Prior to the game's console release, SNK celebrated the series' 15-year anniversary by updating the official King of Fighters website to feature images of K' and Mai Shiranui in the game's art style. This led to speculation that the two characters would be playable on the console versions of the game. This ended up being false, with both K' and Mai becoming absent from the final roster, with Elisabeth and Mature substituting as console-exclusive characters.