Mortal Kombat 1 will be added to Xbox Game Pass, which is a part of the collection, and subscribers will be able to instantly play the latest installment in the world-famous fighting game series. An announcement made via an official Xbox Game Pass account has triggered a massive and quite diverse reaction from the community of gamers, with excitement surrounding the game competing with a widespread discontent about the recent hike in subscription prices that has left many people frustrated.
XBOX GAME PASS IS GOING TO INCLUDE MORTAL KOMBAT 1, the 2023 reboot that reset the history of the series, today. The confirmation has sent waves of excitement among the players who have been waiting to finally try out the new game mechanics, experience the Kameo fighter system, and learn what Liu Kang’s new timeline is like without having to pay the full price? That’s a great win. Users Suspriaa and UNIVERSAL_VLAD who commented “Oh wow yall reeled me back in!!!!” and “Let’s gooo” respectively have perfectly expressed that hype. Even the official account was involved when a comment “Finish him!” was made. This is indeed a great addition to the service.
Nevertheless, the complaints about the Game Pass membership price increase surpassed the noise from the people who were celebrating the arrival of Mortal Kombat 1. It was a crush. For a significant portion of the audience, the game announcement was completely eclipsed by this problem. Some like the user vibecodeprof were rather outspoken: “Bring back $15 Ultimate, all 3 of my brothers cancelled their membership until the price returns to normal.” Another user, Trumpenter7, simply said, “Still looking for a reason for the price increase…” The discussion is centered around the price increase which might seem odd given the current situation. A new major game is being released, and a large portion of the public is just too angry about their monthly bill to care.
Then there is the opposite side of the coin: people who are against Mortal Kombat 1. This game has always had its fans and detractors, and the latter group was particularly vocal in this instance. “The worst MK game ever. So no im not,” Tanner commented. Another one labeled it “the worst fighting video game currently on the market.” Ouch. Some, like CyberpunkGamer94, simply said they “played it at launch and hated it.” Others unfavorably compared it to Street Fighter 6 which was released around the same time and drew much of the competition’s attention. There is this weird triangle of reactions: some can’t wait to play it, others are mad at Xbox, and the third group thinks the game is just a waste of time. It is like an overall atmosphere in the community.
Besides, the gaming community has always been fun and entertaining in the chaos, and this time was no different. One user, Gurnek Singh, completely ignored MK1 to beg, “Pleaseeeee For Gods Sake Launchh F1 25!!!!!!!!!” which is just so random and desperate that it’s funny. Another user, xboxer_chinese, bitterly grieved “no Chinese，shit,” pointing out the ongoing localization problems that some players face. Then there was a user named VersaFN8 who got involved in a mini-drama and accused Xbox of “ripping my kids off” due to some Fortnite Crew V-Bucks and canceled their subscription. The Xbox Game Pass account actively replied to certain users, for example, connecting Suspriaa with a “got you 🎣” and assuring UNIVERSAL_VLAD that the game would be ready for him on Friday. There is at least some human interaction in the corporate feed.
So what does it all mean? It shows that the Game Pass value proposition is currently under the most scrutiny it has ever been. Adding a new and big title like Mortal Kombat 1 is precisely the type of move that is expected to justify the subscription cost. However, for a very vocal group, the justification is no longer valid. The price hike has left such a bitter taste that not even a finishing move can make it right. Convincing gamers about such a steep price increase has always been an uphill struggle when the popular sentiment is otherwise; therefore, the resulting social media thread resonates more with economic issues than with any fighting character like Scorpion.
However, it is a good day for gamers who are interested only in the game. Tips started pouring in immediately, such as from ExVd, who made hunters aware of four particularly tiring unlocks that exist and should be avoided. Furthermore, the Xbox Play Anywhere (XPA) support is a great plus for PC gamers too. Hence, a lot of people will be playing their Mortal Kombat 1 today at the same time, combining moves, and it is quite certain they will be fighting online about whether the gameplay is deep or shallow. But others will be checking their subscription on PlayStation and other platforms.
