Killer Instinct, Deus Ex HR free for Xbox Live Gold subscribers in January

By Danny Cowan December 22, 2015

Xbox Live Gold subscribers can expect a varied lineup of Xbox One freebies in January, as Microsoft plans to give away the full first season of Killer Instinct content alongside a pair of backward-compatible Xbox 360 standouts.

Starting on January 1st, Xbox Live Gold subscribers can download Killer Instinct: Season 1 Ultra Edition, unlocking the bulk of playable content in Microsoft’s popular free-to-play fighting game. Service members will also receive Killer Instinct Classic, an Xbox One adaptation of developer Rare’s 1994 one-on-one fighter.

The Xbox One version of Killer Instinct, normally available as a free download featuring a single playable character, offers a wealth of paid content unlockable via player purchases. Killer Instinct: Season 1 Ultra Edition adds Jago, Sabrewulf, Thunder, Glacius, Sadira, Orchid, Spinal and Fulgore to the playable roster, and also includes a collection of eight alternate character costumes and 16 premium accessory packs.

Xbox One and Xbox 360 players who are subscribed to the Xbox Live Gold program will also be able to download a free digital copy of Codemasters’ DiRT Showdown from January 1st through January 15th. A sequel in the long-running Colin McRae and DiRT franchises, DiRT Showdown offers a number of single-player and multiplayer modes, including a unique “Trick Rush” mode that revolves around stunts and combos.

From January 16th through the end of the month, Xbox One and Xbox 360 owners can grab a copy of Square Enix’s Deus Ex: Human Revolution free of charge. Mixing first-person shooting mechanics with stealth elements, Human Revolution tells a futuristic story in which players control a physically augmented security specialist. A sequel, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, is due to launch in August of 2016.

January’s final free game for Xbox Live Gold subscribers is Zheros, a 3D beat-’em-up with platforming segments. Zheros will be free to download from January 16th through February 15th.

All of Microsoft’s featured Xbox 360 freebies are also playable on the Xbox One via a recent backward compatibility update.

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