KOF's Psycho Soldiers Join Metal Slug Defense

The parade of King of Fighters characters making cameos in Metal Slug Defense continues as the original Psycho Soldier Team—Chin Gentsai, Athena Asamiya and Sie Kensou—have been released as downloadable characters in SNK Playmore's strategy title.

The Psycho Soldiers cost $4.99 and are available as part of MSD's most recent update. Athena had been made available by herself in March 2015.

These characters join KOF 96's Yagami Team and the original Team Japan in SNKP's game for Android and iOS.

Dream Cancel Cup Tournament Circuit Announced

Organizers at SNK-centric forum Dream Cancel have announced a tournament series designed to bring together the best players in their scene. The Dream Cancel Cup Tournament Circuit Series will involve certified events across the U.S., giving players ranking points that will earn them invitations to the first Dream Cancel Cup, taking place at Winter Showdown 3 in Colordao in 2016.

All events including the final will be open entry, but ranking points will determine which players earn "invitations" to the Dream Cancel Cup, a tournament featuring King of Fighters XIII, King of Fighters '98 Ultimate Match Final Edition and King of Fighters 2002 Unlimited Match. It is not known at this time if the invitations will grant any special benefits to the players.

In addition to normal certified tournaments, there will also be other ways for players to earn ranking points in the tournament series, including online events and even local tournaments that have been verified by Dream Cancel staff. For more details on the tournament series, head over to Dream Cancel. 

KOF's Yagami Teams Joins Metal Slug Defense

Metal Slug Defense is adding another set of King of Fighters characters to its roster. Continuing the celebration of KOF's 20th anniversary and promoting Defense's 20 million downloads, Iori Yagami and his team from KOF '96 are joining the battle.

The Yagami Team—Iori Yagami, Vice and Mature—is downloadable content and will cost users $4.27. The team is available now as part of the game's most recent update.

These characters join KOF's original Japan Team, who were also recently added to MSD.

KOF's Japan Team Joins Metal Slug Defense

While Metal Slug Defense already features appearances by King of Fighters mainstays Ralf Jones, Clark Still and Leona Heidern, SNK Playmore is adding three more KOF characters to the game's roster.

In honor of KOF's 20th anniversary, the original Japan Team—Kyo Kusanagi, Benimaru Nikaido and Goro Daimon—has been added to the game as downloadable content. 

The Japan Team will cost users $4.99 and is available now as part of the game's most recent update.

KOF 2002 UM for Steam Releases Feb. 27, Pre-Purchase Discount

After several months of delay, the King of Fighters 2002 Unlimited Match is finally releasing on steam. According to the Steam website, KOF 2002 UM will be releasing on Feb. 27, 2015. This comes after the game was originally scheduled for a December 2014 release.

For those who purchase the game before release, a 20 percent discount is being offered. Normally buying KOF 2002 UM would cost $14.99, but for now the game will cost $11.99.

KOF 2002 Unlimited Match Coming Back to PlayStation?

Siliconera is reporting that King of Fighters 2002 Unlimited Match will likely be showing up on a PlayStation console in the near future. Citing a Korean Rating Board listing, the site says that the game has Sony Computer Entertainment Korea as a publisher.

It is uncertain, however, what this means for 2k2UM. The version that comes out for PlayStation is likely to be—like KOF '98 UM and Samurai Showdown VI—a PlayStation Classics release of the game if history is any indication. PS Classics are emulated versions of the Playstation and PlayStation 2 releases of titles, and have always included plenty of lag rendering them unplayable to competitors.

It is possible, though, that this could be a new version of the game to coincide with the forthcoming Steam release of 2k2UM. For now, details are too scarce to make a conclusion one way or the other.

The King of Fighters '98 Ultimate Match Final Edition Coming to Steam on Dec. 12, Save 20% Off on Preorder

The last version of The King of Fighters '98 will be arriving to PC next month.

The King of Fighters '98 Ultimate Match Final Edition has appeared on Steam with a release date of Dec. 12. The port was handled by Vancouver developer Code Mystics, known for porting Killer Instinct and Killer Instinct 2 to the Xbox One.

It will feature balance changes from the regular version of KOF98UM. You can find all character changes here. The game will also come with the original Neo Geo version of KOF98.

A 20 percent discount is in effect for all preorders up until the game's release day, so if you want to save a couple of bucks, go order now!

At the moment, there is no information about the release of The King of Fighters 2002 Unlimited Match so stay tuned.

