OPEN LETTER TO EA SPORTS: WHY ARE YOU SILENT ABOUT BOXING?

📝 OPEN LETTER TO EA SPORTS: WHY ARE YOU SILENT ABOUT BOXING?

To the executives and decision-makers at EA Sports,

It’s time to talk.

For over a decade, the boxing community has been waiting, hoping, and asking for a return to the Fight Night franchise—or any quality boxing simulation from your studio. Yet despite the clamor, despite the nostalgia, and despite the demand, you've chosen silence. And that silence speaks volumes.

Let’s address the excuses head-on.

You’ve often alluded to licensing being a major hurdle—that boxing is too fragmented, that negotiating with individual fighters, promoters, and sanctioning bodies makes the process unmanageable. That may have held water once.

But not anymore.

A small indie studio with a fraction of your resources, Steel City Interactive, managed to secure over 200 licensed fighters, broadcasters, referees, and boxing organizations for Undisputed. They're not backed by billions. They don’t have your brand recognition. And yet, they did what you claimed was too complicated. They proved the licensing narrative is outdated and nothing more than a convenient excuse.

And what’s more? They’ve shown there’s a dedicated, passionate community of boxing fans and gamers who want this—not in theory, not down the line, but right now.

Let’s also put to rest the idea that “boxing doesn’t sell.” That argument is lazy and disconnected from today’s reality. Great games sell. Period. Games like Elden Ring, Hades, Cities: Skylines, and UFC 4 didn’t succeed based on IP alone. They succeeded because they delivered depth, innovation, and a playable experience people wanted to return to.

Boxing deserves that too.

This is a golden opportunity for EA to reclaim trust and revitalize a legacy. Fight Night Champion wasn’t just a game—it was a cultural moment. And despite being over a decade old, people still play it, talk about it, and wish for its return. Imagine what a modern version could do with today’s technology, AI capabilities, physics engines, and customizable creation suites. Imagine a universe mode, a robust career system, AI tendencies, strategic cornering, sanctioned belts, regional rivalries, real-time matchmaking logic—everything boxing fans have been dreaming of.

You're already seeing fans cheer for the underdog developer—not because the underdog got everything right, but because they're trying. That should’ve been your role. Instead, you're watching from the sidelines as others take risks and win hearts.

EA, you are not short on talent, tech, or resources. You're simply short on vision when it comes to boxing.

The fans aren’t the problem.

They’re ready.

They’re vocal.

They’re informed.

They’ve evolved.

And they’ve made it clear that they will support a realistic, feature-rich, content-deep boxing video game—even if it doesn’t have the biggest names right away.

So we ask you:
Why aren’t you talking?
Why aren’t you building?
Why are you letting the sport of boxing go unrepresented in a time when sports games are more capable than ever before?

We don’t need gimmicks.
We don’t need arcade flash.
We need a boxing game that respects the sport, the fans, and the legacy you once built.

The ball is in your court now.

Signed,
The Boxing Video Game Community
(And every fan still waiting ringside for EA to step back into the fight)

Excuses Are No Longer Valid!

 Here’s a structured breakdown of the likely reasons why EA isn’t openly discussing a new boxing video game, and why common excuses don’t hold up anymore—especially in light of what Steel City Interactive (SCI) has achieved with Undisputed.

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🧱 1. Licensing Excuse Is No Longer Valid

❌ Old Excuse:

“Boxing is too fragmented. Licensing each boxer individually is a nightmare.”

✅ Reality Now:

• SCI is a small indie studio with limited resources, yet they've secured 200+ licensed boxers, referees, sanctioning bodies, and broadcasters.

• This proves it can be done, especially by a massive publisher like EA with deep pockets and decades of licensing experience.

• If SCI can do it, EA definitely can.

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🧠 2. Corporate Strategy: Control and Monetization Over Niche Passion

EA’s core business revolves around:

• Annualized franchises (FIFA/EA FC, Madden, NHL)

• Ultimate Team monetization

• Mass appeal titles

📉 EA’s Fear:

• Boxing doesn’t fit this model as easily.

• They fear lack of microtransaction depth compared to card-based Ultimate Team modes.

• Boxing is 1v1, not team-based—harder to monetize via roster packs.

EA is not driven by the love of the sport. They are driven by return on investment and monetization models.

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⏱️ 3. Waiting to See If Undisputed Fails or Succeeds

EA might be:

• Monitoring the market to avoid risk.

• Letting SCI take the initial gamble and observe community response and sales.

• Waiting for an opportunity to reclaim market space if SCI stumbles.

This is a common big-publisher tactic—wait for indies to prove the market, then swoop in.

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💸 4. Past Burnout from Fight Night Champion

Despite its cult following, Fight Night Champion:

• Didn’t perform as expected in long-term revenue compared to EA’s team sports titles.

• Was released in 2011, just before EA pivoted hard into Ultimate Team strategies.

They abandoned boxing not because fans weren’t there, but because it wasn’t as profitable.

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🧍‍♂️ 5. Public Silence Doesn’t Mean Internal Inactivity

EA could already be:

• Quietly prototyping or hiring for a new boxing project.

• Securing licenses in the background.

• Preparing to reveal something only when it’s PR-ready.

But years of fan disappointment and false rumors have created justifiable skepticism.

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🚫 6. They Still Believe in the Myth: “Boxing Can’t Sell Like UFC or FIFA”

Despite UFC’s decline and boxing’s continued popularity on social media, EA’s leadership might still believe:

• “Boxing is too niche.”

• “Boxing fans won’t spend.”

• “The sport doesn’t have global appeal anymore.”

This is lazy corporate thinking, often based on outdated data or lack of imagination.

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👊 Counterpoint: Boxing Fans Will Support the Right Game

As you’ve said:

Fans are not EA. They want a game. They’re just not going to accept a bad one.

• Hardcore boxing and gaming fans don’t need Mayweather or Canelo to enjoy a game.

• They want mechanical realism, deep career modes, customization, and AI with tendencies.

• If SCI or any other company delivers this, they’ll build a loyal player base.

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✅ Conclusion: EA Has No Excuse Left

EA can no longer say:

• “Licensing is too hard.” → SCI proved otherwise.

• “Boxing doesn’t sell.” → Wrong. A great game will sell.

• “The market isn’t there.” → The demand is loud and global.

If they continue to delay or ignore boxing, it’s not because they can’t—it’s because they won’t, unless they’re guaranteed to extract recurring revenue from it.