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

By Danny Cowan Published December 23, 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.

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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.

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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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