Crossovers in fighting games are nothing new. From Ezio of Assassin's Creed appearing in Soul Calibur to the entire game of Marvel vs. Capcom, taking characters from one franchise and having them battle it out with the characters of another is a long-held video game tradition and promotional tool.
It only makes sense then that Microsoft would want to do a little cross-promoting of their own with Killer Instinct on the Xbox One, and what greater Xbox franchise is there than Halo. But it's not Master Chief who will be joining the fighting ranks of Killer Instinct. Instead, it will be his one time enemy and now ally, the Arbiter.
The official Killer Instinct YouTube account uploaded a brief tease of the character over the weekend. If there was any question as to who the character was, his iconic armor and unique energy sword, as well as the fighting Elites in the background, make it abundantly clear. Looks like Arby will be bringing both his sword and Carbine to battle, which should make him a fearsome opponent.
The character has played a significant role in the Halo universe over the course of five games, with the character being playable in both Halo 2 and Halo 3. He most recently appeared in Halo 5, and that looks to be where Killer Instinct's version of the character will be looking for inspiration. The background of the video looks to be a new level for the fighter taking place on the Elite homeworld on Sanghelios, where in Halo 5 the Aribter and his troops are engaged in a civil war with the remnants of the Covenant.
It's the perfect time to add a Halo character to the fighting game. In January, Microsoft gave away the Gold Edition of Killer Instinct to all Xbox Live Gold members, which grants players access to a number of the game's playable fighters, along with skins and other items. With so many new players introduced to the game, and more than a few of them likely to be Halo fans, Microsoft is poised and ready to make some money when Arbiter does go on sale.
This isn't the first time a Halo character has appeared in a fighting game. A Master Chief look-a-like, Spartan 458, appeared in Dead or Alive 4 as well.
No word yet on when Arbiter will be arriving, but expect more details soon.
