SNK keeps Fatal Fury City of the Wolves ticking over with an ever-growing roster, but this one had slipped everybody's mind, even the die-hards. Because after the Tokyo Revengers and Tekken 8 crossovers, the Japanese publisher has decided to rummage through its archives and resurrect Laocorn Gaudeamus, the villain of the animated film Fatal Fury The Motion Picture released back in 1994. A character long-time fans are bound to know, yet one who had never been playable in an entry in the series. And for his arrival on 19 November, SNK clearly hasn't done things by halves.
Out of the closet 32 years on
For anyone who has never seen the anime Fatal Fury The Motion Picture, Laocorn Gaudeamus is its main antagonist, in a story where Terry Bogard and his friends must stop a megalomaniac warrior from getting his hands on the Armor of Mars. A descendant of a mighty fighter from antiquity, Laocorn is after the scattered pieces of this legendary armour in order to attain godlike power. In City of the Wolves, he learns that the final piece is up for grabs at the King of Fighters tournament, which prompts him to enter the competition himself. SNK has clearly wanted to pay tribute to the original film down to the smallest detail, since the character gets his original Japanese voice actor back, namely Shinichiro Miki, as well as his musical theme, which reprises the ending "Oh Angel". And the icing on the cake: his three henchmen Jamin, Hauer and Panni also show up in certain animations, notably in the character's introduction.
On the gameplay front, Laocorn Gaudeamus looks to have the full kit of a boss who is a proper nuisance to face. Aerial projectiles, teleports, an energy shield that can attack and defend at the same time: the character is clearly leaning on abilities worthy of a final boss. But his real party piece is his transformation via the Armor of Mars, which lets him power up his attacks and unleash even more spectacular techniques, including an enormous energy beam that bears a striking resemblance to Vegeta's Final Flash in Dragon Ball Z, only with less drama.
Laocorn Gaudeamus will be available on 19 November 2026 as part of the third Season Pass for Fatal Fury City of the Wolves, a season already well stocked with Kim Kaphwan, Duck King, Rick Strowd, and Mikey and Draken from Tokyo Revengers, ahead of Tekken 8's Reina, due in December.
