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TOKYO--The King of Fighters series used to return once a year, but this longtime tradition came to an end when SNK Playmore skipped King Of Fighters 2004. But it looks as though the series is not all dead. SNK Playmore recently filed a trademark and logo with the Japan Patent Office, and it looks like the perfect match for what could be an upcoming game named "The King of Fighters XI" (see logo above, left).

In December, current KOF series illustrator Falcoon disclosed that the next installment in the series was under development and that its title wouldn't include a year in its name.

While the registration of a trademark doesn't guarantee its use, it seems possible that The King of Fighters XI will be the title for the next series installment (since The King of Fighters 2004 would have been the 11th release in the series).

This new KOF is expected to be an arcade-only release at first, with console versions tagging along later. PlayStation 2 owners hoping to re-create the arcade experience can always grab a NeoGeo Stick 2 controller for their system, thanks to the efforts of Sega and SNK Playmore.

While this retro joystick is now available, it is unknown if or when KOF XI will be coming to home consoles.