Xbox One's Killer Instinct Gets Graphics Upgrade to 900p

Free-to-play Xbox One fighting game Killer Instinct's second season is now available, delivering new features, customizations, and content for single-player and multiplayer. The second season will also look better than the first, as developer Iron Galaxy increased the resolution from 720p to 900p, according to Twitter comments from the studio's community manager.

As was the case for Killer Instinct's first season, players can download the game for free and play a free rotating character every week, Microsoft said in a post on the Xbox Wire. You can even play all of the game's modes--including online multiplayer matches--with the free character.

If you want more from Killer Instinct season two, you can buy characters individually for $5 each, beginning with TJ Combo and Maya, which are available today. You can also pay $20 to unlock the Combo Breaker Pack, which features eight fighters--you get TJ Combo and Maya right away, with the other six released thereafter on a monthly basis.

Third, you can also buy the Killer Instinct season two Ultra Edition for $40. It includes all eight fighters, 16 accessory sets, and eight "exclusive" costumes designed by Kevin Bayliss, the art director for the original Killer Instinct arcade games. This bundle also includes a copy of Killer Instinct 2 Classic, a port of the 1996 arcade game that features Xbox Live multiplayer and 1000 Gamerscore to earn. Finally, Ultra Edition owners will receive access to new characters and customization items before they are released to everyone else.

The first four confirmed characters for Killer Instinct's second season are TJ Combo, Maya, Riptor, and Cinder. The second four were not named outright, but Microsoft teased that they include an "ancient Babylonian sorcerer, an avenging ghost, a battle-hardened war golem, and more." Can you guess who they are?

In addition to the new fighters, Killer Instinct season two introduces a new user interface, which should allow for faster access to characters, better statistic tracking, and a "new experience system [that] makes the entire experience of Killer Instinct even better."

What's more, Microsoft says the entire fighter roster for Killer Instinct's first season has been rebalanced for season two. The company adds that characters will now even have new techniques and abilities to use. Further still, Killer Instinct season two will feature an "enhanced combo system" that features a brand-new "aerial recapture" option that allows players to catch an opponent in the air and send them crashing back to the ground to continue their combo. "Juggling air attacks has been increased, but the addition of Air Breakers and Air Counter-Breakers mean that there's always two-way interaction in a combo for both players," Microsoft said.

Finally, Killer Instinct season two features a new progression system that will allow players to earn costumes, accessories, and other badges "faster than ever before." As part of the new system, individual characters will have levels in addition to their overall player level. "Every mode you play contributes to both character and player level, and 'Fight Challenges' help players rack up experience points (XP) every time they complete a rank," Microsoft said.