When discovered, he was stripped of his title and his world crumbled. Years later, determined to prove himself and regain glory, TJ rips out his cybernetics and returns to the fight.

To practice all of TJ's attacks and combos, visit the Practice Mode in Single Player.

Maya

A member of a secretive clan of monster hunters, Maya ventures out of her hidden city after Ultratech forces attack her home. Wielding the ancient blades of Temperance and Vengeance, Maya is determined to destroy the ancient horror Ultratech released from the city, and avenge her father’s murder, cutting down any who stand in her way.

To practice all of Maya's attacks and combos, visit the Practice Mode in Single Player.

Kan-Ra

Kan-Ra rises! Accidentally freed from captivity by Ultratech, this powerful sorcerer wields dark magicks and powerful curses against all who would defy him.

To practice all of Kan-Ra's attacks and combos, visit the Practice Mode in Single Player.

Riptor

Ultratech reveals the newest addition to its ever-growing brand of military products, the Riptor battlefield infiltration and disruption unit! Plasma claws, internal flame generators, and cybernetic tail extensors are combined with a natural predator’s advantages. Don’t wait! Genetic assembly pods are filling up now. Order yours TODAY!

To practice all of Riptor's attacks and combos, visit the Practice Mode in Single Player.

Omen

The dark manifestation of shadow energy, Omen, Herald of Gargos, is born. Shepherding in the return of Gargos, Omen enters the Killer Instinct universe ready to wreak havoc on any who would oppose his mission. Featuring a radical mix of zoning tools and up-close aggression, Omen is a wildly chaotic addition to the Killer Instinct roster. Do you dare to use him, and risk falling under his control?

To practice all of Omen's attacks and combos, visit the Practice Mode in Single Player.

Aganos

Bent to the will of his long-dead king, Aganos has had his fill of war across the centuries. Awakened from a long dormancy by the revival of his long-time enemy Kan-Ra, the king’s final order compels him to act once again. Now he’s on a hunt across the globe, seeking Kan-Ra so that he can end the sorcerer’s evil machinations once and for all.

To practice all of Aganos' attacks and combos, visit the Practice Mode in Single Player.

Hisako

Cut down centuries ago while defending her village from renegade soldiers, Hisako’s eternal sleep is disturbed by Ultratech’s machinations. Risen from the grave, she now hunts the perpetrators who have defiled her family’s resting place and stolen their artifacts. With her father’s shattered Naginata in hand, Hisako tirelessly hunts the perpetrators, dragging them all into the spirit world for judgment.

To practice all of Hisako's attacks and combos, visit the Practice Mode in Single Player.

Cinder

Transformed by Ultratech’s experiments, ex-commando turned thief Ben Ferris becomes Cinder, a half-human half-alien hybrid that burns with the power and fury of a sun. Searing a path of destruction through his enemies, Cinder’s mastery of fire is equaled only by his cocky attitude that makes opponents burn with rage.

To practice all of Cinder's attacks and combos, visit the Practice Mode in Single Player.

ARIA

The enigmatic CEO of Ultratech, ARIA, steps out of the shadows and into battle. Driven by her core programming to uplift humanity, ARIA carries out a ruthless test of adaptability and evolution as she assaults her opponents with unique combat drones, shifting her identity between them at will. Her rules of conflict are simple: evolve… or die.

To practice all of ARIA's attacks and combos, visit the Practice Mode in Single Player.

Xbox One offers the ability to capture your own game footage—both before and after it's already occurred.

The moment you’ve completed a killer combo in Killer Instinct, for instance, just say Xbox, Record That, and Xbox One will select and save a recording of the last 30 seconds of your gameplay.

Or you can say Xbox Snap Game DVR, which will allow you to manually record upcoming gameplay or select a recording from past gameplay.

To view your captured Game Clips, go to the My Clips section of the Upload application. You can keep your Game Clips private or share them publicly with your friends. To edit your Game Clips and record voiceover, search Xbox Apps for Upload Studio and follow the on-screen prompts to download and begin editing.

To install Killer Instinct on your Xbox One, search for Killer Instinct on Xbox Live and follow the onscreen prompts.

Xbox Customer Support

For help with Xbox Live or your Xbox One Console, visit us online at xbox.com/support. For community support, visit www.ultra-combo.com. We are also available on Twitter @XboxSupport.