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

The renowned creator of Street Fighter, Takashi Nishiyama, has embarked on an exciting new project: a boxing game developed in partnership with The Ring, the iconic boxing magazine. This collaboration was unveiled on the official X account of Turki Alalshikh, Chairman of Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority, who acquired The Ring in November 2024. The game, yet to be titled, 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, a refreshed version of a PlayStation Vita game for modern consoles in January 2025. According to Alalshikh's tweet, development on the boxing game is slated to begin imminently.

The Saudi Arabian royal family has shown a growing interest in Japan's gaming industry. In April 2024, they acquired full ownership of SNK, a prominent Japanese game company, through the Saudi Crown Prince's foundation. The Ring has also been actively involved in promoting SNK's upcoming title, Fatal Fury: City of Wolves, by hosting a boxing match collaboration event at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on April 26, 2025. Nishiyama, who once worked at SNK in the 1990s, is well-known for creating the Fatal Fury series and contributing to other major SNK franchises like Metal Slug and King of Fighters.

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Japanese fans have expressed a mix of surprise and curiosity about the The Ring and Dimps collaboration. Reactions range from enthusiastic exclamations of "What?!! I want to play it!" to eager anticipation 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."

A significant concern among fans revolves around whether the structured rules of boxing will limit Nishiyama's creative freedom, especially given the unconventional characters and moves featured in his previous fighting games. For instance, Street Fighter's Balrog, a character resembling Mike Tyson, incorporates moves like kicks and the Buffalo Head, which clearly defy professional boxing regulations. It remains to be seen whether The Ring and Dimps' new boxing game will adhere to realistic boxing rules or embrace a more rule-breaking style.