It’s been a week, it’s barely the end of marking period at university, and with various other things going on, I’ve noticed a drop in online activity but a resurgence in tech posts which would suggest players are more busy trying out the new characters rather than going online; at the rate I’m going, I won’t be ready for a while yet!
Remember that the patch note with inputs can be found here
The reception is devoid of complaints so far, so that’s a great sign. There are some who wish Krohnen hadnt changed but that’s par for the course. Who will be the newest top tier doesn’t seem clear and that again is a great sign of balance. However, it’s early days. Shingo is fun and hasn’t broken the game with his gacha chance gameplay. Some characters have been buffed, some nerfed, and some key features have been tweaked. Again so far, no complaints, so that’s a good thing, let’s go!!
The nerfind of ‘crouching B as anti air’ did not affect punishing landing opponents, so there is still no tripguard in KOF.
The top players have been using Krohnen, Iori, Andy, Kula, K’, Chiz, Kyo, Jenet, O.Yashi Right now there’s a big spread of characters as they are digging for tiers with Meity, Heidern, Shun’Ei and… Luong.
Let’s take a look at what’s been posted so far. I apologise in advance if you didn’t want your tweets to be posted here, I didn’t have time to indivually ask everyone for permission. Please send me a message and I’ll remove it, sorry again.
System
The new changes to crouching B as anti air hasn’t even been demonstrated simply, at least I didn’t see it, but I will update this post with my own demo.
Amusing ramifications of the "2B can't anti air" change #PS5Share, #THEKINGOFFIGHTERSXV pic.twitter.com/dLnGMm4R4B
— WorldTourManiac Olaf / ??? (@OlafRedland) January 21, 2023
Athena
Might be a new threat, as with many characters, which is a good sign for overall balance, at the same time terrifying.
Pin pin jumpscare
Ex teleport is once against invul against strikes so Athena can force her ex teleport into ex command grab, making it really annoying to deal with #KOFXV_Athena pic.twitter.com/Oq8qSdyasX
— TA | wauhti ?? (@SpiidiOnNoita) January 21, 2023
????????????????EX?????10?????
???????????#KOF15 #KOFXV pic.twitter.com/HPr8JLl6pU— ??? (@jdpajdpa) January 23, 2023
???#Athena #SNK #KOF#?????????? pic.twitter.com/ZOOmD5diw1
— ISA1000mg (@isa1000mg) January 22, 2023
Ash
Not sure why this character got buffed but okayyyyyyy,
Ash 4.5 bar mid screen TOD (No Max Mode) #KOFXV #KOF15 #KOFXV_ASH #THEKINGOFFIGHTERSXV pic.twitter.com/OFlm31UveR
— ?HBHollaback?? (@HBHollaback) January 23, 2023
Ash after the new #KOFXV patch:#Ashcrimson pic.twitter.com/ynGCgTc4W1
— helsic (@helsic) January 23, 2023
Andy
????????????????????
?????????????????????????????
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#PS4share pic.twitter.com/ByJ9wfJxcA— ??? (@ttmusic0125) January 22, 2023
Angel
She has a few moves speeded up, ofc those who don’t use her won’t see anything apart from more damage coming their way. However if you depend on that crossup C, watch out, people are getting wise to it by using rdp.
Angel gets 438 damage meterless from a big jump in, but the route doesn't work from lights. For half a bar she gets at least 382 (I'm sure there's more optimal routes). Who gets more whilst still being meter positive? #KOFXV #kofxv_angel pic.twitter.com/oStmNEnKam
— aloysius (@raisedbyfinches) January 23, 2023
???????????????????#KOF15?#KOFXV?#????
????????
?KOF15?Ver1.62?????????????3?????15 https://t.co/vlSkWTkF1j @YouTube?? pic.twitter.com/vlBwdjytCW— vane@??? (@vanevane36) January 20, 2023
B Jenet
The pirate still seems strong, even though her far C spam has been slowed down by 2F. Not really a surprise for the next Fatal Fury game icon.