The King of Fighters '98 Ultimate Match & Samurai Shodown VI Available on Japanese PlayStation Store

Both The King of Fighters '98 Ultimate Match and Samurai Shodown VI/Samurai Spirits VI can be available as digital games in the land of the rising sun.

The Japanese PlayStation Store have both KOF98UM and SSVI available for download as PlayStation 2 Classics for the PlayStation 3. The reveal was prematurely teased in a report from Korean game ratings board GRB. Also included was the report of The King of Fighters XI; it wasn't included in the release batch.

Being PlayStation 2 Classics, these are running through emulation instead of utilizing the Emotion Engine found on PlayStation 2 and original PS3 consoles. Expect lag from both emulation and if running in high definition.

There are no plans to release them in North America at the moment.

KOF 98, 2002UM, 2002 & XI Match Videos from Dueling the KOF 13th Season

KOF is here again with Japan's newest addition of their tournament series.

Dueling the KOF 13th Season was at Kyoto's Neo Amusement Space A-CHO game center. The tournament featured held The King of Fighters '98, 2002 Unlimited Match and XIII. A-CHO's YouTube channel uploaded some of the tournament matches from 98 and 2002 so stay tuned for more of those and XIII matches.

On A-CHO's other channel, they uploaded tournament videos from their pre-Dueling the KOF event. Different from the main event, Duel x A-CHO featured both The King of Fighters XI and the original version of The King of Fighters 2002.

You can check out some of the videos after the jump!

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KOF 98 UM Final Edition and 2002 Unlimited Match for Steam Delayed

As mentioned on Super Desperation Radio, the upcoming Steam versions of King of Fighters 98 Ultimate Match Final Edition and 2002 Unlimited Match have been delayed.

While previously the two games were scheduled to launch before the beginning of 2015, with 98 in November and 2002 in December, the two titles are now only scheduled for sometime in the winter.

There are still no details about pricing or available features for either title.

KOF 98 UM Final Edition and 2002 Unlimited Match Coming to Steam

Japanese site Gamer has published a list of upcoming titles from SNK Playmore. While there are several other titles to note, including releases of Metal Slugs X and 3, the big two titles that will interest fighting gamers are The King of Fighters '98 Ultimate Match Final Edition and The King of Fighters 2002 Unlimited Match on Steam. While KOF 2K2 UM has previously been released in the U.S., this will be the first time that KOF 98 UMFE is available stateside.

These releases will both come during the holiday season, with 98 UMFE dropping sometime in November and 2K2 UM coming sometime during December. No other details, such as those concerning online play, are available at this time.

The King of Fighters XIII Steam Edition Featured in The Humble Jumbo Bundle 2 Collection

SNK Playmore's latest fighting game is featured in the latest collection offered by the Humble Bundle.

Dubbed the Humble Jumbo Bundle 2, The King of Fighters XIII Steam Edition joins other games in the compilation including Terraria, Deadlight and Galactic Civilizations II. To access KOFXIII, you will need to pay above the current average mentioned on the bundle's page. All games, including KOFXIII, are redeemable through Steam. The KOFXIII soundtrack is also available when paying for the bundle.

If you were looking to buy the Steam Edition of KOFXIII but were unable to spend $29.99, this is your chance to get it for an affordable price while getting additional access to many other full games! In addition to buying these games, you are able to split your proceeds to the developers, the American Red Cross and Child's Play Charity.

The bundle will last until Sept. 2 so go contribute to the bundle here!

SNK Playmore Request New Recruits In Developing New The King Of Fighters Entry

The King of Fighters developer and publisher will need help in making a new game in the popular series.

SNK Playmore is looking for people to join the development team in making a new KOF entry. Positions SNKP is looking for include programmers and designers with experience in 3-D game development, suggesting that the latest entry will have some form of 3-D. They also look for people with experience in making games for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, as well as those with ability to work with the Xbox One and PlayStation 4.

Rumors of a new KOF game surfaced in 2013, during which a major rumor included the new title being a 3-D game. This team will be separate from the group in SNKP responsible for the Pachinko Slot machines. Those interested in shaping the future of KOF, and who can read Japanese, should check out the recruit page here!

Final Showdown: Tekken Tag Tournament 2 & The King of Fighters XIII Notables For EVO 2014

After strong demand, Tekken Tag Tournament 2 returns for another EVO showing! While South Korea is apparently absent this year, can North America hold their ground from the attending Japanese players?! With the additional pot bonus from Bandai Namco games, the stakes will be high!

