Legendary game creator Takashi Nishiyama, known for Street Fighter, is teaming up with The Ring boxing magazine to develop an all-new boxing title. The announcement came via the official X account of Turki Alalshikh, Chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, who acquired The Ring in November 2024.
As detailed in the tweet, the upcoming untitled game will showcase original characters and blend "The Ring’s undisputed authority in boxing with veteran developer Dimps’ long-standing expertise in creating timeless 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.
— TURKI ALALSHIKH (@Turki_alalshikh) May 5, 2025
This strategic partnership between myself and Nishiyama brings together our unmatched authority in… pic.twitter.com/LRWyyZzkpz
Dimps is Nishiyama’s development studio, which most recently released Freedom Wars Remastered—an updated version of the PlayStation Vita title for modern consoles in January 2025. According to Alalshikh’s tweet, development on the boxing game is set to begin shortly.
Recent years have seen the Saudi Arabian royal family increase its investments in Japan’s gaming industry. In April 2024, it was revealed that the Saudi Crown Prince’s foundation owned 100% of shares in Japanese developer SNK. The Ring Magazine has also promoted SNK’s upcoming Fatal Fury: City of Wolves, including a boxing match collaboration event held at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on April 26, 2025. Notably, Nishiyama previously worked at SNK in the 1990s, where he created the Fatal Fury series and contributed to flagship titles such as Metal Slug and King of Fighters.
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Initial reactions in Japan to The Ring and Dimps collaboration have spanned from surprised remarks like “What?!! I can’t wait to play it!” to curiosity about the final game’s direction.
X user @ryo_redcyclone, a frequent Street Fighter content creator, commented: “Reflecting on the original Street Fighter, Nishiyama once said, ‘I focused on street fighting because official sports are bound by regulations.’ This time, he's tackling boxing—a rule-based sport—so I’m intrigued to see the result.”
Much of the discussion centers on whether the structured nature of boxing might limit Nishiyama’s creative vision, especially given the eccentric characters and over-the-top moves in his earlier fighting games.
While Street Fighter includes Balrog, a character modeled after Mike Tyson, his signature kicks and Buffalo Head attack clearly defy professional boxing regulations. It remains to be seen whether the new game from The Ring and Dimps will embrace realism or challenge the rulebook.
