snk e-sports

SNK Supports Retro Fighters With Updated Esports Program

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Published: October 24, 2017 9:31 PM

Until recently, SNK's e-Sports Support Program only applied to events and tournaments that included The King of Fighters XIV in their lineup. However, they've modified it to include support for any tournament or event playing any fighting game developed by the company. Application requirements are reasonably lax, allowing room even for locals to gain support. In addition to supporting any title by SNK for any platform (console and PC), there must be at least 20 entrants for the respective tournament. In return, SNK will provide advertising for the tournament, as well as donate prizes and pot bonuses for the winners to compete for. For more information, be sure to visit the e-Sports Support Program page, which explains all rules, requirements, and application process in different languages. This applies to events through July 2018.

SNK has a long history of fighting games, back when it competed with Capcom in the arcades, with The King of Fighters ending up as their crossover headliner. Beyond that series (which features notable players for King of Fighters '97'98' and 2002 still), they also had games like Garou: Mark of the WolvesSamurai Shodown and more.


Quick Take

It was a very welcome surprise to all King of Fighters fans when SNK first announced the support program last year for KOF XIV. However, expanding the program to include all SNK-developed fighting games is a very good idea, as many of them still see lots of competitive activity around the world. The King of Fighters '97, '98, and 2002 are all still extremely popular in China and Latin America, and the new program could also potentially encourage more events to include others. Garou: Mark of the Wolves and Samurai Shodown V Special both recently received the "enhanced port" treatment by being re-released on PlayStation 4. This could also be a hint pointing towards the possibility of SNK returning to more of their many other fighting franchises that they've left dormant for quite some time. Could we see another Fatal Fury? Another Art of Fighting? Maybe another Waku Waku? Only time will tell, but following the success of The King of Fighters XIV and SNK's accomplishment of restoring their brand by dropping the "Playmore" name from their logo, things look promising for the veteran fighting game dev.

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I've been playing video games since 4 years of age, and finally began to deeply invest myself into the world of fighting games in 2015 after many off-… More about Matthew