Deciphering Mortal Kombat 1's Complex Currency System

The recently released Mortal Kombat 1 features an intricate in-game economy with four currencies for players to earn and spend. This complex monetary system can confuse newcomers, but understanding how it works is key to getting the most out of the game's various modes. In this article, we'll explain how to acquire and use MK1's currencies: Koins, Dragon Krystals, Seasonal Kredits, and Krowns. 

Koins - The Basics

Koins are the fundamental currency in MK1 that you'll be earning constantly simply by playing. Completing tutorial objectives, story chapters, online matches, and daily/weekly quests will all net you koins. The amount varies, but you can expect to rack up a steady supply of koins across all game modes.

You'll then spend koins on offerings for the Dragon Shrine under Extras. Each offering costs 1,000 koins and will reward you with random skins, concept art, and other goodies. Koins are directly tied to the shrine, giving you an outlet to spend them on cosmetic unlocks.

Premium Dragon Krystals

Dragon Krystals are Mortal Kombat 1's premium currency. Unlike koins, the only way to gain a large number of dragon krystals is by purchasing them with real-world money. You can earn a handful of krystals by finishing the story mode, but the majority will come from microtransactions.

These premium krystals unlock MK1's flashiest cosmetic gear, including costumes, intros, victory poses, and brutalities. You can also spend krystals to instantly unlock "easy fatalities," bypassing the complex input requirements for finishing moves. Dragon krystals strictly provide cosmetic upgrades and shortcuts with no impact on gameplay.

Seasonal Kredits for Special Events

Mortal Kombat 1's third currency, seasonal kredits, is tied to limited-time events and seasons. You'll earn seasonal kredits through multiplayer, towers, Invasion, and completing quests during special seasonal periods.

The kredits are then used to purchase exclusive, themed cosmetics in the store for the current season. MK1's first season centers around fire elemental skins, backgrounds, and other scorching hot items. The kredit shop will rotate its seasonal stock as MK1 continues to evolve over time.

Invasion Krowns for Mode-Specific Upgrades 

Finally, we have Krowns, the currency isolated to MK1's Invasion mode. Advancing across Invasion's tile-based maps and winning fights grants you krowns. The krowns are, in turn, spent to support your Invasion playthrough directly.

You can purchase consumable boosters from Kollektor's Shop to give you an edge in Invasion battles. The Black Market shop offers random modifiers for sale costing krowns. Additionally, krowns are used at the Soul Forge to upgrade your Invasion-exclusive gear like talismans. Krowns are Invasion's closed loop economy.

Utilizing All of MK1's Currencies

Mortal Kombat 1 asks you to juggle four distinct currencies at once. But each is tied to specific game modes and unlocks. Once you understand their sources and uses, MK1's monetary system clicks into place. Koins fuel the Dragon Shrine, krystals buy premium cosmetics, kredits own seasonal goods, and krowns rule Invasion.

Focus on your favorite MK1 activities, and the appropriate currency will flow. Spend carefully to upgrade the parts of the game you value most. Completionists will even want to balance multiple currencies to unlock every possible reward. Just be aware of which currency you're earning and when to shift focus to a different one.

With MK1's complex economies mastered, you can stop worrying about monetary confusion and enjoy rewarding time spent in each vivid realm. Kombatants must balance strength, skill, and also financial savvy to fully conquer this fighting empire. Budget your koins, krystals, kredits, and krowns wisely to prevail.