10 Triple-A Video Game Paywalls That Came Out Of Nowhere

Fatalities are the quite literal lifeblood of the Mortal Kombat franchise, because if those gory, hilariously over-the-top finishing moves were absent, it just wouldn't feel right.

And while the series' most recent entry, Mortal Kombat 1, retained its signature array of brutal fatalities, Warner Bros. was torn to shreds shortly after release for daring to charge extra for a seasonal, Halloween-themed fatality.

In October 2023, the fatality was released - an admittedly hilarious sequence in which the losing Kombatant has a pumpkin shoved on their head, before said pumpkin-head is booted away by the winning player into somebody's nearby front door.

But because it was asking too much for this 20-second animation to be a cute free addition for the series' loyal fans, Warner Bros. instead charged $10 for it.

Fans were naturally irate, prompting Warner Bros. to give two additional seasonal fatalities - themed after Thanksgiving and winter - to those who purchased the Halloween one for free.

Moreover, players could now purchase the Seasonal Fatalities pack containing all three fatalities for the same price of $10.

Still, we can assume that if the backlash wasn't so loud, the publisher would've charged a full $30 for the three fatalities. Gross.