By someone who lived the sport and understands the craft
🎮 Five Years Is Enough
Let’s stop pretending Steel City Interactive (SCI) is just “taking their time.” The game has been in development for nearly five years. In game dev years, that’s a lifetime. Especially for a company that promised fans they were building a “realistic boxing sim by boxing fans, for boxing fans.”
At first, a lot of us were patient. We were hopeful. We saw the trailers. The mechanics. The vision. And we thought: finally.
But now, in 2025, we’ve got to call it what it is—a broken promise wrapped in delay after delay.
Veteran Devs? Then There’s No Excuse
SCI isn’t just some scrappy startup anymore. They’ve got industry veterans on the team—people from EA, people who worked on Fight Night, and other major franchises. This isn’t some ragtag indie studio learning as they go. These are folks who’ve been in the trenches. Who knows how pipelines, features, milestones, and polish work.
So why the endless delays? Why the missing features we were explicitly shown in trailers years ago?
When you’ve got that level of talent and you're still missing core mechanics—referees, proper clinch systems, judging logic, realistic footwork, full get-up systems—you have to stop blaming resources or “time.” That’s not a struggle. That’s mismanagement. That’s procrastination. That’s a loss of direction.
🥊 I’m Not Just Another Gamer — I Lived Boxing
People love to dismiss criticism by saying, “You don’t know how hard it is to make a game.”
And yeah, I do. I’ve been in and out of the gaming industry in small roles over the years. I understand scope, crunch, design bottlenecks, and technical delays.
But more importantly, I actually boxed.
Not just a couple of sessions at the gym. I was a decorated amateur. I fought professionally. I know what it means to dig deep in the ring, to learn strategy, rhythm, distance, and fatigue. I know what makes real boxing different from just “throwing punches.”
And when I see this game? I see a disconnect. A massive one.
They sell it as realism, but then speed and stamina don't matter enough. Blocking is cosmetic. Power punchers are forced to be slow by design, like we’re still in an arcade from 2007.
Don’t Disrespect the Real Ones
What’s really frustrating is how often voices like mine get dismissed by developers, by influencers, by fans who’ve never laced gloves in their life.
Some people act like the only valid criticism comes from influencers or streamers. But real boxers, real fans of the sport, have a voice too. And we know when something feels off.
Stop acting like realism is too hard or too niche.
NBA 2K didn’t skip the playbook. FIFA didn’t ignore formations.
Boxing deserves the same depth. The same effort. The same respect.
We’re Past the Excuse Stage
The sad part? A lot of fans still cling to hope—“They’re working on it.” “It’s early access.” “Just give them more time.”
But we already gave them time. We gave them five years. We gave them pre-orders. We gave them feedback. And instead of building a sim boxing legacy, it feels like they’re drifting toward a watered-down hybrid that pleases nobody long-term.
At some point, you’re not “developing.” You’re delaying what you already abandoned.
Time to Speak Up
This isn’t about hate. This is about accountability.
It’s about wanting the sport I love to be represented right.
It’s about wanting a game that teaches, inspires, and honors boxing.
Boxing games inspired people to become boxers. To train. To study. To fall in love with the sport. But how can that happen if the game keeps bending toward gimmicks instead of glory?
If you’re a fan of the sport—a real fan—start speaking up.
Push back. Ask the hard questions. Stop giving passes for “early access” when they’ve had almost half a decade.
Final Word
I’m not here to chase clout. I’m not trying to go viral.
I’m just someone who knows the fight, knows the craft, and has earned their voice.
Stop disrespecting the players who lived it.
Stop excusing mediocrity from people who promised better.
And stop acting like we don’t deserve a realistic boxing game that lives up to the sport.
Because we do.
And if SCI won’t deliver it… Someone else eventually will.
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