King of Fighters XV – Beta Release and Esports Potential

King of Fighters is one of the oldest fighting game series, having been putting in appearances on most major platforms since 1994. The game’s latest incarnation is King of Fighters XV. This game has had a far-off release date for some time, and details have been scarce.

However, we’re getting our first look at King of Fighters along with a more solid date for the game’s beta period and a new fighter. By the looks of the title, we may be able to expect a decent jump for competitive play for King of Fighters with this release.

© King of Fighters

King of Fighters XV

King of Fighters XV is the latest release to come from SNK. They are one of the biggest names in fighting games, even if their prominence has fallen a little in recent years. The title is currently due for release on February 17^th 2022. It will be available on PC and both current and last-gen games consoles. What’s notable about the series is it is going to be the first to move over to Unreal Engine 4.

The game features a decent roster of playable characters with 39 in all. Out of these, we can expect quite a few newcomers and at least six DLC fighters. The game has seen quite a few delays, to accommodate the impact of the pandemic on production.

One important feature that is being changed is the implementation of rollback-based netcode. Essentially, this approach has become the big thing in fighting games. This version of online play helps to make things considerably smoother, with games utilizing similar systems having been considerably better received for online play. A good example is how quickly fans moved from Fighterz over to Arc System’s newer releases once they began to use rollback netcode.

The recent release of information for the game has included some new fighters. Dolores has been shown in a past trailer, but she now has more details released like her abilities and themes.

King of Fighters XV Beta

The King of fighters XV release is still a little way off. However, we’re going to be getting our first look at the gameplay a lot sooner than expected. A beta for the game is going to be held on PS4 and PS5 exclusively. It will run from November 19^th through to November 22^nd. This is a fairly early beta for the game. The beta looks to be trying out the new rollback netcode, with an early release helping to iron out any potential problems before it launches.

The beta for King of Fighters XV isn’t going to be only online though. The game will also include offline training modes and private matches. This should allow players to try out characters and even lab their movesets. For a game that could have some good potential for esports, this early look at how characters work is going to be helpful.

Does it Have Esports Potential?

Fighting game esports are some of the oldest around, and they have a dedicated fan base. However, it can often be a bit hit or miss which game ends up being the bigger deal for competitive fighting. King of Fighters as a series has a strong history in esports, going up to the most recent incarnation to the game. Given the innovations with King of Fighters XV, we can expect a decent competitive showing for this title.

The game has featured at many fighting tournaments like Evo, but it has a smaller dedicated following too. This latest title is likely to be included at upcoming events like Evo after launch. This early beta for King of Fighters XV is an exciting early stage to try the game out, so if you’re interested in King of Fighters esports this isn’t an opportunity to miss.