SNK is bringing The King of Fighters '98 back to arcades

SNK and exA-Arcadia are teaming up to release The King of Fighters '98 in modern arcades. The new version will make its public debut at EVO Japan 2026.

According to Arcade Heroes, the game will run on exA-Arcadia hardware. This platform is designed to replace aging arcade boards with modern PC architecture while maintaining compatibility with classic cabinets.

No plot, just 38 fighters

The original game hit the Neo Geo MVS in July 1998. It was subtitled The Slugfest in Western regions and Dream Match Never Ends in Japan. SNK decided to throw out the ongoing Orochi storyline to bring back dead characters like Rugal Bernstein. This decision allowed them to pack the roster with 38 fighters and focus entirely on system balance.

Players could choose between Advanced and Extra playing styles. Advanced mode rewarded aggressive play with a stock-based super meter and the ability to roll through attacks. Extra mode catered to defensive players with a manually chargeable meter and a quick sidestep. This dual system gave every character multiple viable playstyles. I think this flexibility is exactly why the game still sees tournament play nearly three decades later.

Players have had several ways to play the game at home over the years. While The King of Fighters '98 Ultimate Match Final Edition is currently available on Steam and PlayStation 4, it is not explicitly confirmed to be available on Xbox One or Nintendo Switch in this specific format. The Xbox 360 received the standard The King of Fighters '98 Ultimate Match back in 2008.

Reduced lag

The exA-Arcadia system is basically a modern PC inside a custom shell that interfaces directly with JAMMA and JVS arcade cabinets. It supports both modern 16:9 LCD screens and classic 4:3 CRTs. The main selling point for competitive players is the input response. The hardware boasts sub-frame input lag. This makes it highly attractive for fighting game tournaments where a single frame can determine a match.

SNK has worked with this platform before. They previously licensed Samurai Shodown V Perfect to exA-Arcadia. That release gave a previously unreleased Neo Geo game a proper arcade run. Now they are giving their most popular 1990s fighter the same treatment. Arcade operators benefit from this because they can swap out a single exA-Arcadia motherboard cartridge instead of buying entirely new cabinets.

Playable at EVO Japan

The EVO Japan 2026 debut will give players their first hands-on time with the new arcade build. We do not yet know if this version includes any balance tweaks or if it is a straight port of the 1998 original. The ARC-32 cabinet display shown in the announcement only reveals standard gameplay footage.

I always find it fascinating when a 28-year-old game gets new dedicated hardware. Arcade operators clearly still see value in a fighting game that requires zero introduction. The fighting game community has kept this specific entry alive through emulation and console ports for years. Putting it back into physical arcades feels like a well-earned victory lap.