<p>Material extrusion (MEX) has recently emerged as a cost-effective additive manufacturing route for producing inconel 625 (IN625). However, the effect of build orientation on the mechanical behavior of MEX-fabricated IN625 remains largely unexplored. Build orientation is known to anisotropically influence tensile properties, but the extent to which pore morphology and alignment relative to the loading direction affect deformation and fracture remains insufficiently understood. Furthermore, it is unclear whether the resulting anisotropy originates solely from pore morphology and alignment or whether microstructural and phase variations also contribute. Therefore, this study investigated the effect of build orientation on the porosity, microstructure, phase, hardness, and tensile properties of MEX-fabricated IN625. All samples exhibited a similar relative density of approximately 96%, equiaxed grains with comparable mean grain sizes, and identical phases consisting of a γ-FCC matrix and a small fraction of MC carbides. This resulted in nearly unchanged hardness across all build orientations. In contrast, tensile properties exhibited pronounced anisotropy. As the build orientation increased from 0° to 90°, the ultimate tensile strength decreased from 624&#xa0;MPa to 350&#xa0;MPa, and the total elongation at fracture decreased from 40% to 12%. Samples fabricated at intermediate orientations (30° and 45°) exhibited more consistent tensile properties. The anisotropy was attributed to the orientation of inter-track pores relative to the loading direction, which acted as local stress concentrations and promoted crack propagation. Fractographic analysis revealed predominantly intra-layer fracture in the 0° specimens and a combination of intra-layer and inter-layer fracture in the 90° specimens. This study could serve as a guide for future research aimed at tailoring the mechanical properties of MEX-processed IN625 by optimizing processing conditions.</p>