Atlus to publish The King of Fighters XIV in the Americas

Atlus U.S.A. will publish SNK Playmore’s The King of Fighters XIV for PlayStation 4 in North America in 2016, the company announced.

The King of Fighters XIV uses the series’ traditional three-versus-three battle system and features an expansive roster of 50 characters, all of whom are available in-game at launch. It is the series’ first entry that uses 3D graphics, and the game’s fighting engine has been meticulously refined to be more streamlined and approachable for newcomers. There are also improvements made to the “Combo” and “MAX Mode” game mechanics, and the “RUSH” feature, which adds simplified combo inputs for novices. The game also offers a “Party Battle” feature which pits two teams of three human players against each other in cooperative online team battles. A new Training Mode will let beginners and experienced players connect for tutoring.

Here’s a full rundown of the game’s features, via Atlus:

• 3D Evolution: All 50 fighters, movesets and more are rendered in full 3D graphics that preserves the essence of King of Fighters‘s visual style but updates it with a whole new dimension.
• The Best Refinement since The King of Fighters ’98: Through extensive playtesting and balancing, the controls have been streamlined, and the Combo and Max Mode mechanics have been overhauled to create the most competitive fighter in SNK’s history.
• The The King of Fighters Saga Continues: There’s a robust single-player storyline where several years have passed since the previous The King of Fighters tournament. Now a worldwide business, the global The King of Fighters will decide who is the strongest as both individuals and companies with their own ambitions have come to compete. Players compete against CPU-controlled opponents to unlock the storyline.
• The Best Roster Yet: There are 50 fighters total, with 31 returning from previous entries into the The King of Fighters series, and 19 brand new characters. All 50 characters will be available at the game’s launch.
• Revamped Online Experience: The King of Fighters XIV has devoted a lot of development time to improving the game’s netcode for vastly improved online gameplay. The King of Fighters XIV uses the PS4’s online architecture to have a whole host of online conveniences, from spectating to saving replay/battle data, and having a single online The King of Fighters XIV profile to connect with friends.

If you missed it, catch the game’s latest teaser trailer (and character reveal) here.

Visit Atlus’ official The King of Fighters XIV website here.