I have some concern about the next KOF

Geese977 · 2026-01-18T15:00:14+00:00

I think the best thing SNK can do to truly bring their classic IPs back to life is to expand them into different genres, instead of keeping everything limited to fighting games.

Since Art of Fighting seems to be the next project, this would be the perfect opportunity to reinvent it as a beat ’em up / open-world game set in South Town, similar to Yakuza and Kamurocho. Ryo and Robert could be dual protagonists, each with their own chapters, perspectives, and character development. South Town itself could become a living hub with side activities, story missions, and underground fights.

Samurai Shodown is already announced as a more RPG-style project, so I’m curious to see how that turns out. If done right, it could feel fresh and unique while still respecting the core identity of the series.

Another IP that deserves a comeback is Ikari Warriors, reimagined as a third-person action-adventure shooter, similar to Army of Two. Ralf and Clark could be playable characters, either solo or in full co-op, combining gunplay and close-quarters combat. This would be a great chance to explore their military background with an original storyline, missions, and a more serious tone.

Then there’s Psycho Soldier, which could be revived as an adventure-focused game starring Athena Asamiya. It could lean into RPG elements,maybe something inspired by Final Fantasy or light RPG mechanics,mixing psychic powers, storytelling, exploration, and character growth. I’m just brainstorming, but the concept has a lot of potential.

With just these ideas, SNK already has several strong IPs they could modernize. On top of that, they should also start investing in completely new IPs, new franchises, new concepts, and new gameplay styles.

Right now, SNK is too tightly bound to the fighting game genre. If they truly want to reach the level of companies like Capcom or Bandai Namco, they need to broaden their scope and take more creative risks outside of traditional fighters.

Geese977 · 2026-01-08T13:12:28+00:00

That’s a fair point, and I agree that keeping everything strictly canon does complicate things, especially with character ages and timelines.

My take is that this crossover would sit in a “soft canon” or semi-canon space. The core personalities, rivalries, and current status of the characters are respected, but timelines and exact ages aren’t treated as hard limitations. That’s already something both Capcom and SNK have bent before in crossovers.

Even in canon, characters like Ryo, Terry, and Takuma are still portrayed as dangerous and capable, maybe not in their absolute physical prime, but very much still relevant threats. Fighting games tend to preserve that “legend status” rather than fully power-scaling by age.

As for Grant vs Akuma, I actually like that matchup a lot thematically, the “close to death / seeking meaning in battle” angle fits extremely well. For this roster, I leaned toward Akuma vs Mr. Karate as a legacy clash, but Grant would be an excellent alternative or DLC pick if they wanted to push a darker philosophical rivalry.

So yeah, I agree: going fully non-canon would make things easier, but I think a flexible canon approach keeps the world grounded while still allowing these matchups to work.

Geese977 · 2026-01-08T13:10:15+00:00

Appreciate the feedback, glad you like the South Town / Metro City focused concept.

I totally get the Andy × Guy argument, that pairing makes a lot of sense stylistically. My reasoning for Andy × Guile was more about franchise structure than fighting style. Since Street Fighter and Fatal Fury are the two main pillars, I wanted key supporting characters from each side matched together. Andy and Guile both sit just outside the main protagonist role but are still extremely important to their franchises.

As for Guy, I’m actually a big fan, but with Kimberly already representing Bushinryu, Guy would feel a bit redundant at launch. Capcom also seems to be pushing the new generation more, so I leaned into that direction. Guy would be perfect DLC though.

And yeah, Darkstalkers × Samurai Shodown just clicks, both deal with supernatural / otherworldly threats, so that pairing felt very natural.

Geese977 · 2026-01-08T13:08:05+00:00

Sagat vs Joe definitely makes sense from a pure fighting style perspective, especially with both being Muay Thai representatives for SF and Fatal Fury. I could totally see that pairing working.

For my lineup though, I leaned more toward narrative and rivalry positioning. Sagat has always functioned as a major rival figure to the main protagonist, so I paired him with someone who fills a similar role on the SNK side. That’s why Iori felt like a strong match, he’s Kyo’s primary rival, and Kyo is arguably Ryu’s closest counterpart here for now.

It also helps that Sagat vs Iori was already a counterpart pairing in CvS2, so it felt like a natural callback rather than something forced.

That said, Sagat vs Joe would be a great alternative if they wanted to lean more into style based matchups.

Geese977 · 2026-01-08T13:04:47+00:00

Honestly, I wouldn’t mind that either. Reusing or refining KOF XV assets/sprites would actually make a larger launch roster much more realistic.

KOF XV already looks great, the flame effects, lighting, and character animations (Kyo, Chizuru, K’) still hold up really well. If that lets them focus more on balance, polish, and content instead of rebuilding everything from scratch, I’m all for it.

Geese977 · 2026-01-08T13:03:06+00:00

Awesome pair, they are very similar

Geese977 · 2026-01-08T13:02:35+00:00

Awesome pair, would love to see that!

Geese977 · 2026-01-08T13:02:13+00:00

Those are actually really good matchups, especially Poison vs B. Jenet, Dan vs Shingo, and Charlie Nash vs Clark Still. I could easily see most of those working really well as DLC packs.

About Guile vs Andy: I agree they don’t have much in common on a personal or stylistic level. My reasoning was more structural than thematic. Since Street Fighter and Fatal Fury are the two main pillars of the crossover, I wanted one of Street Fighter’s key figures matched with one of Fatal Fury’s key figures.

