First announced at E3 2013, Killer Instinct has become a staple of the Xbox One exclusive lineup - thanks to out-of-the-box thinking from developer Double Helix Games. Instead of a traditional retail release, the studio (along with publisher Microsoft) opted to position Killer Instinct as a quasi-free-to-play experience - where gamers can test-out one fighter each month, purchase their favorites characters a la carte, or order the full season roster all at once.

In the nine months since release, Double Helix delivered eight separate fighters (Jago, Sabrewulf, Glacius, Thunder, Sadira, Black Orchid, Spinal, and Fulgore), costume packs for each respective roster member, new modes, as well as bug fixes; however, when Amazon purchased the game studio, Microsoft handed-over development of Killer Instinct to Iron Galaxy (Divekick) - leaving many gamers wondering when we might expect to see season 2 of the rebooted fighter. Now, thanks to Gamescom 2014, we have an answer.

In an official post over at the Ultra Combo forums (aka the official Killer Instinct forum community), Microsoft and Iron Galaxy have unveiled new season 2 details - including when fresh content will premiere as well as pricing packages and pre-order incentives.

First off, let's revisit the content that will be made available in season 2. According to the press release, season 2 will follow closely to the model established in season 1: Eight fighters (starting with TJ Combo and Maya at launch), select fighter costumes and accessory packs, as well as Killer Instinct 2 Classic (a perfect port of the arcade game with full multiplayer support for intense fighting over Xbox Live). As with season 1, season 2 will spread out the release of fighters (and costume/accessory packs), instead of releasing all of them at once, adding one new fighter each month - after the new season premieres on October 15th.

As for how players can purchase the season 2 content, Microsoft is using a very familiar pricing model - with the option to once again buy every piece of content via the Ultra Edition, all eight fighters (with no add-ons or Killer Instinct 2 Classic) via the Combo Breaker Edition, or purchase select fighters individually as they are released.

For the full breakdown, along with respective price points, check out the press release excerpt below:

Killer Instinct: Season 2 — Ultra Edition $39.99/34.99 Pounds/39.99 EURO

• Eight fighters, starting with TJ Combo and Maya, and adding a new fighter each month
• Select fighter costumes and accessory packs
• Killer Instinct 2 Classic — a perfect port of the arcade game with full multiplayer support for intense fighting over Xbox Live
• Content Early Access — Customers who buy the Ultra Edition will get early access to characters and customization items before anyone else

Killer Instinct: Season 2 - Combo Breaker $19.99/16.99 Pounds/19.99 EURO

• Eight fighters, starting with TJ Combo and Maya, and adding a new fighter each month

Players can also purchase Season 2 fighters individually as they are made available for $4.99/ 3.99 Pounds/4.99 EURO each

As indicated by the "Content Early Access" bullet point, Microsoft is also providing added incentive for die-hard Killer Instinct fans to pre-order the Ultra Edition - giving anyone who purchases between September 23rd and October 14th early access to TJ Combo and Killer Instinct 2 Classic.

Maya joins TJ Combo as a playable fighter in season 2 but the jury is still out on which other fan-favorite characters might be returning to battle it out in the next generation of Killer Instinct. A number of iconic brawlers have yet to be included - meaning those final six spots could see the return of Cinder (who has already been teased), Riptor, Kim Wu, and/or Tusk, not to mention former bosses Eyedol and Gargos. Given that Killer Instinct season 1 added only one newcomer, Sadira (not including the Shadow Jago variant), it's possible that most of the series' former roster will be revisited by the end of season 2 - with one or two exception. After all, even though Killer Instinct was a staple of gaming arcades in the 1990s, the franchise only produced a total of 15 characters (including bosses) prior to its Xbox One relaunch.

For that reason, it's equally possible that season 2 will result in a more balanced mix of new and old combatants - so that Iron Galaxy can withhold a few classic characters for the inevitable Killer Instinct season 3.

MORE: Killer Instinct Season 1 Review

Killer Instinct is slated to kick-off Season 2 on October 15, 2014.

Follow me on Twitter @benkendrick.

Source: Killer Instinct Official Forums