The King of Fighters 2003 is the tenth game in The King of Fighters series. It is the last game of the series to be based on the Neo-Geo MVS hardware, and the first game in the series that was developed and published under the SNK Playmore custody. It is also the first chapter of the "Tales of Ash Saga", the third story arc of the series, and the last game of the series with the year's release in the title.