Cristiano Ronaldo has broken new ground as a playable character in SNK’s Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, but the decision split the FGC. After the teaser last September, fans assumed a simple partnership—only to discover months later that the football legend joined the roster. 

It’s almost unheard of to see a pro athlete in a 2D fighter (aside from now-defunct MultiVersus and Lebron James, but even then it was via toonish Space Jam 2), and many players reacted with bewilderment. Even more surprising was the revelation that EDM artist Salvatore Ganacci would also fight alongside Terry and Mai. Despite initial backlash over Ganacci’s “joke” character status, players quickly warmed to his top-tier moves and the clear care SNK put into his design. 

Fatal Fury’s chief producer, Yasuyuki Oda, says the goal was to introduce the series to sports and music fans by offering familiar faces, noting how crowds cheered for the new characters at Evo.

While these moves aim to expand the audience, not every experiment lands perfectly with core fans. As SNK rolls out its bold lineup, the community is left wondering whether mixing real-world celebrities with classic fighters will bridge the gap or simply stir more debate.

Main image: steampowered.com

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