Samurai Shodown will see its roster expand a little bit next week. Landing on November 18, 2019 (just in time for its Stadia launch), SNK’s bloody fighting reboot will gain Kazuki Kazama as a selectable character. Hailing from Samurai Shodown IV, Kazama is a hot-headed teenager that does battle with fire. His short temper and wild ambition are matched only by his unpredictable nature.

As his color scheme shows, most of Kazama’s special attacks are based around pyrotechnics. He can light his opponents on fire with special grabs, hurl fireballs, and even engulf his sword to look neat. His super art is a massive inferno that rages high into the sky, burning everything it touches. His real skill is in rush down attacks, closing the gap and attacking before players know what hit them.

Samurai Shodown released this past summer to a positive critical reception. After years of middling games, SNK seemed to spring back to life when it brought King of Fighters XIV out. Following up on the success of that, it started on reviving Samurai Shodown for a new generation.

Adopting a style similar to calligraphy paintings, the latest entry wound the clock back to nearly the beginning so that SNK could start off fresh. This also gave the team a possibility to include characters from both the beginning and later chapters of the series. As such, the main roster was comprised of characters that hadn’t been seen since those early Neo Geo days.

Soon after launch, SNK announced it had teamed up with Bandai Namco to bring Samurai Shodown protagonist Haohmaru to Soulcalibur VI. This was then followed up with Terry Bogard from Fatal Fury heading into Smash Bros. Ultimate, cementing the fact that SNK was back to stay. Everything is looking up for the company, especially with King of Fighters XV set to be revealed next year and Samurai Shodown already getting confirmation of a second season of DLC.

Kazuki Kazama comes as part of Samurai Shodown’s season pass. Retailing for $19.99, it includes four characters of which Kazama will be the third. Its final character, Wan-Fu, will launch sometime in December.

Source: YouTube