Introduced as a direct challenge of corporate rival McDonald's, the Big King was Burger King's response to the Big Mac and had a similar style and taste. The sandwich was originally introduced in 1993 under the name Double Supreme during its testing stage. The name was switched to Big King when it was introduced nationally in 1997, and again to the King Supreme when reintroduced in 2002. The sandwich was discontinued in the North American market in the mid-2000s. In November 2013, Burger King brought the Big King back to the North American market as a permanent menu item. The Big King sandwich's recipe is exactly the same as the original 1990s recipe, including a three-piece roll. The Big King sandwich is also sold in many of the company's international markets in several forms.