The King of Fighters XIII: Global Match: Deluxe Edition (2023)

KOF XIII, the final chapter in the Ash Saga—and one of the series’ most acclaimed entries—is back! This enhanced version comes with rollback netcode for exhilarating online play, as well as brand-new online lobbies that allow you to join/spectate matches with multiple players at once. Also features a packed roster of 36 playable characters, including NESTS Style Kyo, Classic Iori, and Mr. Karate! KOF’s greatest-ever 2D graphics come to life as you face off against players online and around the world! Complete with rollback netcode and overhauled online functionality! Comes with magnificent must-haves for fans of the series: a Digital Artbook (with 100+ pages of exclusive illustrations, storyboards, and more) and a Digital Soundtrack (featuring the now-elusive melodies of THE KING OF FIGHTERS XIII)! Includes: - "THE KING OF FIGHTERS XIII GLOBAL MATCH" Base game - "THE KING OF FIGHTERS XIII GLOBAL MATCH Artbook & Soundtrack"

Storyline

The game takes place five years after the events of The King of Fighters XI and is the last game of the third story arc that started in The King of Fighters 2003. The fighter Ash Crimson has absorbed the powers from two of the descendants of the clans who sealed the Orochi away 1,800 years ago, Chizuru Kagura and Iori Yagami, while Kyo Kusanagi is to be his last victim. As his former comrade, Elisabeth Blanctorche, prepares to stop him, fighters receive an invitation to another King of Fighters tournament hosted by a person labelled as "R". The tournament is sponsored by a woman Rose who is being controlled by "Those From The Past", the organization behind the two prior tournaments that has been trying to break Orochi's seal with Ash acting as their agent. When the winning team reaches the game's end, Saiki, the leader of "Those From The Past" puts his work into motion. Saiki intends to use the energy expended by the winning team to enable him to cross time, killing his own subordinate just to face the champions. However, as the fight rages, Botan notes that the gate that links them to the past is starting to close despite the battle. Before Saiki can act, he is ambushed by Ash who kills him and who steals his power. It is revealed then that, while Ash was enlisted by Saiki to obtain the Three Sacred Treasures to power the time gate, Ash had no intention of helping Saiki. Ash is suddenly overtaken by Saiki's persona, facing the champions of the tournaments. Saiki is defeated in the gate but persists on crossing over to the past, believing it means nothing since he can return to the past and then cross the gate again to attempt his plan anew. However, Ash halts his attempt and allows the gate to close, leaving Saiki trapped in the present. With Ash being descendant of Saiki, he denies Saiki's existence in the past and forces his own existence to cease. As Ash vanishes from the living world, the flow of time resumes. In the epilogue of the Story Mode, Chizuru and Iori recovers their powers. The remaining members of Saiki's group leave. As it appears everybody forgets Ash's existence, Elizabeth remains emotionally destroyed as she still remembers their childhood.