??MOW B.???? | ???? #pixiv https://t.co/IdigAQzve4
??23????????????1????????#SNK #?? #KOF pic.twitter.com/BZZhhHLiJQ— ???? (@noriten) January 22, 2023
#KOFXV B.Jenet vs Krohnen corner damage comparison with 1.5 bars pic.twitter.com/x3HsCfzqUb
— cyber_kusanagi (@CyberKusanagi) January 18, 2023
B.JENET | THE KING OF FIGHTERS XV pic.twitter.com/LtOr11jO43
— Tetsukichi (@te2kichi_) January 22, 2023
happy birthday!? pic.twitter.com/lpMqgNpwGX
— ????? (@oni_gini) January 23, 2023
Benimaru
Nobody will make a video about his far D, but it’s invulnerable to crouch D, so he’ll be more aggressive in play. The 3F ex is not a buff, it’s always been there, but people were focused on combos!
Benimaru can now stun with only one max mode activation thanks to the raijinken buff, can't kill though because of the CD nerf, here is the new route #kofXV #kofxv_benimaruhttps://t.co/TB16TPluUK@fighterscafe
— Renato Ramos (@renatoramosp) January 23, 2023
Benimaru's 236BD is 3F.
Here are 5 things you can punish with it!#KOFXV #KOF15 #KOF_benimaru pic.twitter.com/6dLBuFPraT— Chris_F (@Chris_F_22) January 23, 2023
Benimaru corner 0.5 bar safejump.
Don't do 28K after 236B. -30 dmg but you get a safejump/pressure.#KOFXV #KOF15 #KOF_benimaru pic.twitter.com/MIS0ps84Jh— Chris_F (@Chris_F_22) January 21, 2023
Billy
Might be the new annoying crouching character.
#KOF15 #KOFXV
?????????????????????? pic.twitter.com/Lat02Rk340— ???KK (@KKZK61539201) January 23, 2023
#PS5Share, #THEKINGOFFIGHTERSXV pic.twitter.com/Gcns75fuSv
— WorldTourManiac Olaf / ??? (@OlafRedland) January 23, 2023
#KOF15 #KOFXV
????2B??????????EX????????????????????
?????7???????????????? pic.twitter.com/vboWRpimOE— ???KK (@KKZK61539201) January 22, 2023
????????????????????EX???????????10????????#KOF15#KOFXV https://t.co/PrzoAns3Dh pic.twitter.com/FCCZLxtnEj
— ???(??) (@tawarazawa) January 20, 2023
#KOF15 #KOFXV
?????????????????????
?????????????????? pic.twitter.com/ypftt9RrGS— ???KK (@KKZK61539201) January 20, 2023
Clark
Can’t build meter from whiff grabs, so you have to do Vulcan. As Oogosyo says, he’s harder to use which means it’ll be harder to deal with Iori.
ver1.62 ????
???????????????????#KOFXV#PS5Share, #THEKINGOFFIGHTERSXV pic.twitter.com/xoGCnR6jIc— KRone?Abao ??? (@abao014) January 19, 2023
Chizuru
Another character who didn’t need buffs but she got some!
Oh…I should try and practice this in real match ?
Chizuru's 6+B have "now invulnerable to low attacks while attack is in motion." buff in this patch ?
I use Clark as CPU to test because he (and Benimaru + Iori) have fastest sweep in KOFXV #KOFXV #KOF15 #KOFXV_Chizuru pic.twitter.com/Eqw1pjAGMU
— Renz : KOFXV Full mode (@Mekikung) January 23, 2023
Darli
Surf’s up dude with an anywhere juggle property but I don’t feel like continuing to play this character… I played her for the last season and we didn’t gel. But if you haven’t tried her, you should, she’s very fun!
Huh. Part of the EX Surf change? #kofxv_darli #PS5Share, #THEKINGOFFIGHTERSXV pic.twitter.com/zeDBwpqjHN
— WorldTourManiac Olaf / ??? (@OlafRedland) January 22, 2023
Was depressed with the Darli buffs on paper, but I haven't tried her out yet in VS.
