Earlier this week, Mortal Kombat 1’s community was incensed after publisher Warner Bros. Games revealed that it will sell a seasonal Fatality for real-world money. Now, this Fatality is available in the shop with a confirmed price, and players are up in arms once again, with many vowing to boycott the Fatality (and some abandoning the game entirely) because of its cost.
Today, the Halloween Fatality was added to MK1’s Premium Shop for the price of 1200 Dragon Krystals (1250 of which can be bought in a bundle for $10). The move came after players noticed that patch notes vaguely mentioned a “Halloween Fatality added to the Premium Store,” which was later confirmed by Warner Bros. Games.
You can watch the Fatality below, which involves slapping a jack-o-lantern over your opponent’s head before creepy crawlers emerge.
Players have expressed shock at the Fatality’s $10 price tag, especially because it’s added on to the game’s $70 cost (or $110 for players who bought the premium edition). Many community members are now criticizing the move as an indication that MK1 is shifting toward a freemium model despite not being free.
“Are you having a laugh? Can I get a refund for this full price freemium model game?” Reddit user u/BarnsleyLad posted.
Ain’t no way the Halloween fatality is 1200 Crystals man ain’t no way https://t.co/EcwGKWIXaM
— thethiny 🐰 (@thethiny) October 27, 2023
1.2k Krystals is a bit too much for a fatality#Mortalkombat #MK1 #Mortalkombat1 pic.twitter.com/ftwHNx4QIH
— TQT (@TQT1995) October 27, 2023
In response, players have begun taking to X/Twitter and Reddit to encourage others to boycott the Fatality’s price.
“DO NOT BUY THAT SEASON FATALITY,” Reddit user u/brokythe_reaper posted. “Make them realize they shouldn’t charge us for it. 1200 crystals is ridiculous.”
“Don’t. Buy. That. Thing,” Reddit user u/Sebhamelin commented. “Let’s show em this makes absolutely NO F**ING SENSE !!!!”
Even after player complaints about aggressive monetization, it looks like more MK1 DLC is on its way, with developers hinting at possible DLC characters. Still, since its release last month, players have had fun discovering everything from an impressive 89-hit combo to a strange Player 1 advantage. We gave MK1 an 8 in our review, praising its quality-of-life changes and single-player story mode but docking points for its online play and invasions mode.
Amelia Zollner is a freelance writer at IGN who loves all things indie and Nintendo. Outside of IGN, they’ve contributed to sites like Polygon and Rock Paper Shotgun. Find them on Twitter: @ameliazollner.