SNK announced a business collaboration with developer ARIKA for revivals of SNK’s classic intellectual properties (IP) outside of fighting games. SNK notes ARIKA’s excellent game development capabilities and expertise in SNK IPs.
ARIKA’s game development history is intriguing with a lineage in fighting games like Fighting EX Layer, Nintendo Switch exclusives like F-ZERO 99, and adventure games like Nintendo’s Endless Ocean Luminous. The studio also collaborated with Bandai Namco for development of Tekken 8. This work likely garnered the attention of SNK in recent years, since the company has been planning to revive new IPs and increase worldwide appeal.
SNK x ARIKA Collaboration – New Games for Existing IPs
The SNK and ARIKA collaboration will allow the former to promote, revive, and revitalize past IPs. The exact IPs were not named by SNK, but SNK notes that they currently own over 200 IPs, including the legacy NEOGEO line.
ARIKA is an excellent partner for its familiarity with SNK IPs and development capabilities, according to the company’s press release. The collaboration is planned for IPs other than fighting games, and more details are coming soon.
In October 2023, SNK announced SNK Universe Project, a new initiative to increase the worldwide IP appeal. Specifically, the SNK Universe Project aims to help the company branch out of traditional fighting games and into different entertainment mediums, such as anime and movies. The initiative also aims to boost the appeal of SNK’s IPs like The King of Fighters (KOF), Fatal Fury, and Samurai Shodown.
Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, the next major game in the long-running Fatal Fury franchise, is in development at SNK. The new title was showcased at EVO 2023 featuring returning characters Rock Howard and Terry Bogard. Moreover, Andy Bogard and Joe Higashi will be playable characters in Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves. More details about the game will likely come later this year, with a potential reveal at EVO 2024.
