Microsoft Studios and developer Iron Galaxy have unveiled the latest character to join the Killer Instinct's lineup during the Evolution Championship Series (EVO) 2016.
Following the events that would see cross-platform play between Xbox One and Windows 10 PC via Xbox Play Anywhere, players who'll be interchangeably accessing the game on both platforms will be greeted by a new additional hero taken from the original Killer Instinct title released back in 1994 — that's roughly 13 years ago.
The character is none other than Eyedol and he's back with a polished artwork and generally revamped character design. Long-running fans of the series (and ones who have been brought to nostalgic euphoria after the reveal) will remember his original design to feature two distinct cyclops heads and a rather lanky build.
Thanks to Unreal Engine 4 and the advances in gaming technology, Eyedol returns now with a more detailed, buffed build, with the same two-headed concept, though the heads are now seemingly fashioned from a single head and then cut right through in the middle. At the right angles, players will definitely see Eyedol's brain pumping while the two independent halves work together to finish off opponents in-game — the heads contain seemingly differing personas; one eye shines purple and the other glows red.
Microsoft creative director for Killer Instinct, Adam Isgreen, tweeted in reference to a supposed year-long joke that teased fans about upcoming character releases for the game.
I planned and executed an EPIC TROLL for over a year now. Thanks for believing that I didn't want him back. EYEDOL RETURNS! #KillerInstinct
— Adam Isgreen (@Ishmae1) July 16, 2016
Eyedol's combo set, which is the core feature of standard Killer Instinct matches, involves his trusty one-handed weapon, combinations of hard swings and presumably electrically charged moves, as evident in his introduction video.
Those who wish to add the two-headed troll to their game will have to wait until July 22 when it launches for Ultra and Supreme Edition owners, and then on July 29 for Combo Breaker holders.
As for those who are coming in late to the title, Killer Instinct's base game is available for free on the Xbox and Microsoft store; this requires about 30 GB of hard disk space.
"Killer Instinct is a free to download game — it doesn't cost anything to download the base game and you can purchase individual fighters or character bundles," says the game's FAQs on how to obtain playable characters.
