TOKYO--While the King of Fighters series has traditionally appeared on an annual basis, with each of its game titles reflecting the year of its release, the longtime tradition has come to an end. According to Impress Gamewatch, SNK Playmore will not release a King of Fighters 2004, though the company is currently developing a new KOF installment. The news was disclosed by current KOF series' main illustrator Falcoon during the King of Fighters 10th anniversary party, which took place in Japan today.

　　"It [the next King of Fighters] won't come out as 'KOF2004,' but its development is going smoothly," Falcoon said during the event "We're making a KOF that's different from a 'KOF2004,' or a 3D game like 'KOF Maximum Impact,' or the 'KOF NeoWave' that was released on the Atomiswave [arcade platform]."

　　It is undetermined whether SNK Playmore will continue numbering the KOF series by its release year after skipping 2004. The new KOF installment is expected to hit arcades after the release of NeoGeo Battle Coliseum for the Atomiswave, which SNK Playmore is currently focusing its development efforts on.