Saudi-Backed Boxing Game by Street Fighter Creator: Japanese Fans' Reactions

Takashi Nishiyama, the mastermind behind the iconic Street Fighter series, is embarking on a thrilling new venture: a boxing game developed in collaboration with the esteemed boxing magazine, The Ring. This exciting news broke on the official X account of Turki Alalshikh, Chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, who acquired The Ring in November 2024. The untitled game promises to feature original characters and blend "The Ring’s unmatched authority in boxing with game developer Dimps’ decades-long experience in crafting classic games."

Together with legendary Japanese video game designer Takashi Nishiyama, I am proud to announce a forthcoming boxing game presented by The Ring featuring original characters.

This strategic partnership between myself and Nishiyama brings together our unmatched authority in… pic.twitter.com/LRWyyZzkpz

— TURKI ALALSHIKH (@Turki_alalshikh) May 5, 2025

Dimps, Nishiyama's own company, recently released Freedom Wars Remastered in January 2025, a modern console update of a PlayStation Vita classic. Development on the new boxing game is set to begin imminently, as per Alalshikh’s tweet.

The Saudi Arabian royal family's interest in the Japanese gaming industry has been growing, evidenced by their acquisition of all shares in Japanese game developer SNK in April 2024 through the Saudi Crown Prince’s foundation. The Ring Magazine has further engaged in promoting SNK’s upcoming title, Fatal Fury: City of Wolves, by organizing a boxing match collaboration at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on April 26, 2025. Nishiyama, who once worked at SNK in the 1990s, contributed significantly to the Fatal Fury series and other flagship SNK franchises like Metal Slug and King of Fighters.

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The Japanese gaming community has responded with a mix of surprise and curiosity to the announcement of the The Ring and Dimps collaboration. Reactions range from eager anticipation, with comments like “What?!! I want to play it!” to intrigue about the final product.

X user @ryo_redcyclone, known for his Street Fighter content, commented on the news, reflecting on Nishiyama’s past work: “Commenting on the first Street Fighter, Nishiyama said: ‘I chose to focus on street fighting because established sports are restricted by rules.’ This time he is making a game based on boxing, a sport with rules, so I’m curious to see how it will turn out.”

Concerns among fans focus on whether the structured rules of boxing might limit Nishiyama’s renowned creativity, especially given the unique and unconventional characters and moves seen in his previous fighting games. For instance, Street Fighter's Balrog, a character reminiscent of Mike Tyson, uses moves like the Buffalo Head, which clearly violate professional boxing rules. It will be fascinating to observe whether The Ring and Dimps’ new boxing game leans towards a realistic depiction of the sport or opts for a more rule-breaking, fantastical approach.