The Muay Thai world champion turned silver screen star of South Town makes his return
Osaka, Japan — September 22, 2025 — SNK CORPORATION today revealed its character for Muay Thai legend Joe Higashi, who joins the FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves roster as a playable character this Fall! Joe first entered the ring alongside Terry and Andy Bogard in FATAL FURY (1991) and has long stood as one of the franchise’s iconic faces. After a 26-year absence since his last roster spot in FATAL FURY: WILD AMBITION (1999), the beloved “Summoner of Storms” is finally back. Joe arrives as the third character in Season Pass 1, following Andy Bogard and Ken Masters, and will be free for all players who purchased the game. FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves is available on PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, Xbox Series X|S, Steam, and the Epic Games Store.
Check out Joe’s English VA trailer here and Japanese VA trailer here.
South Town Faces the Muay Thai Storm
- Voice Actors: Kevin Andrew Rivera (EN), Kozo Mito (JA)
- Bio: Joe Higashi is a legendary Muay Thai fighter whose crushing kicks can shatter steel. No other kickboxer can touch him, so the champ has turned his sights to a new challenge: the silver screen. His documentary biopic, The Legend of Joe (directed by Cheng Sinzan), is already filming across South Town. Joe even has plans for a cameo by his star pupil, Preecha, whose recent tournament victories have made her master proud.
New stories in Arcade Mode and Episodes of South Town (EOST)
- Arcade Mode: Joe and legacy character Cheng Sinzan set out to film a major motion picture, The Legend of Joe, based on the Muay Thai master’s eventful life.
- Episodes of South Town: Joe’s single-player RPG adventure sees him romp through the city while reminiscing about how he met star pupil Preecha.
Play Joe at Tokyo Game Show 2025
The Muay Thai legend Joe Higashi will make his first playable appearance at Tokyo Game Show 2025. Those interested in an early demo can stop by the Samsung SSD booth, before Joe officially arrives for all players this Fall.
Assets for the FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves are available here.
For all the latest on FATAL FURY, follow SNK’s KOF Studio on X and Instagram, or join the official Discord.
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ABOUT FATAL FURY
The FATAL FURY series debuted in 1991, helping ignite the fighting game boom of the 1990s. Its most recent entry, GAROU: MARK OF THE WOLVES (1999), earned a lasting legacy among genre fans. Now, FATAL FURY has returned. City of the Wolves launched on April 24, 2025, marking the franchise’s first new installment in 26 years. The game received critical acclaim for its dynamic art style, a mix of new and returning fighters, and modernized battle systems built for today’s players, and it continues to grow with regularly released DLC fighters and extra features.
ABOUT SNK
Founded in 1978, SNK CORPORATION is a Japanese video game company headquartered in Osaka, Japan. SNK is an acronym of Shin Nihon Kikaku, meaning New Japan Project, and was the company’s legal name until it was shortened to SNK in 1986. SNK is best known for creating the NEOGEO arcade system and several game franchises, including THE KING OF FIGHTERS, METAL SLUG, SAMURAI SHODOWN, and FATAL FURY. SNK also published classic games like WORLD HEROES, NINJA MASTER’S, and SENGOKU. Learn more about SNK CORPORATION by visiting https://www.snk-corp.co.jp/us/.
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info-usa@snk-corp.co.jp
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Brad de Ramón 
Kenson Pierre