Last month we reviewed Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, the first new game in the series in over two decades. Although our rating was fairly high, it wasn’t a masterpiece by any means, and judging by the number of players on Steam, the fighting community hasn’t been impressed either.
It’s also worth noting that SNK spent a lot of money on the game, including celebrities as playable characters – among them soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo – and invested heavily in marketing. Whether there is a direct link to the seemingly low sales, we don’t know, but it is now confirmed (thanks to VGC) that SNK’s top boss is stepping down from his position.
Kenji Matsubara will stay on for a transition period, though who will take over is still unknown, as is how the new manager’s leadership will change SNK.
One reason that may have affected the popularity of Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves is that SNK is almost entirely owned by Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman, a not entirely uncontroversial figure who has been accused of involvement in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018. Ronaldo is also a controversial figure outside the field in some circles, and many Fatal Fury fans have been highly critical of his involvement in the game.