An teaser of an unlikely collaboration popped up on Cristiano Ronaldo’s X account yesterday. In the video posted by El Nassr FC’s striker featured the phrase “A legendary player joins a legendary game,” the use of “CR7” to represent Ronaldo branding, and a clip teasing something bursting through a door, accompanied by the Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves logo.
Something exciting in the making! #SNK #FatalFury #CR7 pic.twitter.com/u9gDbx9M1y
— Cristiano Ronaldo (@Cristiano) September 21, 2024
It remains unclear whether Ronaldo will be involved in promotional activities or if he will actually appear as a character, possibly going head-to-head with iconic fighters like Terry Bogard and Mai Shiranui. The idea alone evokes mixed feelings with us but would definitely draw some media attention to the otherwise cult game series.
Cristiano Ronaldo currently plays for Al Nassr FC in the Saudi Arabian professional league. Interestingly, the Electronic Gaming Development Company (EGDC) – a company owned by the MiSK Foundation, which was established by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in April 2021 -acquired SNK. Coincidentally, Al Nassr FC’s major shareholder is a fund created by Salman as well. Adding to the how’s and why’s is it is not a secret that Prince Salman and Ronaldo have are friends. These investments are part of Saudi Vision 2030, a national initiative aimed at diversifying the economy by promoting entertainment industries such as gaming and professional sports.
Given this context, a collaboration between Ronaldo and SNK may be more realistic than it initially seems. How this unique partnership between the once soccer legend and a fighting game franchise will unfold remains to be seen. It clearly seems the Saudi influence within SNK’s headquarters is clearly visible now and it seems to be seen how much it will influence SNK’s game content and independency in the future.
