The King of Fighters XIV

The King of Fighters XIV (KOF XIV) is an upcoming installment of The King of Fighters series. It was first announced during the SCEJA Press Conference 2015. This game will begin another canonical saga for the series. Garou: Mark of the Wolves battle designer, Yasuyuki Oda, will be the director.

Oda said in an interview with 4Gamer that the main goal for this title is to make it "the easiest to play" of the series. According to him, the two major reasons for making the transition to 3D is to adapt to high-end machines and give 3D experience to SNK so they can compete in the console market again. He thinks it's difficult to properly convey the KOF cast's charm in 3D but expects the models to continue improving from its initial revealing. Oda hopes to cater to fans of KOF '98, KOF 2002 and KOF XIII with this game's mechanics. He aspires to improve the online matchmaking for this entry.

Gameplay
Unlike previous main entries, which employed hand-drawn sprite animation,The King of Fighters XIV uses 3D models more akin to the KOF: Maximum Impact series. However the fighting area remains on a strictly two-dimensional plane and keeps the same basic mechanics as its predecessors.
 * A new Max mode system allows access to EX moves; activating this state requires one bar of the power gauge.
 * Using three bars of the power gauge can allow players to unleash Climax supers.
 * Repeatedly hit the light punch button to perform an automatic combo attack called Rush mode; this will do lower damage compared to normal combo attacks.
 * The CD thrust system now causes opponents to hit the wall and remain vulnerable to follow-up attacks.

Characters
The roster is confirmed to have a size of 50 characters; 16 default teams of three and two solo characters (the preview gameplay demonstrated at PlayStation Experience showed four solo slots but it is possible the character selection screen has yet to be finalized).

Returning Fighters

 * Kyo Kusanagi
 * Iori Yagami
 * Leona Heidern
 * Chang Koehan
 * Andy Bogard
 * Ralf Jones
 * Billy Kane
 * Kula Diamond
 * King
 * Angel
 * Robert Garcia
 * Benimaru Nikaido
 * K'
 * Maxima
 * Clark Still
 * Terry Bogard
 * Tung Fu Rue
 * Chin Gentsai
 * Choi Bounge
 * Kim Kaphwan
 * Vice
 * Athena Asamiya

New Fighters

 * King of Dinosaurs - A luchador who wears a red tyrannosaurus rex mask and has a long red tail.
 * Sylvie Paula Paula - An ex-NESTS operative who was scouted out for the tournament. Wears a colorful and chaotic dress and fights using electrical powers.
 * Luong - A sultry Korean woman who fights with a very kick-focused martial art.
 * Nelson - A Latin American boxer who focuses on speed and agility, using a bevy of heavy-but-precise punches.

Stages
Note: Stage names are tentative.
 * Neo Esaka - Set on a raised platform overlooking the Esaka Station area of Osaka, Japan. Numerous sponsorship boards line the arena along with low fences to keep the fight contained to the platform. In the background, a billboard with portraits of the active fighters can be seen.
 * Super Arena - Similar to the arena where the concluding battles of The King of Fighters '96 take place. An outdoor stage area surrounded by packed grandstands and cameras both on the ground and raised above the fight via boom arms. In the background a platform can be seen, presumably where the winning team will receive their commendation.
 * Hotel Marine Paradise - A submerged restaurant with large pillars. The battle takes place in a roped-off area in the center of the restaurant. In the background people can be seen sitting and observing the aquatic life swim by the large glass panes that separate them from the water outside. Marine life such as whales and sharks can be seen passing outside.
 * Guanajuato Dynamite Ring - A large wrestling ring situated in the town square of Guanajuato, Mexico. The ring ropes are colored red, white, and blue and the turnbuckles have print on them with phrases such as "KOF IN MEXICO" and "LUCHA LIBRE". Spectators are seen at the ground level watching the brawl. Día de los Muertos ("Day of the Dead") decorations adorn the town square and a King of Dinosaurs banner is draped over one of the buildings.
 * Derelict Church - An abandoned European church where one wall has crumbled away. The pews can be seen up the center while statues and stained glass windows adorn the side opposite the crumbled wall.
 * Masquerade - A high-class opera house. The battle takes place on the stage and the wealthy elite mill around at ground level and in the upper balconies, all wearing face masks to keep with the masquerade theme. Banners with sponsorship logos can be seen surrounding the stage and pegasus statues are situated at opposite ends of the stage.
 * Navajoland - Similar to the Fatal Fury team stage in The King of Fighters '96. Takes place amidst the gas station pumps of a truck stop diner in the middle of the desert (the diner visible on the right side of the stage). Spectators are casually gathered around to witness the battle and semi-trucks can be seen parked on the left side of the stage.
 * Waterfall Overlook - Set on a balcony in the midst of several rainforest plants such as palm trees. In the distant background a large waterfall can be seen cascading down the sheer cliffs. The balcony is covered in glowing blue hexagonal tiles and there several domed structures erected on the cliffside. The closest dome has a banner with yellow text that reads "KING OF FIGHTERS in Latin America" along the trim, implying the stage takes place somewhere in Central or South America.