The acclaimed director and producer gives us a hint of what’s in store for SNK’s beloved fighting game franchises.
Yasuyuki Oda, one of SNK’s most decorated developers, was at PGDX last July and was able to answer some of our most burning questions about the future of their fighting games.
Oda has been a part of, or directly behind, some of the biggest fighting games in SNK’s history. He started in 1993 as a debugger before becoming a planner in the iconic Garou: Mark of the Wolves.
Yasuyki Oda then left SNK, returning later to handle their myriad fighting game franchises. First as a director of The King of Fighters (KoF) XIV, then settling in as a producer for the 2019 Samurai Showdown revival, KoF XV, and the highly anticipated Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves (CotW).
The Road Ahead for SNK Fighting Games
A question that was on everyone’s mind was what the future holds for KoF XV. Traditionally, when a developer releases a new fighting game, the previous one is sidelined, getting no further updates as all focus goes to the new game. However, with the reveal of Vice and Mature as DLC characters, fans are now wondering if there’s more in store.
Speaking through a translator, Oda confirmed that KoF will still be supported even after the release of CotW. It doesn’t stop with just new DLC as both KoF XV and CotW’s esports scenes will be supported as well. This is a massive commitment on SNK’s part as holding up two fighting games is going to require considerable resources.
The KoF series is seen as SNK’s “all-star dream game,” according to Oda. That’s why KoF’s roster is always filled with characters from across the company’s different IP’s. Oda wants to keep building on this but many of these IP’s have been dormant for a long time. Hence why SNK has been starting new projects that aim to bring these IP’s into the modern age.
It’s possible then that we’ll be seeing some old favorites making their way to Kof XV down the road. Oda also hinted that collaborations with outside brands or IP’s are not out of the question, so we might see some wild stuff as well.
In any case, Yasuyuki Oda has big plans for SNK’s fighting games and we can’t wait to see them.
Banner photo by Ramon Domingo.