Marco Rodrigues Returns to the Ring in Fatal Fury
After more than two decades of being absent from the ring, Brazilian superstar Marco Rodrigues finally returns as a playable fighter in Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves. Revealed after the King of Fighters XV finals at Evo Japan 2024, Marco Rodrigues will return in Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves when it launches in early 2025. This will be his first playable appearance since the original Mark of the Wolves in 1999, known as Khushnood Butt in the English version’s launch at the time—and the KoF community is already celebrating the return of the Brazilian Beast to the lineup.
Just like many of the returning fighters we have already seen and gotten hands-on time with, Marco looks like he has most of his moves from the original Garou and will get an expanded kit from the new systems. We did get a glimpse into his new lore, with the Kyokugen Karate instructor having his dojo’s sign stolen by “forces unknown,” causing him to train elsewhere before attempting to get it back—hence the new Yuri’s fitness club stage featured in his reveal trailer.
Marco Rodrigues’ Long-Awaited Comeback
Before this return to Brazil, Marco was left on the sideline for over 20 years. His appearances in other SNK titles have been limited to a background character in stages or mentions during a game’s story, most recently appearing in the Art of Fighting Team endings in KoF XIV and XV.
A deeper look at his gameplay should be shown off in the coming months, potentially with a new playable build of the game at upcoming events like Evo 2024 after SNK brought the game to the public for the first time at Evo Japan. Currently, the game is slated to release on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC in early 2025, but if you can’t wait for more info, you can read our interview with the game’s director and producer.
It’s an exciting time for fans of the Fatal Fury series, as they eagerly anticipate the return of Marco Rodrigues and the release of Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves. With his unique fighting style and charismatic personality, Marco is sure to make a big impact in the game. Make sure to keep an eye out for any further updates on Marco’s gameplay and release date, as fans can’t wait to get their hands on this highly anticipated title.