SNK has a habit of sharing insight from Character Designer Tomohiro Nakata after each new The King of Fighters XV reveal. That didn’t change following Athena Asamiya’s KOF XV reveal. However, Nakata’s thoughts on her are a bit more extensive. In addition to talking about her new look, which includes a Kenpo-inspired outfit, he also talked about elements of her moveset in the game. For example, Athena will again be able to use Psycho Shoot and people could cancel her “far-proximity normals” for the first time.
Initially, Nakata talked about her look. He explained that the goal was to keep Athena looking fresh by offering a new outfit and hairstyle, but maintain the “idol” look with accessories with her KOF XV Kenpo attire.
After that, he talked about her moveset in the game. First, he mentioned the greater degree of control over Psycho Ball with Psycho Shoot. Then, he explained how you can cancel moves you couldn’t before for more tactical options. He closed things out with a tease about her Climax attack.
Here’s Nakata’s full statement from Twitter.
Athena is known for changing up her outfit with nearly every KOF game, and this time is no different. I designed her outfit around traditional Kenpo practitioner clothing, while keeping her outline and accessories in-line with pop idol themes. She’s also sporting a new haircut, meaning her overall look has changed drastically.
She now has her Psycho Shoot ability back, so players can use that and Psycho Ball for some extra fun.
Some of her far-proximity normals are now cancellable, allowing Athena to have even more versatility.
Her Climax has been completely redesigned, showcasing the bombastic abilities the super idol Athena is capable of!
The King of Fighters XV will come to the PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC via Steam and Epic Games Store in Q1 2022. In case you missed it, the KOF XV Athena trailer appeared at the end of July 2021.
