Hideaki Itsuno still wants to make Capcom vs SNK 3—so much so that he calls it the top project on his wish list. Even after leaving Capcom earlier this year, the veteran director said he’d jump at the chance to build a new entry in the crossover fighting series if Capcom and SNK would license it to him. He may no longer be at either company, but the desire to revive one of the most beloved fighting game mash-ups remains strong.
A dormant juggernaut? Absolutely. The Capcom vs SNK collaboration was a dream team-up between Street Fighter’s creator and the studio behind The King of Fighters, bringing two competitive legacies into one arena at the turn of the millennium. The crossover kicked off in 1999 with SNK vs Capcom on the Neo Geo Pocket Color, then hit arcades in 2000 with an overhaul that pitted 16 fighters from each roster against one another. Itsuno joined for Capcom vs SNK 2 in 2001, expanding the cast and cementing the series’ reputation among tournament players and casual fans alike.
Plans for Capcom vs SNK 3 were real. The next step was set to embrace the shift to 3D, but SNK’s 2001 bankruptcy halted development. Some of the work that had already begun was later repurposed for Capcom Fighting All-Stars, a separate project that ultimately never shipped. The last official entry tied to the crossover era arrived in 2003 with the arcade release of SNK vs Capcom: SVC Chaos.
Even without a new sequel, the series’ influence keeps resurfacing. Capcom’s fighting legacy saw renewed attention with the re-release of classic titles last year in Capcom Fighting Collection 2, which also highlighted more of Itsuno’s past work such as Power Stone 1 and 2 and Project Justice. And in today’s fighting game landscape, crossover energy is very much alive: SNK’s Terry Bogard and Mai Shiranui have joined Street Fighter 6 as DLC, while Fatal Fury: City of Wolves is slated to feature Street Fighter icons Ken Masters and Chun-Li as guest characters.
It has been 24 years since Capcom vs SNK 2, yet demand for a true follow-up persists. The idea of Capcom vs SNK 3—modernized with today’s visuals, online features, and competitive polish—practically sells itself. Itsuno’s enthusiasm underscores that the creative appetite is there; what’s missing is a green light and the right licensing handshake between the two companies.
As for Itsuno’s next chapter, he now leads LightSpeed Studios Japan, a Tencent subsidiary that recently opened a new office in Osaka. The team is at work on a new AAA title, keeping the director firmly in the mix of high-profile game development.
For fans, the takeaway is simple: the dream isn’t dead. With crossovers thriving and Itsuno openly eager to return to the ring, Capcom vs SNK 3 remains one good deal away from becoming a headline instead of a hope.
