The game has a story mode involving a mysterious entity called Verse, created as a result of Ash Crimson's time and space distortion, when he refused Saiki's return to the past as he was defeated, resulting in the latter's obliteration. This anomaly attracted characters from other dimensions and universes, such as Nakoruru, and implicates two characters into the story plot.
Years after The King of Fighters XIII, a man known as Antonov plays host to the new "The King of Fighters" tournament. For the story mode, players can choose a team of three fighters and interact with others depending on their relationships.