Exciting news for fans of the Kickboxer martial arts film franchise: former developers from the Call of Duty series are now working on the first-ever video game based on this iconic saga. Los Angeles-based Force Multiplier Studios, in collaboration with filmmakers Dimitri Logothetis and Rob Hickman, are bringing the world of Kickboxer to gamers.
Jean-Claude Van Damme, who starred in the original 1989 Kickboxer film that led to several sequels, also featured in the 2016 reboot, Kickboxer: Vengeance, and its 2018 sequel, Kickboxer: Retaliation. The third installment, Kickboxer: Armageddon, is slated to start filming this spring.
This logo is all we have for now on the Kickboxer video game. The game, still in early development, aims to merge the rich narrative of Kickboxer with dynamic martial arts action to create an intense, high-octane brawler. It will feature iconic characters and settings from the franchise, originally starring martial arts legend Jean-Claude Van Damme.
When asked about Van Damme's involvement, Force Multiplier Studios remained elusive. Brent Friedman, Chief Creative Officer, expressed enthusiasm: "We're all massive fans of the Kickboxer movies, and we have the licenses to many characters and likenesses from the Kickboxer universe that we're very excited about. We'll have much more to share later in the year."
Force Multiplier Studios is a fresh development studio established by Jeremy Breslau, Brent Friedman, and Charnjit Bansi, who have worked on notable titles like Call of Duty, Borderlands, Halo, Tomb Raider, and Mortal Kombat.
Dimitri Logothetis, the writer and director of Kickboxer: Armageddon, shared his enthusiasm: "Kickboxer is more than just a film; it's a cultural phenomenon that has inspired generations of fans and martial artists alike. I'm thrilled to collaborate with the incredible team at Force Multiplier Studios. We're going to create a gaming experience that pays tribute to the original film while introducing exciting new gameplay elements."
Force Multiplier Studios previously released Karnivus, a combat shooter within Fortnite. Jeremy Breslau, CEO, highlighted their passion for innovation: "Just as we're innovating on Fortnite Creative with our own environmental combat shooter experience Karnivus, we can’t wait to innovate the fighting genre with a dynamic brawler that will empower players to be the best kickboxers in the world, traveling to exotic locales and introducing new environmental combat mechanics to deliver a martial arts experience like never before."
While we don't have screenshots or a trailer yet, fans can look forward to more details later this year.