The King of Fighters XIII also comes for its third outing! With this year's attending players, KOF will still be unpredictable. What country will win this year?!

Like Sami's notable articles, I have added slashes to indicate what players are in what side of the initial pool placement. For a list of the rest of the players in these pools, check out the brackets here! Otherwise check out the notable players and brief predictions after the jump!

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Donation Drive To Send GuttsCL To EVO 2014

The King of Fighters XIII's community technician wants to go to EVO and here is your chance to help!

Chile's Gutts, creator of many technical and tutorial videos for KOFXIII, has a donation drive for him to attend EVO 2014 and compete with the rest of the world in the game. In order to get to Las Vegas, Gutts needs $1000 to cover a majority of his plane fees.

The donation page can be found on Orochinagi and it has garnered more than quarter of proceeds. Players can also donate directly.

You can find more of Gutts' technical videos over on his YouTube channel!

Tencent Games Arena Announcing The King Of Fighters 2002 Unlimited Match Major Tournament In China

China will be holding their next big tournament for The King of Fighters.

Tencent Games Arena announced that they will hold a tournament for The King of Fighters 2002 Unlimited Match on June 3, 2014 at Tongji University Gymnasium in Shanghai, China. The tournament finals will feature over $12,000 in the prize pot.

From May 15-19, 2014, there will be four online qualifiers where players all over China will compete through the QQ version of KOF2002UM. In addition, four players from Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong and South Korea are invited to compete in the finals.

The King Of Fighters XIII Tournament At Super Arcade Tonight, Streamed By IEBattleGrounds

SoCal's premiere streamer Armando "Commando" Gonzales will be hosting a singles tournament for The King of Fighters XIII at Super Arcade today.

With KOF gatherings happening in recent Fridays, this tournament is looking to help SoCal's best players to get in shape for future events. Sign-ups, with $5 venue fee and $5 tournament fee, will start at 8:00pm PST with the tournament starting at 9:00pm. Setups for KOF will be on PlayStation 3 and if you need a controller or stick, Super Arcade owner Mike Watson will have some to loan on a first come, first serve basis. You can also play Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition Ver. 2012 and Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 casuals, covered by the venue fee.

Players including Mr. KOF and Arcade Shock's Reynald are expected to attend the tournament. Commando will be streaming on IEBattleGrounds so if you are unable to come by, tune in to watch SoCal's best in action!

Arcade Shock's Reynald Vs. Mad Catz' Tokido First To 10 In The King of Fighters XIII At Northwest Majors VI

The EVO 2013 King of Fighters XIII champion will fight one of Japan's best players at the upcoming Northwest Majors!

Reynald of Arcade Shock, EVO champion, is set to play in a first-to-10 match against Mad Catz' Tokido for $1,000 on the day before Northwest Majors VI, May 2, 2014.

Reynald previously defeated Tokido at EVO 2013 while in top eight losers bracket for KOFXIII, giving Tokido a fourth-place finish at the event. Tokido has since won the Cafeid id Global Championship KOFXIII tournament, which featured players such as MadKOF, KouKou and Qanba's Xiaohai.

Viewers can tune into the match on May 2 at 6:30 p.m. PST on Team Khaos' Twitch channel. Northwest Majors IV takes place May 3-4, 2014. 

Yuri, King and Vice Invincibility Glitch Discovered In KOFXIII

Chilean player GuttsCL has discovered a new glitch that gives three members of the King of Fighters XIII cast a distinct advantage against offensive pressure when they are knocked down.

King, Yuri and Vice all have some invincibility on their neutral wakeup animation after certain knockdowns, which allows them to punish otherwise safe jump-ins. Although Vice and Yuri get the biggest benefit due to having reversal command throws that can take advantage of this method, King still gets a normal throw attempt.

You can check out this video along with other great informational videos about KOFXIII and other King of Fighters games on YouTube. Hit the jump for the video.

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IPLAYWINNER's The King Of Fighters XIII: Steam Edition Giveaway, Win One Of Three Codes

If you were planning to get The King of Fighters XIII: Steam Edition, well here is a chance to get the game for free!

Courtesy of SNK Playmore, we have three redeemable Steam codes to the game and we are giving them away. To enter, please fill out the contest form here including your email for contact information and PC hardware specifciations.

You can find more rules and information about the contest after the jump! Good luck!

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