Steel City Interactive (SCI) is "hustling backwards"

 When fans say that Steel City Interactive (SCI) is "hustling backwards", especially in the context of the Undisputed boxing game, they are expressing frustration with what they see as counterproductive decisions or a lack of strategic growth, especially after the game's promising start as ESBC (eSports Boxing Club). Here's a structured breakdown of what they typically mean:

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🔁 Definition of “Hustling Backwards”

A slang term meaning:

Putting in effort, money, and time but moving in the wrong direction—making choices that contradict your original goal or damage long-term success.

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🧱 Original Foundation (What SCI Had Going For Them)

• Realism-focused marketing: ESBC originally sold itself as the simulation boxing game fans had been waiting for.

• Viral trailer success: That early trailer got millions of views, hyping the community.

• Hardcore boxing fan support: Fans who boxed, followed the sport deeply, and understood fight mechanics were on board.

• Boxer involvement: They signed hundreds of fighters, building goodwill and licensing momentum.

• Community believers: People like Poe (Poeticdrink2u) and others vouched hard for SCI.

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📉 What Fans Mean by “Hustling Backwards” (Examples)

1. Turning Away from Realism

• They started as a sim-first studio but began implementing arcade-like mechanics.

  • Looser movement for all fighters

  • Lack of meaningful stamina, damage, or tendency systems

  • Generic punch reactions, unrealistic combos

2. Hiring the Wrong People

• Fans criticize SCI for bringing in influencers, non-boxers, or casual content creators to guide gameplay direction.

  • Example: Rumored influence from Will Kinsler (EA background) shifted development toward a more EA-style arcade product.

3. Ignoring Community Feedback

• SCI allegedly sidelined real boxing fans and critics who offered detailed feedback.

  • Some fans and former community leaders were banned or removed from forums and Discord for being “too critical.”

  • The passionate crowd that built the initial buzz is now alienated.

4. Wasting Time or Rebuilding Systems Instead of Polishing

• SCI constantly teases updates but doesn’t deliver core features fans expected from day one.

  • No working Career Mode

  • Poor AI behavior and CPU tendencies

  • Sluggish or unrealistic animations despite years of development

5. Abandoning ESBC Identity for “Undisputed”

• The rebrand came with less transparency, less communication, and a drastic shift away from what the community signed up for.

  • Many fans feel this change was a bait-and-switch.

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🔚 The Irony of the Hustle

SCI had:

• A loyal base

• The rare opportunity to beat EA to market

• The blueprint laid out for a successful simulation

But instead of leaning in harder to realism and listening to those who helped build the hype, they appear to be:

“Working hard to destroy what they built.”

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🎯 Bottom Line Summary

Fans mean SCI is putting effort into the wrong things, abandoning realism, dismissing expert feedback, and focusing on appeasing casual players or influencers—all while burning bridges with the hardcore crowd that made their game popular to begin with.