diff --git a/osu.Game.Tests/Visual/Gameplay/TestSceneScoreCounter.cs b/osu.Game.Tests/Visual/Gameplay/TestSceneScoreCounter.cs
index 09b4f9b761..43b3dd501d 100644
--- a/osu.Game.Tests/Visual/Gameplay/TestSceneScoreCounter.cs
+++ b/osu.Game.Tests/Visual/Gameplay/TestSceneScoreCounter.cs
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ namespace osu.Game.Tests.Visual.Gameplay
             };
             Add(score);
 
-            ComboCounter comboCounter = new StandardComboCounter
+            ComboCounter comboCounter = new LegacyComboCounter
             {
                 Origin = Anchor.BottomLeft,
                 Anchor = Anchor.BottomLeft,
diff --git a/osu.Game/Screens/Play/HUD/ComboCounter.cs b/osu.Game/Screens/Play/HUD/ComboCounter.cs
index ea50a4a578..d15a8d25ec 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Screens/Play/HUD/ComboCounter.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Screens/Play/HUD/ComboCounter.cs
@@ -9,9 +9,9 @@ using osu.Game.Graphics.Sprites;
 
 namespace osu.Game.Screens.Play.HUD
 {
-    public abstract class ComboCounter : Container
+    public abstract class ComboCounter : Container, IComboCounter
     {
-        public BindableInt Current = new BindableInt
+        public Bindable<int> Current { get; } = new BindableInt
         {
             MinValue = 0,
         };
diff --git a/osu.Game/Graphics/UserInterface/DefaultComboCounter.cs b/osu.Game/Screens/Play/HUD/DefaultComboCounter.cs
similarity index 54%
rename from osu.Game/Graphics/UserInterface/DefaultComboCounter.cs
rename to osu.Game/Screens/Play/HUD/DefaultComboCounter.cs
index 59e31eff55..1e23319c28 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Graphics/UserInterface/DefaultComboCounter.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Screens/Play/HUD/DefaultComboCounter.cs
@@ -4,26 +4,46 @@
 using System;
 using osu.Framework.Allocation;
 using osu.Framework.Graphics;
+using osu.Game.Graphics;
 using osu.Game.Graphics.Sprites;
-using osu.Game.Screens.Play.HUD;
+using osu.Game.Graphics.UserInterface;
+using osuTK;
 
-namespace osu.Game.Graphics.UserInterface
+namespace osu.Game.Screens.Play.HUD
 {
-    /// <summary>
-    /// Used as an accuracy counter. Represented visually as a percentage.
-    /// </summary>
-    public class SimpleComboCounter : RollingCounter<int>, IComboCounter
+    public class DefaultComboCounter : RollingCounter<int>, IComboCounter
     {
+        private readonly Vector2 offset = new Vector2(20, 5);
+
         protected override double RollingDuration => 750;
 
-        public SimpleComboCounter()
+        [Resolved(canBeNull: true)]
+        private HUDOverlay hud { get; set; }
+
+        public DefaultComboCounter()
         {
             Current.Value = DisplayedCount = 0;
+
+            Anchor = Anchor.TopCentre;
+            Origin = Anchor.TopLeft;
+
+            Position = offset;
         }
 
         [BackgroundDependencyLoader]
         private void load(OsuColour colours) => Colour = colours.BlueLighter;
 
+        protected override void Update()
+        {
+            base.Update();
+
+            if (hud != null)
+            {
+                // for now align with the score counter. eventually this will be user customisable.
+                Position += ToLocalSpace(hud.ScoreCounter.ScreenSpaceDrawQuad.TopRight) + offset;
+            }
+        }
+
         protected override string FormatCount(int count)
         {
             return $@"{count}x";
diff --git a/osu.Game/Screens/Play/HUD/LegacyComboCounter.cs b/osu.Game/Screens/Play/HUD/LegacyComboCounter.cs
index 7301300b8d..8a94d19609 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Screens/Play/HUD/LegacyComboCounter.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Screens/Play/HUD/LegacyComboCounter.cs
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ namespace osu.Game.Screens.Play.HUD
     /// <summary>
     /// Uses the 'x' symbol and has a pop-out effect while rolling over.
     /// </summary>
-    public class StandardComboCounter : ComboCounter
+    public class LegacyComboCounter : ComboCounter
     {
         protected uint ScheduledPopOutCurrentId;
 
@@ -18,6 +18,14 @@ namespace osu.Game.Screens.Play.HUD
 
         public new Vector2 PopOutScale = new Vector2(1.6f);
 
