In an unexpected turn of events, Atlus U.S.A., Inc. announced today that they will be releasing SNK Playmore’s upcoming fighting game, The King of Fighters XIV, in the Americas.

This won’t be Atlus’ first experience with the world of fighting games. In fact, they have a rather long history with the genre; they’re known for co-developing and publishing the Persona 4 Arena series, as well as publishing the Arcana Heart series, Aquapazza: Aquaplus Dream Match, and The King of Fighters XIII. Among some of their earlier offerings to the gaming world was the Power Instinct (Gōketsuji Ichizoku) series, a fighting game series that is simply too bizarre for words alone.

The King of Fighters XIV, which represents the beginning of SNKP’s return to fighting game form after having dabbled in the pachinko business, features a 50-strong cast and marks the series’ first foray into the realm of 3D since 2006’s The King of Fighters: Maximum Impact 2. The game features an overhauled control scheme and the classic “3-on-3 Team Battle” system for which the KoF series is known.

New to the series is the quirky “Party Battle” feature, which pits two teams of three human players against one another, with each player controlling an individual character in cooperative online battles.

Speaking of online play, The King of Fighters XIV will allegedly feature improved netcode over its predecessors. By making use of the PlayStation 4’s online architecture, a whole host of fighting game amenities will be made available, from spectator modes to a replay system. Players will also be able to create in-game profiles to challenge one another, similar to Street Fighter V.

KoF beginners are also being kept in mind. A new Training mode is present to help ease newcomers into the series, and the “RUSH” feature simplifies move inputs for novices.

A new and improved Story mode rounds out the KoF XIV package. At this point in the KoF continuity, the King of Fighters Tournament has become a global business. Various companies and organizations are now sending their best representatives to compete for their own ends, and the Story mode will follow the motivations and plots behind each character and the goals they represent.

With a steady schedule for character reveals, you can expect to hear more about The King of Fighters XIV over the coming weeks. In the meantime, you can also watch the trailer for the game’s two newest fighters – Mui Mui (who ironically returns from one of SNKP’s 2004 pachinko machines, Dragon Gal) and Kukri – below:

The King of Fighters XIV launches later this year for PlayStation 4. You can view Atlus’ official website for the game here.