The King of Fighters XV is out today on PC

The influential fighting game The King of Fighters XV has been in development for a while, but no longer. Today is the official release date of the next entry in the franchise — one of the most recognizable names in the community. The game is launching with 39 different characters: a combination of returning veterans, resurrected fan favorites, and new blood altogether in one of the larger KoF casts to date.

The King of Fighters XV also has a brand new mechanic, known as the Shatter Strike. This is a feature that allows you to counter enemy attacks. You can also enjoy a new and improved MAX Mode, as well as a RUSH mechanic that “allows combos to be carried out all by rapidly pressing attack buttons.” This is on top of the classic three-on-three battle system, all coming together to ensure a bombastic set of fights for players on all skill levels.

Fight hard

One of the biggest draws of The King of Fighters XV however is the introduction of rollback netcode. This is a level of netplay that reduces lag for both players, as the game predicts the movements of players rather than reacts to them. This is usually an improvement over delay-based netcode, which should allow for higher-quality matches online. Speaking of online, players can utilize typical features such as a Ranked Mode, Casual or Room Matches, and an Online Training mode. There’s also a Draft VS Mode now, so try and spruce up your roster a bit.

For those who aren’t really into online cage fighting, The King of Fighters XV still has an extensive Story Mode, which is “coming to an explosive climax” in this game. You can watch the launch trailer below to get a first look at some of the fighting in this game. And if you’re convinced, head over to the Steam page to learn more about the game.