Exciting news has emerged from the world of gaming and sports, as Takashi Nishiyama, the legendary creator behind Street Fighter, is set to develop a new boxing game. This innovative project is in collaboration with The Ring, a long-standing boxing magazine, as announced by Turki Alalshikh, Chairman of Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority, on his official X account. Alalshikh, who acquired The Ring in November 2024, shared that the untitled game will introduce original characters, blending "The Ring's unmatched authority in boxing" with the "decades-long experience in crafting classic games" from Dimps, Nishiyama's company.
Dimps, known for its recent release, Freedom Wars Remastered in January 2025, is poised to start development on this new boxing title. The collaboration is a significant move, especially considering the increasing involvement of the Saudi Arabian royal family in Japan's gaming industry. This trend was highlighted in April 2024 when it was announced that the Saudi Crown Prince's foundation had acquired 100% of SNK's shares. The Ring has also played a role in promoting SNK's upcoming Fatal Fury: City of Wolves, with a notable boxing match collaboration held at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on April 26, 2025. Nishiyama's historical ties to SNK, where he created the Fatal Fury series and worked on other iconic titles like Metal Slug and King of Fighters, add an intriguing layer to this partnership.
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Reactions from the Japanese gaming community to the announcement of The Ring and Dimps' collaboration have been a mix of surprise and curiosity. Many are eager to see how the game will turn out, with sentiments like "What?!! I want to play it!" echoing across social media. X user @ryo_redcyclone, known for his Street Fighter posts, responded with an insightful comment: "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."
The main concern among fans revolves around whether the structured rules of boxing will limit Nishiyama's creative flair, known for his quirky characters and unconventional moves in past fighting games. For instance, Street Fighter's Balrog, a Mike Tyson lookalike, uses moves like the Buffalo Head, which clearly breach professional boxing regulations. It will be fascinating to observe whether The Ring and Dimps' new boxing game will adopt a realistic approach to the sport or if it will break the rules, embracing the imaginative style Nishiyama is celebrated for.
