Fight Fans Prepare for Undisputed’s Release

There’s a stir in the gaming community as we prepare for the arrival of a boxing console title that has been a generation in the making. Undisputed is set to explode onto the market later this year, and fans have been promised the most realistic, immersive, and hi-tech release in a genre. It’s going to flatten the competition and introduce a new audience to the excitement of the noble art. Our writers have been following the updates and must admit we’re more than a little excited about this one.

Boxing fans and followers of combat sports remember the last boxing release, Fight Night Champion, but that hit shelves back in 2011. Impressive for its time, the game allowed players to choose between the most famous gladiators and enjoy a slugfest or create a character and guide them through an entertaining career mode as they climbed the ranks. It was thought Fight Night would help kickstart a new era of boxing gameplay, but fans have had little to get excited about since.

The growth in popularity of the Ultimate Fighting Championship paved the way for a stream of addictive MMA titles. Armchair fans who enjoyed watching the top fighters and making predictions at the coolest UFC betting websites could take control of stars like Conor McGregor, Nate Diaz, and Khabib Nurmagomedov. The UFC series from EA Sports was enjoyed by millions worldwide, but it left boxing enthusiasts longing for a return to the glory days. At long last, they’re about to get their wish.

Get ready to rumble

Here’s what we already know. Steel City Interactive is the developer behind the title, with Deep Silver as the publisher. Pound-for-pound boxing great Saul Alvarez will appear on the cover, and it will be available on several high-profile platforms, including PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.

Industry insiders promise Undisputed will boast more than 70 licensed fighters, over 60 different punches, and 50 individual traits. For the first time in history, there’s a list of recognizable and established female boxers supported by the sport’s most experienced trainers, corner teams, managers, and promoters. The realism continues with three major belts up for grabs in each weight category, including the world-famous World Boxing Council strap.

Readers will be delighted to learn there’s a career mode that’s more realistic than ever before. Players guide their fighters through a series of well-matched bouts, gaining experience and sharpening their skills in training before targeting a shot at the big time. The ultimate goal is to unify the division by winning the WBC, WBO, IBF, and Ring Magazine belts.

It’s fair to say we can’t wait to see Undisputed in all its glory. It has the potential to be the best boxing game in history and could help revive a genre that looked flat on its back and out for the count. In anticipation of Undisputed’s global release in October, we take this opportunity to introduce readers to some boxing classics. Keep reading as we reflect on our favorite titles showcasing the fight game.

Punch-Out

One of the classics. Punch-Out doesn’t boast the best graphics or smoothest gameplay, but it was a trailblazer for boxing games, and gamers of a certain age will remember it well. Released for the Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) in 1987, it offered colorful characters, including the fighter/trainer duo of Little Mac and Doc Louis. Players attempted to climb the ranks before taking on Iron Mike Tyson, who was, at the time, the Baddest Man on the Planet. It may not appeal to many of today’s gamers, but the importance of Punch-Out shouldn’t be understated.

Ready to Rumble

Now we’re talking. Ready to Rumble is responsible for entertaining a generation of gamers and encouraging millions to follow the sport live on television or train at their local gym. It hit the market during the golden age of the Sega Dreamcast and offered an arcade style of play you could enjoy from the comfort of your home. It had some colorful make-belief fighters like Afro Thunder and Michael Jackson. Ready to Rumble was never meant to be taken too seriously, but it was a great game that provided hours of entertainment. Released in 1999, it inspired a sequel, Ready to Rumble Boxing: Round 2, which was also available on Dreamcast, PlayStation, and the Nintendo 64.

Fight Night Round 3

Fight Night was a popular series of boxing games in the early 2000s, but Round 3 was, by far, the pick of the bunch. If you were looking for realism, this game got you up close and personal with the sport.

The gameplay was simple, the details impressive, and it had a storyline you could buy into. Developed by EA Sports, Fight Night Round 3 was available on PlayStation 2, Xbox, Xbox 360, and PlayStation Portable. A critical and commercial success, the title sold millions of copies worldwide and was the standout game of its type in the first half of the decade.

Journey through the ages

The three games covered provide an excellent example of the boxing console game genre and its journey through the years. The graphics, realism, and gameplay improved with every release, allowing fans to experience the thrills of being involved in a big fight in front of a huge crowd. The career modes were great fun, too, as the player attempted to successfully guide their fighter through the small hall shows with just a handful of fans to the big arenas and the championship bouts.

If you ever get a chance to play one of the games mentioned on this page, we’d encourage you to do so. Others worth mentioning include Fight Night Champion, released in 2011, Rocky (2002), Knockout Kings 2000, and Creed: Rise of Glory, which joined the party in 2018.

We enjoyed guiding you on a brief walk down memory lane and hope we’ve helped set the scene nicely for the upcoming boxing game Undisputed, which, we hope, proves to be a big hit.