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It isn’t uncommon for fighting games to feature cameos. Ever since Soul Calibre gave us characters like Darth Vader and Link to play depending on our console of choice, we haven’t been too surprised at who shows up in fighting games. That is, until SNK’s Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves announced that soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo and DJ Salvatore Ganacci would be joining the roster. Turns out, it is all a ploy by Saudi Arabia’s government to promote their own widespread financial interests.

Before you accuse us of being conspiracy theorists, remember that SNK, the developer of Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, is primarily owned by the MISK foundation, which is funded by the Saudi crown prince. Also, Ronaldo plays for a Saudi Pro League soccer team that is owned by the royal family, which makes his ties to the authoritarian government that much deeper.

The Saudi government has long used entertainment like video games and sporting events to distract people from its reputation for brutality, especially to those who speak out against them and to those from the LGBTQ+ community. (This practice even has a specific term: 'sportswashing.')  In recent years, it has increased their stake in companies like Take-Two Interactive, EA, and the Embracer Group, though they don’t own as much of these companies as they do SNK and therefore can’t exert as much control over them.

So, when you unlock Cristiano Ronaldo in Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves and wonder what the heck the soccer player is doing throwing down with the likes of Terry and Vox Reaper, understand that it is all because the Saudi government uses video games to try to rehabilitate its largely negative international image.

You don't need to beat the game to prepare for the next one—here are all the major new and upcoming games coming our way.