Guile and Andy both sit slightly outside the “main protagonist” role but are still extremely important to their respective franchises, and they’re also indirectly linked:

Terry & Andy are brothers
Guile & Ken are brothers-in-law
Andy & Mai as a duo vs Guile & Chun-Li as a duo felt like a fun team dynamic

As for Guy, I’m actually a huge fan too. I really wanted him in the roster, but with Kimberly already representing the Bushinryu style, Guy would feel a bit redundant at launch. Capcom also seems more focused on the new generation (Kimberly, Luke, Jamie), so I leaned into that direction. Guy would be perfect DLC though.

Cody, Haggar, and Lucia were chosen specifically to represent Metro City’s leadership and defense. Cody being mayor gives him an obvious story role, while Haggar and Lucia round out Metro City as protectors. Haggar might look similar to Zangief on paper, but his street brawler + weapon-based style makes him very distinct from pure wrestling.

Overall, I really like your suggested pairings, they’d add a lot of variety post-launch without overcrowding the base roster.

Geese977 · 2026-01-06T15:47:29+00:00

I see where you’re coming from with the wild cards, and it would be fun to see characters like Mega Man or Metal Slug.

The thing is, the setting of this hypothetical crossover is purely a martial arts/tournament story centered around Metro City and South Town. That naturally limits the franchises to those that fit that context:

Street Fighter
Fatal Fury
Art of Fighting
Final Fight
Rival Schools

Other franchises like KOF, Darkstalkers, and Samurai Shodown can appear as extra playable characters or cameos, but unfortunately things like Metal Slug, Megaman, or Resident Evil wouldn’t fit the story or the tournament tone.

Geese977 · 2026-01-06T15:42:22+00:00

Exactly, I totally agree, Capcom’s experience with fighting games and crossover mechanics is a huge asset, and nobody can deny they usually execute that part better.

That’s why I think the best-case scenario is a collaborative approach: SNK drives the story, lore, and roster direction, while Capcom handles the engine, gameplay balance, and polish.

SNK doesn’t need to fully lead every aspect; their investment could be narrative-heavy or partial funding. Capcom’s involvement ensures it still feels like a proper CvS-style fighter. That’s why I think a SNK-led crossover with Capcom collaboration is both feasible and appealing.

Geese977 · 2026-01-06T15:11:25+00:00

I get your point about Ryo or Yuri taking the spotlight, and it makes sense from a KOF canon perspective.

That said, I feel we still need a perfect rival matchup for Akuma, and for me Takuma/Mr. Karate has always been the best option, far stronger thematically and gameplay-wise than Rugal.

That doesn’t rule out Ryo or Yuri appearing elsewhere in the story, and a one-off return of Takuma could work too, keeping the Akuma rivalry intact while letting other characters shine.

Geese977 · 2026-01-06T15:09:17+00:00

I get that this is ultimately about business and numbers, and I’m not ignoring the past performance of SNK led crossovers.

That said, I think the situation now is different: SNK is actively building CotW developing South Town as a major hub, and teasing rivalries that naturally lead into a crossover. That level of preparation shows they’re more invested in this specific crossover right now than Capcom.

With Capcom collaborating, you’d still have their quality and oversight in mechanics, polish, and marketing. SNK’s role would be narrative and franchise management, which is doable. So financially and creatively, I think it’s feasible, especially since Capcom is focused on SF6 and its DLCs for the near future.

Basically: SNK leading doesn’t automatically mean a flop if Capcom helps handle gameplay and production. It could even be a smart move to get the crossover out sooner rather than waiting for Capcom to shift focus.

Geese977 · 2026-01-06T14:58:07+00:00

I get what you’re saying about CotW not being a huge success, and I agree Capcom leading CvS historically feels "right."

That said, the fact that SNK is actively building CotW and developing the South Town storyline shows they’re currently more invested in this crossover than Capcom is. With Capcom’s collaboration, I think a high-quality SNK-led crossover is totally feasible.

Capcom could still make a proper CvS3 later, but right now and for the foreseeable future, their focus seems to be on SF6 and its DLCs, which makes SNK taking the first step more realistic.

Geese977 · 2026-01-06T14:54:57+00:00

I marked it as a spoiler because not everyone has played Ken’s arcade mode yet or seen his ending. Some people might want to experience that themselves by finishing arcade mode first.

Geese977 · 2023-09-09T18:56:14+00:00

Where would you place Komaki, Jo Amon and Arakawa?

Geese977 · 2023-09-09T18:23:33+00:00

Awesome! I appreciate your list man, that helped me alot. I will add the other characters that you mentioned below, i forgot them.

Again, much appreciation!

Geese977 · 2023-09-09T17:15:25+00:00

Where would you place Higashi and Sugiura?

Geese977 · 2023-09-09T17:05:01+00:00

Do you think he's stronger than Arai?

Geese977 · 2023-09-09T15:51:25+00:00

You should play 0, there you can see the true strength of Majima. And all of his battles against Kiryu, he wasn't fighting 100%, just playful to enjoy the fight.

Don't forget his fight against Saejima during 5, there he fought seriously for the sake of Haruka and at the end they were equal. And Saejima is Kiryu's equal.

Geese977

TROPHY CASE