The legendary Takashi Nishiyama, creator of Street Fighter, is embarking on a thrilling new venture—a boxing game developed in collaboration with the iconic boxing magazine, The Ring. This exciting news was shared by Turki Alalshikh, the Chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, via his official X account. Alalshikh, who acquired The Ring in November 2024, announced that the yet-to-be-titled game will feature original characters and leverage The Ring's unparalleled authority in boxing, combined with Dimps' extensive 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 remaster of a PlayStation Vita title for modern consoles. The development of this new boxing game is set to begin soon, promising a fresh take on the genre.
In recent years, the Saudi Arabian royal family has shown a growing interest in Japan’s gaming industry. This interest was highlighted in April 2024 when it was announced that the Saudi Crown Prince’s foundation acquired 100% of the shares of 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 event held at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on April 26, 2025. Nishiyama's past with SNK, where he created the Fatal Fury series and worked on other flagship titles like Metal Slug and King of Fighters, adds an intriguing layer to this new project.
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Reactions from the Japanese community to the announcement of the collaboration between The Ring and Dimps have been overwhelmingly positive, ranging from excited exclamations like “What?!! I want to play it!” to genuine curiosity about the final product. @ryo_redcyclone, an avid Street Fighter enthusiast on X, commented on the news, reflecting on Nishiyama’s approach to game design: “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 is whether the structured rules of boxing will limit Nishiyama’s renowned creativity, especially considering the unique characters and unconventional moves in his previous works. For instance, Street Fighter's character Balrog, inspired by Mike Tyson, uses moves like the Buffalo Head that clearly violate professional boxing regulations. The anticipation builds as fans wonder if The Ring and Dimps' new boxing game will embrace a realistic approach or break the mold with innovative gameplay.