Happy to find a stun for her though. #KOFXV #kofxv_darli pic.twitter.com/cWzvScCFAt
— ON | Dark Chaotix (@Dark_Chaotix) January 21, 2023
Delores
???????????????????????????…( ??? )#SNK#KOF pic.twitter.com/HhkQa4GQ9V
— PN??????? (@PN04) January 22, 2023
Dinosaur
New max damage meter dump from mid combo quick max activation? ? Anchor Dino only!
Requires some timing…#KOFXV #KOFXV_Dinosaur pic.twitter.com/fKUd8Ru1Wk
— Woozle (@woozle1x) January 22, 2023
Gato
The cat got a heavy nerf as it’s no longer possible to mash crouching A into EX qcf, now he’s one of those characters that need a bit more skill, but is it that much more?
??????B??????????????????????? #PS4sharehttps://t.co/ASknnEtUYt pic.twitter.com/UK41WKsHbP
— ???????????® (@peace_one) January 23, 2023
Geese
I feel like Geese will stay under the radar and remain a very strong character.
??????????????????????????
??????#KOF15?#????#PS5Share, #THEKINGOFFIGHTERSXV pic.twitter.com/P9X0xMczD4— ???? (@K3N_IIDX) January 20, 2023
????????????#KOF15 #KOFXV https://t.co/w2EjYORLJI pic.twitter.com/fXV1lSg0ds
— ???(??) (@tawarazawa) January 19, 2023
Iori
He’s going to be top tier again but not invincible. It feels like he is being brought closer to his XIV tier so the question is why wasn’t he like that in the first place? Also, a lot of combos are showcasing 4 bars, which means anchor position. On the other hand, there is Koukou…
??2????? #PS4share pic.twitter.com/SlUS9LLFZS
— Koukou / ????? (@koukou_panda) January 20, 2023
????????860??????? #PS4share pic.twitter.com/QYV6CUY6tp
— ?????????(??18???) (@kuzutetsu1) January 22, 2023
https://twitter.com/Tango6256/status/1616777038320500736?t=cZ5d5ZA2B-tPb1zb-X1GZg&s=19
Isla
?????????????????????………?????
?????……?????????????? pic.twitter.com/xd7VwimWpL— Ayato3?³? (@ayato_g90210) January 22, 2023
Joe
https://twitter.com/BJ2333333/status/1616828131259842561?t=xieLYunjV-nh1I7m1mKlTA&s=19
Leona
Apparently SNK wanted players to use the heart attack more often in combos. With the 2F speed up, they got their wish.
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??????????????????????????????(???????????????)??????????????????????????? pic.twitter.com/wszaK6GugR
— SR@KOF (@sr_98umfe) January 21, 2023
Leona new combo TOD ! #Leona #KOFXVhttps://t.co/vfVE0k3IGp pic.twitter.com/VswqzdJQ9X
— Ky-Dragon (@Ky_Dragon_) January 22, 2023
Leona Stun Tod Combo#KOFXV_LEONA #STUN #TOD #COMBO #KOFXV #KOF15 #session2 #PS5Share, #THEKINGOFFIGHTERSXV pic.twitter.com/ZKIsYtUgrX
— ????_?8?? (@iori_q8) January 22, 2023
???????????#??????????#KOFXV pic.twitter.com/8X0BKtyY30
— ???? (@nami_haru) January 22, 2023
Leona Heidern #KOF #leonaheidern #art #fanart pic.twitter.com/5lhL85xM2O
— Patiño_art (@Acehazashi) January 21, 2023
Luong
Watch out for this character. Xiaohai has taken quite a shine to her, which is good news for seeing more of the lovely lady on screen, or bad news if you’re an opponent, with her instant guard break (on bigger opponents) and crossup game.
