Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves – Our Take on the Leaked 2025 DLC Roadmap

We’ve been in this game long enough to recognize when a development studio's marketing plan takes an unexpected turn. This week, what appears to be SNK's post-launch character schedule for Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves for 2025 has surfaced, and while the source, Japanese website Game Spark, may have jumped the gun, the implications for the game's future are significant. Six new fighters are purportedly joining the roster through June, including two intriguing "mystery" slots and a strong implication of a major guest character who isn't even on this leaked list. This is a classic example of an early leak building immense hype, whether SNK intended it or not.

Let's not mince words: a robust post-launch content plan is critical for fighting game longevity. While the initial roster build of City of the Wolves looks promising, the prospect of consistent additions through June 2025 – and potentially beyond into 2026 – signals SNK's serious commitment. This isn't some bare-bones launch with a few drip-fed characters; this suggests a full-throttle content cycle akin to some of the genre's heavy hitters.

The Leaked Roster: Familiar Faces and Future Promises

Our analysis of the leaked schedule reveals a blend of fan favorites and strategic character additions designed to keep the meta fresh. Here's what we're looking at for the first half of 2025:

  • January: Kim Jae Hoon (Arriving January 22nd)
  • February: Nightmare Geese
  • March: Blue Mary
  • April: Wolfgang Krauser
  • May: Mystery Character
  • June: Mystery Character

The inclusion of stalwarts like Kim Jae Hoon, Blue Mary, and Wolfgang Krauser is a no-brainer for a Fatal Fury title; they're foundational to the series' identity. Nightmare Geese is an exciting variant, offering a darker take on a legendary boss, which always goes down well with the hardcore fanbase looking for new playstyles. However, the true intrigue lies in those two "Mystery Character" slots in May and June. In our experience, these typically signify either brand-new fighters for the universe or, more excitingly, additional guest characters. Given the other swirling rumors, we're leaning towards the latter having a high probability.

Kenshiro: The Unlisted Heavy Hitter

This is where things get really interesting. Despite the leaked schedule, there's a strong, almost undeniable, buzz around Kenshiro from Fist of the North Star making an appearance. Recent teasers, including the iconic "You're Already Dead" line, point directly to the legendary martial artist. His absence from this specific leaked schedule could mean a few things:

  1. He's a separate Season 1 guest character, perhaps arriving earlier or later than this specific Season 2 roadmap.
  2. He's one of the "Mystery Characters," a deliberate red herring on the leak's part to maintain some element of surprise.
  3. He's being held back for a potential Season 3 in 2026, which would be a massive anchor for future content.

A cross-over with Kenshiro would be a game-changer. Imagine his Hokuto Shinken against Terry Bogard's Power Geyser! This kind of external IP integration, done right, doesn't just attract existing fighting game fans; it pulls in an entirely new audience, much like when characters from other franchises successfully enter a new fighting game's roster. It's a massive power play from SNK, demonstrating an ambition that goes beyond their traditional roster.

Looking Beyond June: The 2026 Horizon

The fact that this schedule explicitly runs "through June," implying the end of "Season 2," is the biggest tell for the long-term health of City of the Wolves. It strongly suggests that SNK isn't just planning for a single year of content but has a multi-year strategy in mind. This commitment to ongoing development and new character releases is vital for fostering a thriving competitive scene and keeping players engaged. We've seen too many fighting games launch strong only to fizzle out due to lack of sustained support. SNK seems to be taking notes, and we applaud that.

While pricing details are still under wraps – typical for information that's "jumped the gun" – the prompt arrival of Kim Jae Hoon means we won't be left wondering for long. Our expectation is a standard Season Pass model, possibly with individual character purchases available, but we'll need official word from SNK to confirm. For now, the prospect of a constantly evolving roster with classic fan favorites and potentially genre-bending guest characters has our hype meters maxed out. Even if the release was unplanned, this leak paints an incredibly promising picture for the future of Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves.