Japanese video game company SNK has a long history in the industry, including the development of the Neo Geo hardware line that introduced such series as King of Fighters. SNK's place in video game history landed Terry Bogard a DLC slot in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate last year, but now Terry will have the chance to duke it out with WWE wrestlers like Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson in The King of Fighters Allstar.
A crossover between the WWE and SNK's free-to-play mobile title, developed by Korean studio Netmarble, was announced via a teaser on May 3 which promised "the king of all updates" as something better to do than conducting pillow fights at home. The full announcement video for a content update releasing May 14 was uploaded that showcases the full roster of wrestlers with "recreated mannerisms and move-sets" joining the beat-em-up RPG: The Rock, John Cena, Undertaker, Becky Lynch, Seth Rollins, and Kofi Kingston.
According to a press release sent out today, alternate versions of The Rock and Kingston will also be offered as a free gift for anyone who downloads the game prior to June 3, 2020. Also coming to the game are WWE-themed events including a "Super Mission" to unlock The Rock, a "Rush Event Dungeon" to unlock Kingston, and a Roulette Wheel which can unlock a "Doctor of Thuganomics" variant of Cena.
Netmarble executive producer Shin Hwa Cho said the crossover is "something truly special for us and the players" in the press release, as both series have been "entertaining people around the world for decades." The WWE has its own fairly long history with video game tie-ins, its upcoming title WWE 2K Battlegrounds being an arcade-style fighting spin-off of the primary WWE 2K series.
While The King of Fighters Allstar is a character-collecting title which looks back upon SNK's history, much like Nintendo's Fire Emblem Heroes, the developers are still working on new content. At EVO 2019 SNK announced King of Fighters XV is currently in development with an unannounced release date.
The sphere of influence around the WWE is also nothing to scoff at. Beyond its own ventures into video games and other media, professional wrestling has inspired characters like Apex Legends' new addition Loba, so it should be interesting to see how that brand of fighting blends with SNK's The King of Fighters.
The King of Fighters Allstar is available now on iOS and Android mobile devices.
Source: The King of Fighters Allstar