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Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →SNK’s “golden age” was an ambition, not a confirmed comeback. In a GamesBeat interview published September 30, 2024, and updated June 18, 2025, CEO Kenji Matsubara described a plan to grow the company through new and returning game franchises, genres beyond fighting games, international development and publishing, and esports. He also called the Cristiano Ronaldo partnership a major opportunity to raise awareness of SNK and Fatal Fury. Those comments explain the strategy he outlined at the time; they do not establish what SNK has achieved since.
What Matsubara meant by a “golden age”
Matsubara framed SNK’s return to prominence as a long-term goal rather than a result already secured. He said the company set a ten-year ambition to become one of the top entertainment companies, supported by a three-year plan as an initial stage. As he put it, “We want to become a bigger company, but from the start, for example, we put together a three-year plan.”
He said that when he joined SNK, around three years before the 2024 interview, the company had one Osaka office and a few hundred employees. In the interview, he reported that SNK had “more than 600 employees.” That is a headcount attributed to Matsubara at the time, not a current figure or proof of business performance. The interview provides no independently measured market share, revenue, or audience-growth results. GamesBeat’s interview with Kenji Matsubara is the source for his strategy and company descriptions.
How SNK planned to broaden its game pipeline
Matsubara’s plan paired work on SNK’s established franchises with new intellectual property. He said SNK wanted to take existing IP into genres beyond fighting games, including action games, while also creating new IP. He described teams working on the return of franchises and genres that had not been used recently.
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He also pointed to internal changes intended to support that pipeline, including revised company rules and changes to the process for approving new titles. The interview describes these as parts of SNK’s approach; it does not measure whether they produced more releases or better commercial results.
What SNK’s studios were working on in 2024
Matsubara outlined different roles for SNK’s teams in the interview. These are descriptions from that period, not confirmation of the company’s current structure or projects.
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| Team or location | Role described in the interview |
|---|---|
| Osaka | Continued work on classic IP and fighting games, while also taking on new genres. |
| Tokyo | Development of new IP, including projects Matsubara called triple-A titles. |
| Retro team | A recently started team focused on remakes, reboots, and ports. |
| China studio | Mobile games using existing and new IP. |
The interview also described SNK as having offices in Singapore, Korea, and Taiwan, alongside its Osaka and Tokyo locations. Matsubara said the company wanted to expand its global development and publishing presence, including the possibility of future offices in North America and Europe. Those were plans, not announced openings in the interview.
Why fighting games and esports still mattered
Expanding into other genres did not mean abandoning fighting games. Matsubara called them a major pillar for SNK, while arguing that games in other genres could reach a broader player base. He described Fatal Fury as returning after a long gap and said SNK wanted to attract new players through marketing, promotions, and game content that could appeal beyond dedicated fighting-game fans.
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He also described esports as a major part of SNK’s marketing, citing SNK tournaments and participation in Evo events. In discussing the SNK World Championships, he referred to a previous final in Los Angeles and said he wanted future finals to reach North America. These comments record his plans and descriptions at interview time, not a current event calendar.
What the Cristiano Ronaldo partnership was meant to do
Matsubara said SNK’s parent company played a large part in making the Ronaldo partnership possible. He characterized it as significant for both SNK and Fatal Fury: “That’s a big partnership for us.” In the interview, he said SNK expected to share more details later.
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The interview does not establish what campaign deliverables followed, whether the arrangement remains active, or what effect it had on sales, awareness, or player numbers. Its significance in Matsubara’s account was strategic: a high-profile partnership could help bring attention to SNK and its returning fighting-game franchise.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What Matsubara said about future releases
Matsubara said SNK wanted to increase development capacity, release more titles regularly, and grow global sales and marketing. He noted that games based on new or existing IP could arrive in 2026, 2027, or 2028 because development takes several years. Those years were examples of possible timing in comments made in 2024, not confirmed release dates or a current roadmap.
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The interview’s clearest takeaway is therefore about direction, not a verified comeback: Matsubara described an effort to scale SNK while building on its fighting-game identity, reviving older properties, reaching new audiences, and creating room for new franchises. The Ronaldo partnership fit that ambition, but the interview alone cannot show whether the broader strategy delivered the “golden age” he hoped for.
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