SNK Producer Reveals Secrets Behind 26-Year Comeback of Fatal Fury

In the ’90s, competitive fighting games became a social phenomenon, and now in the Reiwa era, they are once again stirring excitement worldwide. Last year saw major hits with new releases of popular series like Capcom’s “Street Fighter” and Bandai Namco Entertainment’s “Tekken,” attracting a younger audience through streaming by gamers.

In addition, the emerging field of esports has garnered attention, with a world championship set to be held in Saudi Arabia this summer with a prize pool exceeding $60 million (about ¥9.2 billion) during its qualifiers, heating up the scene even more.

Amidst this, SNK, a leading figure in fighting game development, has decided to revive the beloved “Fatal Fury” series after 26 years. With its rich legacy, SNK continues to lead the modern competitive fighting game culture. Chiefly overseeing the production is Yasuyuki Oda, Producer of the First Software Development Division at SNK, who explains the forefront of the fighting game scene.

 

Resolving the Suspense After 26 Years

――What kind of history does the ‘Fatal Fury’ series have?

“The first game was released in 1991. During the fighting game boom of the ’90s, it emerged as one of the IPs that could rival the influential ‘Street Fighter’ series, setting the tone in arcades at the time. It expanded beyond arcades into home gaming, anime, and guest appearances in other companies’ games. The previous installment, ‘Fatal Fury: Mark of the Wolves’ (MotW), was released in 1999, and we’re currently developing its sequel, ‘Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves’ (CotW), slated for release in early ’25.”

――Why was there a gap of 26 years between the previous installment?

“We received requests for a new ‘Fatal Fury’ game not only from Japan but also from the United States, Mexico, and various countries in Europe, so we’ve been wanting to do it for a while. Actually, I’ve been saying ‘I want to do it’ many, many times. However, there were changes in the company’s structure and staff transitions, and we focused on creating the latest installments of popular series like ‘THE KING OF FIGHTERS’ (KOF) and ‘Samurai Shodown’ (SamSpi). Finally, it’s our turn now, and we’re able to make it happen. This time, we’ll properly wrap up the story threads that were left hanging in the previous installment, ‘MotW.’”

――Which characters will participate in the new game?

“It’s a sequel to ‘MotW,’ so it will include characters from the previous game, as well as completely new characters and some surprise additions that will make you go ‘Oh?’ We also plan to introduce additional characters as downloadable content after the release, so please look forward to it.”

――How do you go about selecting and creating characters?

“We’re not limited to ‘CotW,’ but we’re considering two patterns: one where we think about moves based on the character’s personality in the story, and another where we consider play styles like focusing on grappling techniques if we want a big character in the game. ‘CotW’s’ distinctive feature is that many characters are born from their role in the drama. It’s a characteristic of this series, and I think it’s a part that users have loved for a long time.” 

 

――What is the concept of this installment in one word?

 

“In our terms, while ‘KOF’ is strongly associated with team battles, this is the definitive 1v1 fighting game. The system is deep and allows players to enjoy with their own style. It features a ‘smart style’ system for easy playability even for beginners. We’ve also included various content to appeal to casual players and those new to fighting games, ensuring enjoyment for solo players as well.”