Summary
Legendary Japanese video game developer and publisherSNKhas unveiled KOF Studio, a new team that has been tasked with continuing the legacies and driving the future development of the company’s beloved franchises.SNKis known to be currently working on several titles.
Founded all the way back in 1978, SNK, or Shin Nihon Kikaku (New Japan Project), is the company behindclassic arcade propertieslikeFatal Fury,Metal Slug, andThe King of Fighters. Recently, SNK announced that it has formed a new studio that will inherit its long-running franchises.
The new KOF Studio will continue the legacies ofSNK’s fighting game franchisesand drive their future developments, according to a blurb that can be found on asite dedicated to the team. This statement, which highlighted the phrase “Revolutionize the legacy,” noted that SNK is gearing up for a revolution. It concludes with “The dream match never ends,” a nod to the subtitle of the secondThe King of Fightersgame and the unique fighting format that has been featured in many of SNK’s brawlers.
SNK Launches New KOF Studio
KOF Studio’s page noted that the team was launched to coincide withThe King of Fighter’s 30th anniversary. SNK’s original entry in the series was released on the company’s Neo Geo MVS arcade system in August 1994. The latest mainline entry in the franchise,The King of Fighters 15, came out in 2022. This title, its predecessor,SNK Heroines, and 2019’sSamurai Shodownreboot are showcased on the KOF Studio site as well.
Another game mentioned on the page is theupcoming fighting gameFatal Fury: City of Wolves, which is set to be released in April 2025. There is also a link embedded on the site that leads to a recruitment page looking for talents who want to work on an action RPG based onSamurai Spirits, also known asSamurai Shodownin Japan. SNK producer Joshua Weatherford previously confirmed that the company has a lot of in-development projects, including the aforementionedSamurai Spiritstitle and a new entry in theArt of Fightingfranchise.
SNK is owned by the Misk Foundation, a non-profit founded by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman that, according to the organization’swebsite, is devoted to cultivating learning and leadership among the country’s youth. The royal, a known video game fan, is also the chairman of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, which has stakes in other industry giants like Capcom, Nexon, and Nintendo. In April,SNKPresident and CEO Kenji Matsubara revealed that bin Salman wished for the company to shine on the world stage once again, just like it did in the 1990s.
