New Boxing Game by Street Fighter’s Nishiyama and The Ring: Japanese Fans React

Takashi Nishiyama, creator of Street Fighter, is teaming up with The Ring magazine for a new boxing video game. The announcement came via a post on the official X account of Turki Alalshikh, Chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, who acquired The Ring in November 2024.

The post revealed that the upcoming game, still without a title, will feature original characters and blend "The Ring’s expertise in boxing with Dimps’ extensive experience in developing iconic 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 studio, recently released Freedom Wars Remastered in January 2025, updating a PlayStation Vita title for modern consoles. Alalshikh’s post noted that development of the boxing game will start soon.

Saudi Arabia’s royal family has deepened its investment in Japan’s gaming scene. In April 2024, the Saudi Crown Prince’s foundation acquired full ownership of SNK, a Japanese game company. The Ring also promoted SNK’s Fatal Fury: City of Wolves with a boxing event collaboration at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on April 26, 2025. Nishiyama, who worked at SNK in the 1990s, created Fatal Fury and contributed to series like Metal Slug and King of Fighters.

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Japanese fans have reacted to The Ring and Dimps collaboration with a mix of excitement and curiosity, with comments ranging from enthusiastic outbursts like “Wow, I can’t wait to try it!” to questions about the game’s final form.

X user @ryo_redcyclone, known for Street Fighter posts, commented: “Nishiyama once said about the first Street Fighter, ‘I focused on street fighting because sports have too many rules.’ Now he’s tackling boxing, a rule-bound sport, so I’m eager to see his approach.”

Some fans worry that boxing’s strict rules might limit Nishiyama’s creative flair, given the eccentric characters and wild moves in his past fighting games.

While Street Fighter’s Balrog, a Mike Tyson-inspired character, uses kicks and his Buffalo Head move in ways that defy boxing regulations, it remains to be seen whether The Ring and Dimps will opt for a realistic or rule-bending style in their new game.