Muhammad Ali is now the star of a match-3 puzzle game

Boxing and match-3 puzzle games. Maybe like peanut butter and chocolate, these two different flavors can combine into surprisingly decadent treat. Or maybe it’ll be just as tasteless as the use of the celebrity plastered all over it.

Boxing legend Muhammad Ali, who died this June after a long battle Parkinson’s disease, is now the star of a match-3 puzzle game for mobile. It’s called Muhammad Ali: Puzzle King, and it’s available for iOS and Android. The $36 billion mobile market is a lucrative one, and having a celebrity tie-in can improve a game’s chances of becoming a hit.

So, how exactly does an all-time great boxer fit as the star of a match-three puzzle game?

“Muhammad Ali: Puzzle King is a unique match-3 puzzle game that ties gem-matching with fast and furious boxing action,” developer Cosi Games noted in a press release sent to GamesBeat. “The Muhammad Ali character throws a punch each time the player connects three or more gems. The more gems the player connects in a single move, the harder and more powerful the punch, putting each fight’s outcome in the hands of the player’s match-3 skills. Players will experience the rush of a KO as Muhammad Ali fights his way up the ranks, taking on increasingly challenging opponents on his road to becoming the heavyweight champion of the world.”

This is an easy project to be cynical about. Using Ali’s likeness for a mobile game so shortly after his death already feels a little exploitative, but making that title a match-3 app (one of the most common and lazy kinds of games made for mobile) makes it worse. Match-3 games like Candy Crush Saga are some of the most popular on mobile, and properties like Star Trek and Frozen have all made their own versions starring its characters.

Of course, Ali did plenty of endorsing in his life, including with the cereal Wheaties. The game is also officially licensed, so it’s not shady or done without permission from his estate. The timing just feels bad.