The next DLC fighter for The King of Fighters XV arrives next week. The latest announcement from SNK confirmed that the first DLC fighter for Season 2 of KOF XV is Shingo Yabuki. He joins the playable roster on January 17, 2023.
The company also released a trailer for Shingo Yabuki in KOF XV to give fans a taste of what he’ll be like.
In KOF XV Shingo Yabuki wears a sleek track suit in blue, black and white. It’s a contrast from the more school uniform-derived look he’s sported since his debut in The King of Fighters ’97. Players who obtain the DLC will also unlock a second costume for Shingo based on his original look. In play Shingo is a powerful “rushdown” character, closing distances quickly and applying pressure aggressively with fast combos.
Originally conceived as a light-hearted comic foil to KOF main character Kyo Kusanagi, Shingo admires Kyo, treating him like a superior. Some of his moves even mimic Kyo’s fighting style, though without the same supernatural mastery of fire. Shingo became a Kyo fan after watching the KOF ’96 tournament on TV, and began following his “idol” around once he found out they studied at the same school. Initially acting as a mere gofer for Kyo, Shingo obsessively studied Kyo’s moves, practicing every day in order to somehow replicate Kyo’s pyrokinesis. He received a pair of fighting gloves from Kyo after his debut in KOF ’97, and has worn them ever since. Even after a costume change in KOF XV, Shingo Yabuki still prominently displays the same gloves.
The King of Fighters XV is available on the PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Shingo arrives on January 17, 2023.