Luong anti fireballs Tec #KOFXV #KOFXV_Luong pic.twitter.com/sZkUjiFaWD
— MDJS-Esport WOLFMAN (@FGC_WOLFMAN) January 24, 2023
If you do EX moon slasher in this combo, you don’t need to delay vs crouchers, it just works. Also – I didn’t know V Slasher midscreen was possible in this route ? #KOFXV #KOFXV_Leona pic.twitter.com/q89FMRK41V
— Sundown?????? (@sundown623) January 21, 2023
Luong 2 meters corner reset from cr B ? #KOFXV #kofxv_Luong pic.twitter.com/TJp2xtE48o
— MDJS-Esport WOLFMAN (@FGC_WOLFMAN) January 21, 2023
Luong Stun Combo
Re-upload better ending#KOFXV_LUONG #STUN #COMBO #KOFXV #KOF15 #session2 #PS5Share, #THEKINGOFFIGHTERSXV pic.twitter.com/hcWoC2SkjB— ????_?8?? (@iori_q8) January 23, 2023
#KOF15?#???
0.5????????????????F?? pic.twitter.com/ZraWlffYU4— ??????(´??) (@majinemui7638) January 22, 2023
????????????????? #PS4sharehttps://t.co/OMINiiqhos pic.twitter.com/HZyBHh46Ni
— ???41 (@zerio_youhei) January 21, 2023
????????????????????????? #PS4share pic.twitter.com/cpLzqcbrVG
— ??? (@nisepachi) January 23, 2023
https://twitter.com/Negrescore0/status/1617166558027218944?t=GMOB61eR4x6bobn2GwbR2A&s=19
Krohnen
Well, SNK listened to the overwhelming outcry and this character is no longer the beginners’ favourite. He is now left in the hands of the pro players, and there he is still deadly, who will commit to his slow dp, and cancel it into super as usual. However, they miss, the recovery is now so long, you could activate and destroy them utterly.
Krohnen Heat Shield C can be punish hard with raw maxmode now ..
Justice has been served !#KOFXV #KOF15 pic.twitter.com/7iBfdNiGCG— XFrame ?? (@FGC_XFrame) January 21, 2023
Kyo
??? pic.twitter.com/GbbWh4C8rb
— Kura (@kuradan717) January 22, 2023
? cosplay ???? ?KOF
KOF15 / ??? ?
photo : @abios_2004 #?????? pic.twitter.com/o0CcRVCuW7
— ?????? (@kourld) January 23, 2023
Mai
Bunny Mai.
These have been fun, 1-2 hours, need to walk away from whatever I'm doing for a bit drawings.
Anyone else I should try? I'm thinking Noi for sure. pic.twitter.com/a7ExVmNgwy
— @svonbuchwald.bsky.social (@svonbuchwald) January 22, 2023
????????????#??????????#???? pic.twitter.com/Myt14hg0nm
— ??? (@tororops) January 22, 2023
????
??????????????#???? #KOF #?????????? pic.twitter.com/CAmi42XRNo— areku (@areku_00) January 21, 2023
I think this 2 charge 9 + LP is a good new tool of Mai on this patch ??#KOFXV #KOF15 #KOFXV_Mai pic.twitter.com/P1F64kp4il
— Renz : KOFXV Full mode (@Mekikung) January 21, 2023
New setup for mai new saison 2 #KOFXV , maybe her new hop musasabi no mai can be safe and jump behind ex Dps ??, here is the exemple#kofxv_mai pic.twitter.com/1AfLxCkjZf
— AGG | KhaTefx ?? (@khatefx) January 20, 2023
Maxima
?????3C?????????????????????????????????????????????#SNK#KOF15#KOFXVhttps://t.co/qDaGNgt4xr pic.twitter.com/fXzNYlYGxa
— ????HARDWORKER (@HARDWORKER_KOF) January 22, 2023
Leads to a 4 fr safe-jump! @amedo310 @orochinagicom @reiki_kito @violentkain #kofxv_maxima #WeWantXanadu #THEKINGOFFIGHTERSXV pic.twitter.com/iF7uz7pJYU
— Vicio (@OnVCO) January 23, 2023
One major buff Maxima received this patch was reduced recovery on both A and C Vapor Cannon, This now means that on GC roll only A is punishable and with only a throw at that if the spacing is correct, C version is now 0 on GC roll so you get nothing! pic.twitter.com/xuEjSspNWh
— Boroshin (@Boroshin) January 20, 2023
Bonus
It's time for the sweetest Sakazaki sibling to let the world know if she's ready for battle! Let's hear it for YURI SAKAZAKI!!!
