Mai Shiranui returns to Fatal Fury with a redesign in City of the Wolves

Fighting games have broken new ground in every way. Street Fighter 6 was the first main Street Fighter game to feature a guest character from another developer’s franchise, while Tekken 8 ignored its own executive producer and brought Heihachi back from the dead. Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves is not out yet, and it’s a groundbreaking move in its own right. The charming ninja girl Mai Shiranui is back, and she’s wearing pants.

A fan favorite, Mai Shiranui was first introduced in Fatal Fury 2. She returned in Fatal Fury 3, but did not appear in Garou: Mark of the Wolves, with the only other character to return from the game being Terry Bogard. While the series has been on hiatus for over 20 years, Mai has instead been a staple in The King of Fighters games, wearing the same red kunoichi outfit with only minor changes each time. However, the latest Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves trailer not only confirms her return to the Fatal Fury series, but also shows off her new default outfit. This is the first time she has ditched her red kunoichi outfit as her default, opting instead for a stylish leather jacket, black pants, and high-heeled boots.

The trailer also shows her classic outfit, but there’s no confirmation on how to get it. The only other alternate outfit we currently know of is Terry’s classic outfit, which is shown at the end of Mai’s reveal trailer as a pre-order bonus DLC outfit.

It’s unclear if Mai’s classic outfit will be DLC, but the release date for City of the Wolves is a given. The gameplay trailer confirmed the game’s release date as April 24, 2025, and Season Pass 1 of the DLC will feature five slots for characters. The silhouettes used are generic, so there’s currently no way to guess which characters will be appearing in the game as DLC. At least Mai can be ruled out. Her triumphant return to Fatal Fury would make for a great addition to her wardrobe.