'Get over here!: Genre-defining fighting franchise leaked to hit Xbox Game Pass subscription service soon

Amid the recent price increases for Game Pass subscriptions and the resulting backlash and boycott of Game Pass, it appears as though Microsoft will be adding the Mortal Kombat franchise — or at least one game from the franchise — to Game Pass Premium. 

Recently, whether intentionally, as a hint to observant gamers, or as an accidental leak, promotional material from Mortal Kombat 1 has appeared on the Xbox Game Pass spotlight on the Microsoft Store (via VGT Gaming News on X). Despite the enduring popularity of the fighting game franchise, however, gamers seem less than enthused, partially because the new pricing structure for Game Pass mean that Mortal Kombat 1 can be outright purchased for around the same price as a single month's subscription of Game Pass. To many, it seemingly doesn't make sense to pay a subscription for a game in which competitive multiplayer is a sizeable chunk of the enjoyment — as is the case with the Mortal Kombat franchise. 

Regardless, if you're already a Game Pass subscriber, you might soon be able to drop into the latest instalment in the legendary fighting game franchise. While Mortal Kombat 1 is the twelfth game in the series, it serves as a series reboot, putting a fresh creative spin on some of the genre-defining characters and iconic fatalities that have shaped the fighting game scene since the early 2000s.