Huge thanks to @yukiswitch422 for her amazing #cosplay and @sakurabaphoto for recording!#KOF #SNK #???? #??????? pic.twitter.com/SpFzNM8y70
— ChocoFox?? (@Whodigiya) January 23, 2023
Orochi Chris
With the new #KOFXV_ChrisOrochi Dp L buff he can now punish jumps more consistenly, also his 2C 214A anti air gameplan is not unsafe pic.twitter.com/N66WgJ20ra
— cyber_kusanagi (@CyberKusanagi) January 20, 2023
Orochi Yashiro
Combos improved. He is turning out to be the real value for money dlc that should have always been better than the free Yashiro.
O Shermie
2 buff of Orochi Shermie season 2 in one clip ?
– Her 214+C have less recovery so she can finished her 1.5 meter corner combo with HP instead of 2+LP for more damage ?
– She can cancel her 236236+PP after aerial 236236+K and damage is so good ?#KOFXV #KOF15 #KOFXV_OShermie pic.twitter.com/xjqF7B5CZe— Renz : KOFXV Full mode (@Mekikung) January 21, 2023
Ramon
From the weakest rated character to something scary? The opinions are mixed on whether he is still viable but these buffs are definitely appreciated and need to be explored.
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????????????F????????????????????????
(??????EX????F???????)#KOF15#KOFXV #kofxv_ramon pic.twitter.com/FzvaLYzmfX— ????? (@weeXIX) January 21, 2023
the closeA buffs means this is more consistent to do pic.twitter.com/IP6PzdEaWC
— Faizer (the Bug- lad) (@LivingDeoraII) January 21, 2023
EX???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
?????????? #PS4share pic.twitter.com/C7F2wENQsn— ???????????® (@peace_one) January 22, 2023
????#PS5Share, #THEKINGOFFIGHTERSXV pic.twitter.com/z7HcdU9jO2
— MeG?Tuyurivader (@tuyur1vader) January 23, 2023
Rugal
Rugal still feels like a nerfed boss, but if course he is, the boss run, although ‘easy’, contains a Rugal with potentially terrifying power. So making him playable and not OP (bearing in mind he’s a free character and of no financial benefit to SNK) must be quite the challenge. His new far C cancel property should make him more interesting in attack.
?KOF15???Rugal stun combo.
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??????????1????????????????6B?2??????????????????????????????????????????
???????????????????( ???)#KOFXV #combo pic.twitter.com/uV4pIuUk8s— ??? (@kawama3141) January 22, 2023
Shermie
So everyone knows that her crouching C is 2F slower and the hitbox is reduced, but that will still hit most precise jump ins on reaction. For others it may be better to rely on stand C, the concurrent theme being to change the way of playing, a standing counter being more risky and open.
The addition of Shermie Cute after Whip is nice, but the pros won’t use it due to the loss of mix up.
????????????????(@yasupi24)(https://t.co/FBs0Zt7PpE)?????????????
???????????????????????????????????????????????????????
??ver?????????????????????????? pic.twitter.com/zpcAGONof8— ?? (@kakinosubaru78) January 22, 2023
Shingo
Gatcha players have their character now. The mental stack is a bit much at first, but after a bit of practice you will be ready to do one of two combos at any time, depending on getting a critical hit! As for tournament pressure, well…
Shingo is a fun character, lots of fun combos, OTGs, big damage, and the combos are easy! Players say his anti airs are not strong, it doesn’t seem so to me, but I haven’t played anyone online yet!
If you land this in tournament, you should be automatically tournament winning
0.00001024% chance to land this is assumed that 1/5 of times critical happens
Someone tested that in 1000 tries, there was 191 critical https://t.co/O7PGjoQ24e
— TA | wauhti ?? (@SpiidiOnNoita) January 24, 2023
#KOFXV_SHINGO Double 236AC crit into raw max combo pic.twitter.com/uEzP9JlHLb
— Rikir (@Al_Rikir) January 22, 2023
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?????????6B??????
