In 1999, Elecbyte had a plan to create a customizable original fighting game engine, DOS-MUGEN. Then later, they created the first original MUGEN character called Kung Fu Man, among with 2 non-playable characters according to the intro and ending storyboards. Aside from it, the engine was released on July 17, 2001. It works platforms such as DOS Mugen, Winmugen and Linux Mugen which is allowed the users to customize before they distribute their website. DOS Mugen was ceased when Elecbyte switched into Linux platform in November 2001. Elecbyte had a request for donations in their site to legally obtain a Windows compiler to create a Windows version of M.U.G.E.N. However, the developers discontinued the project in 2003 and their website was shut off afterwards. Later, they speculated leaks to make public of a private Windows-based beta that was provided to donators. The public beta of Winmugen was released with "no limit" hack after their development.