The inclusions of famed professional footballer Cristiano Ronaldo and musician Salvatore Ganacci (who collaborated with SNK to add music from various DJs to the game's soundtrack) as playable guest characters in Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves were widely criticized by both fans and critics, who felt they were out of place within the game. Ronaldo's inclusion also drew attention to several of his past controversies, including accusations of sexual assault, adding fuel to the fire. It has been commonly theorized that Ronaldo and Ganacci were included as a result of influence from the Saudi Arabian government. Not only did they each have business ties to government interests and events at that time, but SNK had been acquired by the non-profit Misk Foundation, founded by crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, in April 2022.