Summary
- Kenji Matsubara has stepped down as the CEO of SNK.
- This comes after the launch of Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, which has struggled to maintain players.
Kenji Matsubara has stepped down as CEO of SNK Corporation following the launch of Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, ending a nearly three-year stint that included instrumental changes within the company. Matsubara joined the company in August 2021 and oversaw the releases of The King of Fighters XV and, most recently, Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves. SNK is primarily a developer of fighting games, playing an important role in the fighting game boom of the 1990s.
Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves is a reboot of SNK's classic 1990s fighting game series, and the new title is the first mainline installment in the franchise in over two decades. The return was highly anticipated by long-time fans of the series and fighting game aficionados. With the genre gaining traction in recent years, Fatal Fury's return had the potential for lasting success. Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves launched with a major marketing push, including sponsorships, a huge presence at WrestleMania, and appearances by high-profile figures like Cristiano Ronaldo.
Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves – Fighter Tier List
Some fighters are a cut above others in Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves.
Despite these efforts, the CEO of the company, Kenji Matsubara, has reportedly left his post. While the company hasn't revealed any official sales figures, the move to remove Matsubara seems to verify recent unofficial reports regarding the game's struggles. Although Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves was received by critics fairly well, this praise might not have translated into sales.
SNK Leadership Changes as Fatal Fury Falters
Matsubara's departure was reported to be very amicable, with the former CEO taking a new position in an advisory role. The official statement didn't mention Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, and didn't connect the dots to any failures during his tenure. However, the timing of the change seems to all but confirm that this decision was at least in part linked to issues with Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves.
The company has thanked Matsubara for expanding SNK's reach and improving innovation. In particular, the publishing network was strengthened, allowing the company to compete in the more global marketplace of today. SNK's release stated that the board chairman will serve as interim CEO while a permanent replacement is selected.
Even at its peak, right after the April release of Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, the game could barely muster a tenth of the player base of the already-established fighting game Street Fighter 6. Since then, it has continued to trend downwards, recently struggling to get 1,000 concurrent players. Even Tekken 8, which has been in decline, towered over Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves at its peak. Currently, games like Tekken 7, Mortal Kombat 11, and Mortal Kombat 1 are much more popular on Steam.
- Released
- April 24, 2025
- ESRB
- T For Teen // Language, Violence, Suggestive Themes
- Developer(s)
- SNK
- Publisher(s)
- SNK
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 4
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Fighting
