In 1989, the iconic Kickboxer martial arts film played a pivotal role in establishing Jean-Claude Van Damme as an action star. Now, for the very first time, the Kickboxer franchise is transitioning into video games thanks to Force Multiplier Studios, a group of developers with experience in titles like Call of Duty, Borderlands, Halo, Tomb Raider, and Mortal Kombat.
Screenwriter Dimitri Logothetis and producer Rob Hickman–two of the filmmakers behind the 2016 film Kickboxer: Vengeance and its follow-up, Kickboxer: Retaliation–are collaborating with Force Multiplier Studios to bring the Kickboxer video game to life. At this stage, however, the game is still in the early phases of development, so there’s nothing to showcase as of yet.
During a conversation with IGN, Force Multiplier Studios was quite ambiguous about whether Van Damme will provide his likeness for the game or participate in any capacity. Instead, the studio stated that the game “will merge the rich storyline of Kickboxer with dynamic martial arts action to create an exhilarating, high-energy brawler, featuring legendary characters and locations from the franchise that originally starred martial arts legend Jean-Claude Van Damme.”
Van Damme made his return to the franchise in Kickboxer.