Will Street Fighter Creator’s New Saudi-Backed Boxing Game Pack a Punch? Japanese Fans React

The legendary Takashi Nishiyama, renowned creator of Street Fighter, is stepping into the ring with an exciting new venture: a boxing game developed in partnership with The Ring, a long-standing boxing magazine. This announcement was made public via the official X account of Turki Alalshikh, the Chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, who acquired The Ring in November 2024. The untitled game promises to blend The Ring's authoritative voice in the boxing world with Dimps' rich history of developing iconic games.

As stated in Alalshikh's tweet, the new game will feature original characters and is set to be a groundbreaking collaboration between Nishiyama and Alalshikh. Dimps, Nishiyama's own company, most recently released Freedom Wars Remastered for modern consoles in January 2025, and is gearing up to begin development on this new boxing title shortly.

This project marks another significant investment by the Saudi Arabian royal family into Japan's gaming sector, following their complete acquisition of SNK's shares in April 2024. The Ring has also been actively promoting SNK's upcoming game, Fatal Fury: City of Wolves, through a unique boxing match event at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on April 26, 2025. Nishiyama's past with SNK, where he developed the Fatal Fury series and contributed to other major titles like Metal Slug and King of Fighters, adds an intriguing layer to this collaboration.

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Reactions from the Japanese community to the announcement of the collaboration between The Ring and Dimps have been a mix of astonishment and intrigue, with many eager to see what Nishiyama will create this time. X user @ryo_redcyclone, known for his Street Fighter content, highlighted Nishiyama's past comments on focusing on street fighting to avoid the restrictions of established sports. With this new project centered on boxing—a sport with strict rules—there's keen interest in how Nishiyama will navigate these constraints.

The gaming community is buzzing with speculation about the game's approach to boxing rules. Will it adhere strictly to the sport's conventions, or will it break away in the style of Street Fighter, where characters like Balrog perform moves that defy boxing norms? The anticipation for this new title is palpable, as fans await to see how Nishiyama's creative vision will translate into the world of boxing.