They really did it. After teasing a mysterious collaboration with Cristiano Ronaldo final yr, SNK has introduced the soccer participant might be, not only a pores and skin or promotional spokesperson, however a playable character within the upcoming Deadly Fury: Metropolis of the Wolves. The preventing sport launches in April.
Ronaldo is extensively thought to be considered one of historical past’s biggest – and most controversial, as a result of a number of rape accusations made towards him through the years — soccer gamers, each on the membership degree on groups like Manchester United, Actual Madrid, and Juventus, and internationally with the Portugal nationwide soccer crew. Whereas odd on paper, his look in Deadly Fury: Metropolis of the Wolves can doubtless be attributed to his reputation in Saudi Arabia taking part in for the Al-Nassr soccer membership since 2023, as SNK is at present owned by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s non-profit MiSK Basis.
Ronaldo has additionally been identified lately for a rape allegation that was first made public in 2017 when German web site Der Spiegel revealed a settlement between the soccer participant and an accuser who claimed Ronaldo raped her in Las Vegas in 2009. Ronaldo reportedly paid the girl a sum of $375,000 for signing a non-disclosure settlement.
The sufferer filed a civil lawsuit towards Ronaldo in Nevada in 2018, charging the athlete’s crew with violating the earlier confidentiality settlement by denying the allegations publicly following the Der Spiegel report and requesting $25 million in damages. Her case was dismissed in 2022 as a result of “bad-faith conduct” by her lawyer, and a subsequent attraction was denied the next yr.
Deadly Fury: Metropolis of the Wolves is the primary new entry within the pre-King of Fighters collection in nearly 25 years. Different playable characters embody Andy Bogard, Mai Shiranui, and Joe Higashi in addition to crossover appearances from Avenue Fighter forged members Chun-Li and Ken Masters. It launches on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Collection X/S, and PC on April 24.