The King of Fighters XV
Released February 17, 2022 · consists of 12 releases.
The fifteenth main line entry in The King of Fighters franchise.
Overview
The King of Fighters XV (also stylized as KOF XV) is a 2.5D tag-team fighting game developed and published by SNK for the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, and PC on February 17, 2022.
The fifteenth main installment of the King of Fighters series (and the sequel to The King of Fighters XIV), The King of Fighters XV builds on the predecessor's switch to 3D rendering with 2D gameplay with new cel-shading (reminiscent of their recent fighting game Samurai Shodown), new game mechanics (including the "Shatter Strike" counter-attack and a revamped MAX Mode), a new game mode ("Draft VS", where each player takes turns choosing characters and cannot choose the same one) and various roster changes.
The game's story continues the series' fourth major story arc, as the defeat of the mysterious entity known as "Verse" causes souls trapped inside it to release and become resurrected throughout the world, including former protagonist Ash Crimson (whose death formed the entity) and the antagonistic being Orochi (which is quickly sealed by the three "sacred treasures" Chizuru, Kyo, and Iori). A new King of Fighters tournament is held, with yet another mysterious sponsor and yet another mysterious calamity.
Characters
The game includes 39 playable characters at launch, split into 13 teams, with additional characters as DLC. Out of the 58 characters from the previous game, only 26 return to this installment (with 4 additional ones returning as DLC, as of DLC Team 3). Returning from earlier entries in the series include Chizuru, Ash, Elisabeth, K9999 (as "Khronen"), Yashiro, Shermie, Chris, Gato, B. Jenet, and Rugal.
The game's unplayable boss characters are Re Verse (sub-boss) and Otoma=Raga (final boss).
Base Game
Team Hero
Team Rival
- Isla (new addition)
- Dolores (new addition)
- Heidern
Team Sacred Treasures
Team Ash
Team K'
Team Fatal Fury
- Terry Bogard (with his Garou: Mark of the Wolves appearance available as pre-order bonus DLC)
- Andy Bogard
- Joe Higashi
Team Art of Fighting
Team Orochi
Team Super Heroine
Team Ikari
- Leona Heidern (with her classic appearance available as pre-order bonus DLC)
- Ralf Jones
- Clark Still
Team G.A.W. (Galaxy Anton Wrestling)
Team Secret Agent
Team Khronen
Bosses (non-playable)
- ReVerse
- Otoma=Raga
Post-Release DLC
Team Pass 1
Team Garou [DLC 1, released March 17, 2022]
Team South Town [DLC 2, released May 17, 2022]
Team Pass 2
Team Awakened Orochi [DLC 3, released August 2022]
- Orochi Yashiro
- Orochi Shermie
- Orochi Chris
Team 4 [Autumn 2022]
- ?
- ?
- ?
Single Entry
- Omega Rugal [free DLC released April 14, 2022]
