Yes, Cristiano Ronaldo is a Character in Fatal Fury City of the Wolves
They almost unbelievable rumors are actually true, as legendary soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo will join Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves as a playable fighter.
This is an unprecedented collaboration in the fighting game scene: one of the most prominent sports figures of all time will join the roster of Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves. And yes, SNK did show off a bit of his original moveset in the reveal trailer.
Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves - Cristiano Ronaldo, Everything We Know
While the exact details aren’t known yet, Cristiano Ronaldo will be a playable character in Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves when the game launches on April 24.
Guest characters are nothing new for fighting games. However, for major titles outside of Tekken, they are less common than fans might expect. Games like Guilty Gear and Street Fighter are usually more reserved when adding fighters from other franchises to their games, but SNK just blew any future expectations completely out of the water.
With Ronaldo joining the battle, this will be the first major fighting game to see a real celebrity added as a playable character.
Something of this scale has been done before, though it mostly attributed to games like Fortnite that make crossovers with celebrity athletes like Shaq, Neymar Jr., and Harry Kane a common occurrence. The only comparable instance would be LeBron James in MultiVersus, though the NBA star did not actively participate in the game’s marketing or voice himself.
Unfortunately you will have to wait until the game’s full release to try him out, as he won’t be available in the game’s second open beta, which runs from March 26 to 31. Though Tizoc is being added to the roster for that beta.
Related Article: How to Pre-Order Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves - All Editions, Bonuses
Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves - Cristiano Ronaldo Move List
SNK has already published a full move list for Ronaldo in Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, showing off an impressive lineup of abilities largely based on his history playing soccer.
From a Perfect Save REV Blow to slide tackles and projectiles, Ronaldo appears to be a very unique fighter that will incorporate his own personal flair along with soccer moves. Notably, he does not appear to use his fists at all, rather, he focuses on kicking, shoulder tackles, and other moves you would see in the open field.
If you want a full view of the CotW move list for Ronaldo, it is available on the SNK website.
How Will Cristiano Ronaldo Impact Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves Esports?
Getting Ronaldo as a playable fighter in Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves is huge for SNK, though only if the company can capitalize on his inclusion.
Bringing a name and face as well-known as Ronaldo into Fatal Fury will instantly attract more attention than the game’s existing roster. Casual gamers and soccer fans around the world will now have a better chance of seeing CotW mentioned and potentially wanting to see why Ronaldo is playable.
The goal for any game is to find ways to appeal to audiences outside of its main demographic, which is very hard for fighting games not named Mortal Kombat to do. SNK can use Ronaldo’s popularity to show its game off to prospective players who never would have checked out Fatal Fury otherwise, and that will have a compounding effect on the game.
Since SNK is majority-owned by Saudi Arabia’s Misk Foundation and Ronaldo plays for the Saudi Public Investment Fund-owned Al-Nassr Football Club, this move is likely being done to cross-promote the two products across audiences. CotW will also appear at the 2025 Esports World Cup, which the Public Investment Fund also backs.
HIS HIDDEN GEAR IS HIM BREAKING YOUR ANKLES INTO SIUUU???
— Damascus (@zDamascus) March 26, 2025
NAHHHHHHHHH THIS IS TOO HYPE
Imagine the crowd going SIUUU at each super 😭😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/KeFsUMMUtM
If done properly, not only will CotW be SNK’s top-performing fighting game release but the esports scene could also get a bump. More players in turn means a better chance for those players to hop online and grind a bit, which could then lead to them entering a tournament somewhere down the line.
Just having LeBron playable alongside big names like Batman and Superman wasn’t enough to give MultiVersus traction with casual players or in the competitive scene. However, SNK has a better recent track record with esports, and any bump in casual appeal should benefit CotW.
