The who’s who of SNK Playmore return for another bout in The King of Fighters tournament this August.

One of the biggest cross-over franchises of the Fighter genre, KOF features characters from several SNK properties, including Art of Fighting, Fatal Fury, Ikari Warriors, Metal Slug and others. The upcoming “fourteenth” installment, disregarding the spin-offs, KOFXIV will be a Sony-exclusive title that once again favors 3D visuals over traditional 2D sprites and artwork. The title will include 50 characters from the KOF archives, some of which haven’t appeared in a KOF game in over a decade.

Last night, SNK Playmore announced the North American and Japanese release dates for The King of Fighters XIV with a new batch of gameplay trailers. The new videos also highlight additional characters, new mechanics and gameplay modes, including the likes of Online Training, a new Story Mode, Gallery, and a Mission Mode; for the first time in franchise history, KOFXIV will include a Party Battle mode, allowing six players to go head-to-head in the traditional KOF 3-on-3 format. Those who pre-order KOFXIV through various retailers will also receive a DLC “Classic” costume for Kyo based on his original outfit.

The King of Fighters XIV will release as a PS4-exclusive in North America on 8/23.

Source: SNK Playmore
Image courtesy of SNK Playmore