{"rewrite":{"id":"r_c2d1e22c37bd8e0bff00d137","clusterId":"c_fcac3a6a91246c3873f80aed","slug":"kof98-if-launches-as-browser-game-enako-and-minami-ami-named-official-cosplayers","model":"deepseek-v4-flash","headline":"KOF98 IF Launches as Browser Game, Enako and Minami Ami Named Official Cosplayers","summary":"The King of Fighters series has a new entry: KOF98 IF (King of Fighters'98 Infinite Fighting), a 6vs6 turn-based card deck RPG based on KOF '98. Service began on August 31 via Mobage and Yahoo! Mobage. The game is free-to-play with item purchases and requires no installation, which the developers chose to let players jump into the world of KOF quickly from their smartphones. A release press conference was held on September 1, where CenturyUU president Shun Katsube, development representative Jeff, and DeNA's Toshihiro Arakuda discussed the concept. Katsube expressed confidence in the browser format, crediting cooperation with a Chinese developer that has worked on KOF-related titles for over 10 years. At the event, Enako and Minami Ami were announced as official cosplayers for Athena Asamiya and Mai Shiranui, respectively, appearing in costume. The game includes PVP, team-wide training systems, story scenarios, and light play elements such as a fishing game. A giveaway campaign for a signed three-piece set runs until September 30.","whyItMatters":"The browser game format is a deliberate counter to the trend of high-end mobile apps, positioning KOF98 IF as a low-friction entry point for a franchise that has historically been tied to arcade and console releases.","webCardHtml":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eKOF98 IF is a 6vs6 turn-based card deck RPG built on KOF \u0026#39;98, with gacha character collection, missions, and player-versus-player battles.\u003c/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eThe development team focused on the feel of play, including impact and satisfying moments, while keeping the versus fighting roots in mind for competitive elements like PVP.\u003c/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eTraining affects the whole team, not just individual characters, and the system is designed so raising a character is not wasted when switching, allowing favorites to stay useful to the end.\u003c/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eStory scenarios cover characters like Kyo Kusanagi, Iori Yagami, Athena Asamiya, and Mai Shiranui, with more content planned for future updates.\u003c/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eThe press conference featured CenturyUU president Shun Katsube, development team representative Jeff, and DeNA\u0026#39;s Toshihiro Arakuda, who operates Mobage and Yahoo! Mobage.\u003c/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eKatsube credited a Chinese developer with over 10 years of experience developing and operating KOF-related titles for making the browser format work.\u003c/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eThe giveaway campaign for the signed three-piece set, including a T-shirt, cooling towel, and tote bag, began on September 2 and runs until September 30 at 23:59, with entry by following the official X account and reposting.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","blueskyPost":"KOF98 IF is a browser game on purpose: no install, just open your phone and fight. CenturyUU says that is the whole point, a counter to high-end app games.","twitterPost":"Enako is now the official Athena Asamiya and Minami Ami the official Mai Shiranui for KOF98 IF. Both showed up in full costume at the launch event.","threadsPost":null,"newsletterBlurb":"The King of Fighters goes browser-only with KOF98 IF, a free-to-play card deck RPG now live on Mobage. Enako and Minami Ami are the official cosplayers for Athena and Mai, and the devs explain why they skipped the app store entirely.","attributionJson":"[{\"source\":\"Denfaminicogamer\",\"url\":\"https://news.denfaminicogamer.jp/?p=1625152\",\"title\":\"Enako appointed as official cosplayer for Athena Asamiya, Minami Ami for Mai Shiranui. Report on the announcement event for the new 'The King of Fighters' series title 'KOF98 IF,' which boldly goes with a 'browser game' in 2026\"},{\"source\":\"Denfaminicogamer\",\"url\":\"https://news.denfaminicogamer.jp/kikakuthetower/2609032l\",\"title\":\"Enako appointed as official cosplayer for Athena Asamiya, Minami Ami for Mai Shiranui. Report on the announcement event for 'The King of Fighters' series new title 'KOF98 IF,' which boldly competes as a 'browser game' in 2026\"}]","lintFlagsJson":null,"lintHits":0,"costUsd":0,"inputTokens":11874,"outputTokens":1427,"status":"published","repairAttempts":0,"nextRepairAt":null,"factsAttemptedAt":null,"createdAt":"2026-09-03T06:55:53.000Z","publishedAt":"2026-09-03T07:00:07.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-09-03T07:00:07.000Z"},"cluster":{"id":"c_fcac3a6a91246c3873f80aed","canonicalTitle":"えなこさんが麻宮アテナ、南あみさんが不知火舞の“公式コスプレイヤー”に就任。2026年にあえて“ブラウザゲーム”で勝負する『ザ・キング・オブ・ファイターズ』シリーズ新作『KOF98 IF』発表会レポート","representativeArticleId":"a_22e13fad0acb27e8c1942ae2","sourceCount":1,"writtenSourceCount":1,"writeAttempts":0,"isSolo":false,"entitiesJson":"{\"anime_titles\":[],\"manga_titles\":[],\"work_titles\":[\"The King of Fighters '98: IF\",\"The King of Fighters\"],\"studios\":[],\"people\":[\"Enako\",\"Minami Ami\"],\"type\":\"announcement\",\"domain\":\"games\",\"is_roundup\":false}","contentType":"news","status":"published","firstSeenAt":"2026-09-03T03:41:48.000Z","lastSeenAt":"2026-09-03T03:41:48.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-09-03T07:00:08.000Z"},"attribution":[{"source":"Denfaminicogamer","url":"https://news.denfaminicogamer.jp/?p=1625152","title":"えなこさんが麻宮アテナ、南あみさんが不知火舞の“公式コスプレイヤー”に就任。2026年にあえて“ブラウザゲーム”で勝負する『ザ・キング・オブ・ファイターズ』シリーズ新作『KOF98 IF』発表会レポート"}],"entities":{"anime_titles":[],"manga_titles":[],"work_titles":["The King of Fighters '98: IF","The King of Fighters"],"studios":[],"people":["Enako","Minami Ami"],"type":"announcement","domain":"games","is_roundup":false},"keyFacts":["KOF98 IF is a 6vs6 turn-based card deck RPG based on KOF '98, launched on August 31 via Mobage and Yahoo! Mobage.","The game is a free-to-play browser game with item purchases and no installation required.","Enako was announced as official cosplayer for Athena Asamiya, and Minami Ami for Mai Shiranui, at a September 1 press conference.","CenturyUU president Shun Katsube credited a Chinese developer with over 10 years of KOF-related experience for the browser game's development.","A giveaway campaign for a signed three-piece set runs until September 30 on the official X account."]}