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

Street Fighter creator Takashi Nishiyama is embarking on an exciting new venture, developing a brand new boxing game in collaboration with The Ring, a long-standing boxing magazine. The announcement came via the official X account of Turki Alalshikh, who serves as the Chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority and 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, the company owned by Nishiyama, recently released Freedom Wars Remastered, a remastered version of a PlayStation Vita game for modern consoles in January 2025. Alalshikh's tweet indicates that development of the new boxing title will commence soon.

The Saudi Arabian royal family has shown a growing interest in Japan’s gaming industry. In April 2024, it was disclosed that the Saudi Crown Prince’s foundation acquired 100% of the shares in Japanese game company SNK. The Ring Magazine has also played a role in promoting SNK’s upcoming game, Fatal Fury: City of Wolves, through a boxing match collaboration at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on April 26, 2025. Nishiyama, who worked at SNK in the 1990s, is known for creating the Fatal Fury series and contributing to major SNK franchises like Metal Slug and King of Fighters.

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The Japanese gaming community's reactions to the announcement of the The Ring x Dimps collaboration have ranged from surprise and excitement to curiosity about the final product. X user @ryo_redcyclone, a frequent poster of Street Fighter content, commented on the news, referencing 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.”

There is considerable interest in whether the structured rules of boxing will limit Nishiyama’s creative freedom, especially given the eccentric characters and unconventional moves featured in his previous fighting games. For instance, Street Fighter’s character Balrog, who resembles Mike Tyson, uses moves like kicks and the Buffalo Head, which are clearly against professional boxing regulations. It will be fascinating to see if The Ring and Dimps’ new boxing game opts for a realistic portrayal of the sport or if it will break the rules to offer something more unique and engaging.