SNK Speaks on Ken in Fatal Fury, Chun-Li DLC Teases, and Capcom vs SNK | Evo 2025

One of the astir breathtaking games to ticker astatine Evo 2025 was Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves. From KojiKOG's memeworthy and melodramatic absorption to his nonaccomplishment successful apical 8, to the unthinkable expansive finals betwen Go1 and ET, and each of the breathtaking moments successful between. It was a large reminder of however overmuch amusive the crippled tin be. While I wasn't capable to speech to anyone from SNK astatine the existent amusement itself, Producer Yasuyuki Oda and Animator Masari Obari were benignant capable to reply respective questions of excavation via email relating to the merchandise of Ken successful City of the Wolves and a fewer different topics that I felt would beryllium of large involvement to fans of SNK and warring games successful general.

One of the biggest surprises to maine erstwhile I got my hands connected with Ken is however akin to his SF6 counterpart helium is, contempt this being a wholly antithetic game. Can you speech a small spot astir immoderate of the challenges involving taking a beloved quality from 1 bid and making them acceptable nether a full caller acceptable of rules and mechanics?
Yasayuki Oda, Lead Producer connected Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves: The biggest archetypal interest for america was uncovering however to bring Ken into the Fatal Fury gameplay strategy and satellite without compromising his individuality arsenic a character. Our improvement squad has truthful galore radical that are passionate astir the Street Fighter franchise, and I deliberation their emotion and dedication to the bid truly shined done successful each the small details we worked connected for Ken. We dilatory worked retired implicit clip however to incorporated Ken’s accelerated velocity and flashy flame-based attacks into the strategy of City of the Wolves, perpetually asking ourselves “What was missing?”, “What could we amended on?”, “What were Ken’s strengths and wherever could we leverage that?” After overmuch repeated proceedings and error, this mentation of Ken yet took form.

Ken is simply a quality that’s ever been precise beardown successful Street Fighter 6, acknowledgment to being capable to person astir regular hits connected artifact to a Jinrai Kick that forces immoderate risky determination making connected defense, a positive connected artifact spread person successful his dense dragonlash kick, connected apical of conscionable having truly bully neutral buttons and a balanced instrumentality kit. Were you ever acrophobic that immoderate of these elements mightiness marque him a spot excessively beardown successful Fatal Fury?
Oda: As you said, bringing Ken implicit the aforesaid mode helium is successful Street Fighter 6 would undoubtedly marque him a beardown quality successful City of the Wolves. Of course, we had to marque cautious adjustments arsenic we adapted him to the game. Integrating mechanics similar Braking and REV Accel were challenging, but I deliberation we were capable to item what makes Ken peculiar portion besides giving fans a accidental to acquisition a antithetic playstyle wrong the systems of City of the Wolves. We’re looking guardant to seeing what fans deliberation and however they prosecute with this mentation of Ken.

With Terry and Mai appearing successful Street Fighter 6, and present Ken, and aboriginal Chun-Li coming to Fatal Fury, bash you person immoderate involvement successful moving unneurotic with Capcom erstwhile again for different introduction successful the Capcom vs SNK series? Or is that a acold disconnected dream?

Oda: That would beryllium something, wouldn’t it? However, determination is thing I tin speech astir astatine this moment. We are ever blessed to person questions similar this due to the fact that it shows however enthusiastic the fans are for different Capcom vs. SNK. It’s a large root of information for us.

How bash you consciousness wide astir impermanent characters successful warring games? Do you deliberation it’s a steadfast inclination for the genre, and bash you deliberation we mightiness spot much successful aboriginal SNK games, oregon adjacent successful aboriginal updates of Fatal Fury?

Oda: I deliberation it’s a large trend. Of course, it is important to respect the communicative and satellite of different games, but the instauration of impermanent characters has large imaginable for the aboriginal of warring games to make caller “chemical reactions.” That is to say, it tin pb to unexpected outcomes and commencement thing new.

As for City of the Wolves, determination are inactive characters we request to bring backmost earlier we commencement reasoning astir much impermanent characters. Please remainder assured that we are putting each of our absorption connected that close now. Even aft Mr. Big releases, determination are inactive galore caller characters and caller aspects of the crippled we are moving on, truthful delight look guardant to them!

I cognize she’s inactive a spot of a ways off, and we’ve got Joe coming first, but tin you stock immoderate details astir Chun-Li’s quality successful Fatal Fury? Will it beryllium akin to the attack of Ken, successful that you’re looking to her iteration successful Street Fighter 6 arsenic a superior root of inspiration?

Oda: We are utilizing her SF6 mentation arsenic a base, but since galore of our unit are fans of the full Street Fighter series, we person a fewer surprises and finer details we’re readying to add. We’re looking to marque this mentation of Chun-Li, similar Ken, a culmination of each her past iterations, truthful delight look guardant to it.

For Obari-san, what was it similar getting to make the animations for specified an iconic quality that’s extracurricular of the satellite of SNK, similar Ken. Were determination immoderate kinds of signature touches you felt similar you were capable to add, oregon did you effort to support things arsenic adjacent to the root arsenic possible?

Masami Obari, Animator connected Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves: First of all, I would similar to accidental that it was a large grant to enactment connected this project. I americium highly grateful to Capcom for this opportunity. As for the archetypal elements, I would accidental the astir enactment went into designing these characters successful my style. I’d similar to telephone it Bari-Ken! (Haha). It was highly amusive to gully Ken wrong the benignant and animation of the Fatal Fury anime.

Are determination immoderate imagination crossovers that you’d similar to enactment on, either wrong the realm of warring games oregon extracurricular of it?

Obari: I’m a immense pro wrestling fan, truthful I would beryllium highly blessed to spot a collaboration with a existent pro wrestler. In presumption of warring games, I would beryllium excited to spot a crossover with Voltage Fighter Gowcaizer, a crippled I was primitively successful complaint of the communicative and quality design!

And finally, canonically, who bash you deliberation would triumph successful a combat betwixt Ken and Terry?

Obari: To beryllium honorable with you, I deliberation Terry would win. I deliberation they are evenly matched successful presumption of strength, but Terry is carrying a batch connected his shoulders, and his volition is beardown due to the fact that of that.

That being said, arsenic a manager of the anime, I would similar not to determine and person the 2 enactment unneurotic to combat a communal enemy.

Mitchell Saltzman is an editorial shaper astatine IGN. You tin find him connected twitter @JurassicRabbit