Ahead of the global launch of THE KING OF FIGHTERS AFK on September 4, Final Weapon had the chance to interview Netmarble Neo CTO and project director Myeong-hyeon Kim about the upcoming collectible RPG. In our interview, Myeong-hyeon Kim discusses his role as project director of THE KING OF FIGHTERS AFK, the team’s outlook on the game, and even possible collaborations and a PC version.
Get the full interview with the THE KING OF FIGHTERS AFK project director below:
As the Project Director of THE KING OF FIGHTERS AFK, what does your role entail for the game’s development?
THE KING OF FIGHTERS AFK Project Director Myeong-hyeon Kim: I oversee the entire project, making sure the game is developed in line with its intended vision and schedule through overall coordination and decision-making. My role includes defining the core fun of the game and working with the team to figure out how best to bring it to life, while also reallocating resources or restructuring the timeline to respond to various challenges that arise during development.
Above all, I believe the most important part of my job is keeping the entire team aligned
toward the same goal. Trial and error is inevitable in the development process, but one of
the PD’s key responsibilities is to ensure that we never lose sight of the direction we set out
to achieve.
On a personal level, what I care about most is looking at the game from the player’s
perspective. I always approach it with the mindset that I’m the first player of our game,
testing it tirelessly and repeatedly to verify whether it’s truly enjoyable.
And since I come from a programming background, I naturally place strong emphasis on
technical aspects such as service quality and performance. I constantly check whether there are any overlooked technical risks and whether optimization is sufficient, contributing to raising the overall completeness of the development.
SNK’s The King of Fighters fighting game franchise is highly regarded for its gameplay. What was the Netmarble Neo team’s initial reaction when they learned that they would be developing a new King of Fighters RPG?
Myeong-hyeon Kim: Our development studio is centered around the team that created THE KING OF FIGHTERS ALLSTAR, which was loved by so many players. When the decision to develop THE KING OF FIGHTERS AFK was made, KOF ALLSTAR was heading toward its service conclusion, and within the team there was a strong sense of regret.
In that situation, the chance to once again meet players through The King of Fighters, an IP we hold so much affection for, filled everyone on the team with great anticipation and
excitement.
Of course, since KOF ALLSTAR and KOF AFK differ in genre, we had to let go of some elements that we had become skilled at. At the same time, however, we also felt a strong sense of expectation that this new direction would allow us to capture the kinds of fun we hadn’t been able to try before. We approached development with a positive mindset, seeing it as both a challenge and an opportunity to experiment.
What were some goals that you and the team had in mind when development first began?
Myeong-hyeon Kim: I think everyone would agree that the ultimate goal when making a game is to create something fun. On top of that, our development studio set one more key priority: building a game that truly meets the expectations of the longtime fans who have been with THE KING OF FIGHTERS IP for so many years.
Since the KOF series is a game filled with childhood memories for many players, we wanted
to actively include elements that could rekindle those feelings of nostalgia. As part of this,
we chose a pixel art style while also leveraging the high-quality illustrations that our
development team is known for, creating an art direction that combines both approaches.
Another point we emphasized was making the game easy and comfortable to enjoy. We
wanted it to be a game you can pick up anytime, even for a short while, without unnecessary stress, and still find it fun. Our goal was to create something like a cherished photo album of memories that you want to keep close by. With this vision in mind, everyone in the studio poured their passion into the project with the same determination.
Were 5v5 team battles planned from the start?
Myeong-hyeon Kim: Since THE KING OF FIGHTERS series has traditionally been built around 3v3 team battles, one of our early discussions was whether to carry that format over directly.
However, with THE KING OF FIGHTERS AFK, we wanted to take the IP in a slightly different
direction—showing not only rival fighters clashing against each other, but also the many
characters of the KOF universe joining forces to face even greater threats. To achieve that, we felt it was important to create a structure where more fighters could showcase their
individuality and abilities, and where the fun of team composition could really shine.
While 3v3 is certainly a polished structure, we saw 5v5 as offering much greater variety in
strategy and combinations, and better suited for highlighting synergies and matchups
between fighters. Additionally, since KOF AFK is not a real-time action game but a turn-based system where allies and enemies act in turns, we determined that having five characters per team would not add undue burden to players.
In the end, the decision to adopt a 5v5 team battle system naturally grew out of our desire to respect tradition while expanding the series in a way unique to KOF AFK.
The game’s pixel art graphics are reminiscent of SNK’s classic NEOGEO Pocket titles. Did the team draw inspiration from any other games while developing THE KING OF FIGHTERS AFK?
