Image: Esports World Cup Foundation
FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves is the first new entry in the iconic FATAL FURY franchise in 26 years.
The upcoming fighting game title FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves has been added to the list of titles included in the Esports World Cup (EWC) 2025 as part of a three-year partnership between the Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) and Fatal Fury developer SNK Corporation.
The announcement was made ahead of the official launch of FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves on February 20, the first new entry in the influential Fatal Fury franchise in 26 years. The original FATAL FURY was first released all the way back in 1991 on the NEOGEO arcade system, with its most recent entry being 1999's Garou: Mark of the Wolves.
But while there have been no new Fatal Fury games in over two decades, some of the series' most iconic characters have found themselves in other titles, with Terry Bogard and Mai Shiranui appearing in Street Fighter 6 as recent examples.
According to a press release from the EWCF, FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves' upcoming appearance in EWC 2025 “will play a pivotal role in reigniting Fatal Fury’s competitive spirit, introducing the brand-new entry to a new generation of players, and fostering its growth on the global esports stage. The partnership will accelerate FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves’ debut in competitive gaming, leveraging the global stage of the Esports World Cup to introduce the iconic franchise to new audiences worldwide.”
“Fatal Fury is a cornerstone of fighting game history, a franchise that helped ignite the competitive spirit of the 1990s arcade boom and set the stage for the genre’s mainstream revolution," said Fabian Scheuermann, Chief Games Officer for the EWCF.
"As fighting games and retro titles experience a global resurgence, fueled by nostalgia, competitive depth, and community-driven passion, we are thrilled to partner with SNK for the next three years to bring this legendary series to the Esports World Cup stage. Together, we aim to reignite Fatal Fury’s competitive legacy by introducing it to a new generation of players and fans, elevating its place in the world of esports and supporting the growth of competitive gaming as a truly global sport”.
“This partnership marks a historic milestone for Fatal Fury, a title loved around the world for 30 years, as it steps into the competitive gaming arena,” added Kenji Matsubara, CEO of SNK Corporation.
“The Esports World Cup provides the perfect platform to showcase the franchise’s enduring legacy while engaging a new generation of fans, including those watching the great fights live in Riyadh arenas and on screens around the world. With the upcoming release of City of the Wolves in April 2025, this collaboration paves the way for an exciting future, blending the series’ rich history with incredible new possibilities. Together with other landmark titles in SNK’s rich fighting game library—such as THE KING OF FIGHTERS XV and SAMURAI SHODOWN—we will continue to be a leader in the ever-expanding world of esports for years to come. We’re thrilled to work with EWCF to deliver an unforgettable experience for players, fans, and fighting game community members around the world.”
FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves will be the 20th game to be featured in the EWC 2025's competitive slate, with more to be announced in the coming weeks.
The list of announced esports titles for EWC 2025 include Dota 2, League of Legends, Counter-Strike 2, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, Honor of Kings, Call of Duty: Warzone, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, PUBG Mobile, PUBG Battlegrounds, Street Fighter, Overwatch 2, Apex Legends, Rainbow Six Siege, Free Fire, Crossfire, Rocket League, EA Sports FC 25, and Rennsport. Chess has also been included in the EWC 2025 as its first non-esport game.
The official schedule for EWC 2025 has yet to be released, though the event is expected to take place sometime later this year in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Last year's EWC was notably hosted from June 28 to August 25.
EWC 2025’s unique Club Championship cross-game format will reward Clubs, or esports organisations, and players with points based on their success in the games, crowning the top Club in the final standings as the EWC Club Champion. The inaugural EWC in 2024 featured 200 Clubs and 1,500 players from 100 countries competing in 22 tournaments across 21 games for their cut of a $60 million prize pool.
FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves is set to launch on 24 April, 2025, on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
