At EVO Japan, SNK Playmore announced the upcoming release of King of Fighters XIII Global Match for PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch, with an open beta planned for Summer 2023.
The King of Fighters XIII was originally released in 2010 for Japanese arcades and subsequently for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, iOS, Android, and PC platforms. KOF 13 Global Match will come with rollback netcode for the first time on consoles.
KOF XIII, set after the events of The King of Fighters XI, concludes the Ash Crimson story arc that began in The King of Fighters 2003. The game follows a secretive King of Fighters tournament organized by Those From the Distance Land, an organization seeking to break the seal of the demon Orochi and harness its power.
Directed by Kei Yamamoto, the game builds upon its predecessor, The King of Fighters XII, by incorporating elements from previous titles and addressing prior game issues. KOF XIII sees the return of three-member teams and offers an expanded character roster. Notably, the console versions include additional content such as new characters, stages, and game modes.
The gameplay of KOF XIII differs significantly from its predecessor by removing certain features, including the Guard Attack, Critical Counter, Clash System, and dynamic, zooming camera. In their place, three new features have been added: EX Mode, Hyper Drive Mode, and Drive Cancel. These features allow for more powerful moves, combo possibilities, and a multi-bar power gauge, similar to previous titles in the series.
Fans of the series can look forward to the open beta of King of Fighters XIII Global Match on PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch in Summer 2023, while there is no release date announced for the full launch of the game.