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??????????????????#KOF15https://t.co/8teVEjV6le pic.twitter.com/wsGpkIkPNW— AMTRS|????? (@kkkog) January 19, 2023
Shun’Ei
Perhaps the most worked on character. Will his air game make any difference?
?????????????????????????????????????????????
14??????????????? pic.twitter.com/QSkY43UqL4— ??????? (@16_seize) January 23, 2023
?????????????CD????????????????????????????????????? #PS4sharehttps://t.co/OlmMvg9WYA pic.twitter.com/BPOPipS9XR
— ?????????(??18???) (@kuzutetsu1) January 21, 2023
https://twitter.com/Amedo310/status/1617290181173821442?t=ZYIRgw9mUIMTsYD-qlFVaA&s=19
https://twitter.com/Amedo310/status/1617309359997861888?t=4oypOQWpRywsf-RzkX4snA&s=19
Ryo
Clemence Bellamy has arrived in Japan! He's already managed to score an interview with both of the Sakazaki siblings! First up… RYO!
Many thanks to @sakurabaphoto for participating and @yukiswitch422 for recording!#KOF #SNK #Cosplay#???? #??????? pic.twitter.com/qUrK3zOylS
— ChocoFox?? (@Whodigiya) January 22, 2023
Terry
New Terry max damage combo using the delayed cl.D cancel and the Rising Tackle A buffs#KOFXV#KOFXV_Terry pic.twitter.com/JWt0FaWQdw
— BusterWolf (@Busterwolf_R) January 20, 2023
?????????????????????????5???759
????(?)???????????? pic.twitter.com/vFBRXEN6aE— ??? (@fair_loves_luka) January 21, 2023
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???????????https://t.co/6Jqsfn9T1t pic.twitter.com/eHmglR3DJv— ??? (@fair_loves_luka) January 20, 2023
Yamazaki
Another dlc character getting some value for money buffs that he should have had before.
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????EX???????????MAX????????????????????????????????
????EX????????????????????#KOFXV_YAMAZAKI? #PS4share pic.twitter.com/rn6LaHQM7R— ???????? (@sasasasasaitho) January 22, 2023
?????#?????????? pic.twitter.com/8ebZjq25w9
— ????? (@mofnyan) January 21, 2023
KOFUM??????#KOF #?????????? pic.twitter.com/kOzwReYd3q
— ??? ?????????????? (@akisu_K) January 23, 2023
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??????????????????????????????
?????????????????????????????????#KOFXV_YAMAZAKI? #PS4share pic.twitter.com/FhcWPsWGy0— ???????? (@sasasasasaitho) January 22, 2023
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MAX?????????????????????????”????????”??????
????????????????????????????????????#KOFXV_YAMAZAKI? #PS4shar pic.twitter.com/BTa3RDSg2q— ???????? (@sasasasasaitho) January 19, 2023
Yuri
Yuri charge projectile (especially EX) has good upperhand pretty much against every projectiles that are either EX or Super LV1 projectiles #KOFXV_Yuri pic.twitter.com/FCddXUKmrX
— TA | wauhti ?? (@SpiidiOnNoita) January 20, 2023
Whip
Yeah, Whip going to be problem. Stance pull is +4 so you can use 2B to beat easily 4f mash and jump out tryings from any distance now. Look at input history that I'm mashing 2B and also few times holding upforward. Backdash seems to be only meterless universal option #KOFXV_Whip https://t.co/SH6CzTP9Lc pic.twitter.com/P0mZpmWICv
— TA | wauhti ?? (@SpiidiOnNoita) January 20, 2023
with 2A startup buff, you can now easily chase the opponent after jCD hits and net hard knd too before opponent can do quick tech. #KOFXV_Whip pic.twitter.com/wtk9q4cEZJ
— TA | wauhti ?? (@SpiidiOnNoita) January 21, 2023