Myeong-hyeon Kim: Yes, as you mentioned, the in-game art style was heavily inspired by THE KING OF FIGHTERS R-2 on the NEOGEO POCKET COLOR. Since THE KING OF FIGHTERS is an IP that has been beloved for so long, I, and many players as well, felt a strong sense of nostalgia for the pixel art style from that era. In fact, during the early stages of development, we created prototypes with various art styles and held an internal vote, which ultimately led us to choose the style we have today.
From a gameplay perspective, KOF AFK was completely different from the real-time action
RPGs we had focused on in the past, so we benchmarked many other titles in the market,
analyzing their strengths and adapting them. One major reference was the play experience
from Netmarble’s Seven Knights Idle Adventure, and beyond that, we studied a wide range of idle and collection RPGs firsthand to analyze the core fun they deliver to players. We then reinterpreted those elements in our own way and refined them into a format that fit KOF AFK.
Our goal was to strike a balance: bringing players the nostalgia of their childhood through
pixel graphics, while delivering modern convenience and strategic depth through the game
systems.
Was there any fan feedback from THE KING OF FIGHTERS ALLSTAR and THE KING OF FIGHTERS Arena that you and the team took into consideration?
Myeong-hyeon Kim: Yes. Since both were action-based games, the gameplay experience varied greatly depending on each player’s individual control skills. While we did make efforts to narrow that gap through various growth elements, accessibility to content still differed significantly based on skill level. As a result, we received a fair amount of feedback from players who felt they couldn’t fully enjoy all of the content.
That’s why one of our top priorities in creating THE KING OF FIGHTERS AFK was to build a
game that anyone could fully enjoy, regardless of their control skills. We put a lot of effort
into structurally improving accessibility and completeness, ensuring that no one feels left out simply because they aren’t as skilled at playing.
Another element that consistently received praise in KOF ALLSTAR and KOF ARENA was the
beautiful fighter illustrations. This has always been a point of pride for our studio, and with
KOF AFK we’ve taken it even further by delivering higher-quality artwork for the fighters. In
particular, since many players previously expressed regret about not being able to view full-body illustrations, we made sure to include them this time to increase satisfaction.
Lastly, I’d like to mention monetization. In KOF ALLSTAR and KOF ARENA, we received
frequent feedback that players were dissatisfied with the monetization systems. We took
those concerns very seriously. For KOF AFK, we completely redesigned the monetization
balance and reward structures, with the goal of providing a model that feels more
reasonable and satisfying.
For players who enjoyed KOF ALLSTAR and KOF ARENA, we’ve prepared KOF AFK to deliver a more comfortable and rewarding experience, and we truly hope you’ll give it a try and enjoy it.
Are there any plans for collaborations with Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves and other fighting game IPs?
Myeong-hyeon Kim: Of course. Just as we worked to bring players fresh enjoyment through various IP collaborations in the previous title, we are also actively exploring diverse IP partnerships and collaborations for THE KING OF FIGHTERS AFK. We are preparing to present them in ways and at times that will be most satisfying for players.
That said, details regarding specific collaboration partners or schedules are still under
internal discussion and coordination. Once everything is confirmed, we will make sure to
share the information promptly. We hope you’ll continue to look forward to it.
Has Netmarble considered releasing a PC version of THE KING OF FIGHTERS AFK?
Myeong-hyeon Kim: THE KING OF FIGHTERS AFK was designed with the goal of being a game that you can easily pick up and enjoy anytime, anywhere, so for now we are focusing on mobile as our primary platform.
However, releasing a PC version is not technically impossible; so if we see sufficient demand or need from players, we can quickly consider making it available. Moving forward, we will continue to adapt flexibly so that more players can enjoy the game comfortably across different environments.
Is there anything else you would like to share?
Myeong-hyeon Kim: THE KING OF FIGHTERS AFK is the third game our studio has developed based on the KOF IP. Building on the experiences from the previous two titles and the invaluable feedback we received from players along the way, we were finally able to bring KOF AFK to life.
During the two rounds of Early Access, we actively incorporated player feedback to refine the game, and that process itself was an incredibly valuable experience for us. As I mentioned earlier, our entire team poured our passion into this project with the hope that it would feel like a trusted companion—something you can keep close by, much like a childhood friend.
Of course, there may still be areas to improve, but we will continue working tirelessly to
make every player’s experience more enjoyable and satisfying. We sincerely ask for your
support and interest, and we truly look forward to meeting you all in KOF AFK.