+        public LegacyComboCounter()
+        {
+            Anchor = Anchor.BottomLeft;
+            Origin = Anchor.BottomLeft;
+
+            Margin = new MarginPadding { Top = 5, Left = 20 };
+        }
+
         protected override void LoadComplete()
         {
             base.LoadComplete();
diff --git a/osu.Game/Screens/Play/HUD/SkinnableComboCounter.cs b/osu.Game/Screens/Play/HUD/SkinnableComboCounter.cs
index 36f615e9d0..9f8ad758e4 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Screens/Play/HUD/SkinnableComboCounter.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Screens/Play/HUD/SkinnableComboCounter.cs
@@ -3,9 +3,7 @@
 
 using osu.Framework.Bindables;
 using osu.Framework.Graphics;
-using osu.Game.Graphics.UserInterface;
 using osu.Game.Skinning;
-using osuTK.Graphics;
 
 namespace osu.Game.Screens.Play.HUD
 {
@@ -21,39 +19,14 @@ namespace osu.Game.Screens.Play.HUD
 
         protected override void SkinChanged(ISkinSource skin, bool allowFallback)
         {
-            // todo: unnecessary?
-            if (skinnedCounter != null)
-            {
-                Current.UnbindFrom(skinnedCounter.Current);
-            }
-
             base.SkinChanged(skin, allowFallback);
 
-            // temporary layout code, will eventually be replaced by the skin layout system.
-            if (Drawable is SimpleComboCounter)
-            {
-                Drawable.BypassAutoSizeAxes = Axes.X;
-                Drawable.Anchor = Anchor.TopRight;
-                Drawable.Origin = Anchor.TopLeft;
-                Drawable.Margin = new MarginPadding { Top = 5, Left = 20 };
-            }
-            else
-            {
-                Drawable.BypassAutoSizeAxes = Axes.X;
-                Drawable.Anchor = Anchor.BottomLeft;
-                Drawable.Origin = Anchor.BottomLeft;
-                Drawable.Margin = new MarginPadding { Top = 5, Left = 20 };
-            }
-
             skinnedCounter = (IComboCounter)Drawable;
-
-            Current.BindTo(skinnedCounter.Current);
+            skinnedCounter.Current.BindTo(Current);
         }
 
-        private static Drawable createDefault(ISkinComponent skinComponent) => new SimpleComboCounter();
+        private static Drawable createDefault(ISkinComponent skinComponent) => new DefaultComboCounter();
 
         public Bindable<int> Current { get; } = new Bindable<int>();
-
-        public void UpdateCombo(int combo, Color4? hitObjectColour = null) => Current.Value = combo;
     }
 }
diff --git a/osu.Game/Screens/Play/HUDOverlay.cs b/osu.Game/Screens/Play/HUDOverlay.cs
index ee5b4e3f34..a3547bbc68 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Screens/Play/HUDOverlay.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Screens/Play/HUDOverlay.cs
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ using osuTK.Input;
 
 namespace osu.Game.Screens.Play
 {
+    [Cached]
     public class HUDOverlay : Container
     {
         private const float fade_duration = 400;
@@ -104,7 +105,6 @@ namespace osu.Game.Screens.Play
                                             {
                                                 AccuracyCounter = CreateAccuracyCounter(),
                                                 ScoreCounter = CreateScoreCounter(),
-                                                ComboCounter = CreateComboCounter(),
                                             },
                                         },
                                         ComboCounter = CreateComboCounter(),
diff --git a/osu.Game/Skinning/LegacySkin.cs b/osu.Game/Skinning/LegacySkin.cs
index e38913b13a..b8b9349cc0 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Skinning/LegacySkin.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Skinning/LegacySkin.cs
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ using osu.Game.Audio;
 using osu.Game.Beatmaps.Formats;
 using osu.Game.IO;
 using osu.Game.Rulesets.Scoring;
+using osu.Game.Screens.Play.HUD;
 using osuTK.Graphics;
 
 namespace osu.Game.Skinning
@@ -327,6 +328,17 @@ namespace osu.Game.Skinning
         {
             switch (component)
             {
+                case HUDSkinComponent hudComponent:
+                {
+                    switch (hudComponent.Component)
+                    {
+                        case HUDSkinComponents.ComboCounter:
+                            return new LegacyComboCounter();
+                    }
+
+                    return null;
+                }
+
                 case GameplaySkinComponent<HitResult> resultComponent:
                     switch (resultComponent.Component)
                     {