The King of Fighters 15's latest character trailer has dropped, revealing it to be none other than Mai Shiranui. Mai joins the roster as the thirteenth fighter to debut in the upcoming fighting game slated to come out later in 2021.
Mai, The Alluring Girl Ninja, has been a fan favorite since her introduction in Fatal Fury 2 and has been in nearly every King of Fighters game since 1994. Her weapon, the butterfly fan, and flame attacks are on full display in SNK's latest trailer for the game.
With Mai added to the roster, this makes 4 of the last 7 characters announced to be female. This includes Mai, King, Yuri Sakazaki, and Chizuru Kagura. While many classic characters are yet to be included, the roster is certain to have a diverse look.
Mai's displayed move set and looks are reminiscent of her previous incarnations. Her air juggling along with the fire attacks are classic, as well as her red kunoichi dress. Her upbeat and playful attitude is contrasted with the punishing blows she delivers to Andy and Terry in the trailer.
While mainly known for her role in the King of Fighters series, Mai started in Fatal Fury 2 and has been in a countless number of other games, including being a guest character in Dead or Alive 5 and Dead or Alive 6. She has also been in a plethora of mobile games. Players looking for Mai Shiranui will have no problem finding her on most platforms.
While excitement surrounds the introduction, one must wonder how King of Fighters 15 is progressing for the 2021 release. With 13 characters announced thus far, it falls well short of the 50 that were included in King of Fighters 14. At this point, this barely brings the size of the roster to over a third of King of Fighters 13, which was 36. With a global pandemic, the 2021 target seems optimistic. However, with the rate of release of character trailers (nearly 1 a week), that target might still be viable, even with a limited roster.
With many fan favorites already announced, King of Fighters 15 is looking to be a promising fighting game release in a year that looks to be on the lighter side for the genre. With the announcement of Mai Shiranui, anticipation has started to grow once more.
King of Fighters 15 is expected to release in 2021 on PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.