Look, let us be honest—ByteDance's gaming arm Nuverse kicked off a rather cheeky crossover on August 27, bringing The King of Fighters 98 into the action RPG CoA: Crystal of Atlan. The iconic Mai Shiranui from The King of Fighters 98 has joined the fray, alongside Sugarleaf, a brand-new advancement class for the Fighter.

During this limited-time crossover running from August 27 to September 17, Mai Shiranui appears as a combat NPC across various in-game activities. You can challenge Mai Shiranui to snag exclusive goodies like the 'Scarlet Ring' aura and the 'Flower Butterfly Fan' accessory. Plus, the 'Blaze's Promise' login event hands out rewards such as the 'Red Fan's Light' frame and the 'With Fire' title if you log in for eight consecutive days.

In the 'With Fire' collaboration event, you can test your mettle against combat NPC Mai Shiranui across five intense rounds. Clearing these stages nets you exclusive emote animations, the 'Scarlet Ring' aura, and the 'Flower Butterfly Fan' accessory. On top of that, the publisher released the 'Red Flame Butterfly Dance' exclusive costume tailored for Fighter and Gunner classes, alongside a Mai Shiranui SD character pet to fully embrace the crossover vibe.

The newly minted 'Sugarleaf' Fighter advancement relies on musical rhythms to amp up physical stats, unleashing speedy punches and kicks to the beat. You can fast-track the progression of Sugarleaf through the 'Explosive Debut Stage' growth event series, which doles out gear supply boxes, enhancement tickets, raid materials, leveling resources, and costume packages.

Meanwhile, the official webtoon adaptation titled CoA: Voyage of Destiny has officially begun serialization. Set in Atlan, a floating continent where magic and machinery coexist, the spin-off follows a greenhorn adventurer named Claris teaming up with the magic swordsman Zel to uncover the world's deepest truths.

You can find all the juicy details over at the official website.