The Realistic Boxing Video Game Dream: Who Steel City Interactive or Any Other Company Needs to Hire — and Who They Already Have

If you want to build the most authentic, simulation-based boxing video game ever made, the team you assemble is just as important as the game design itself. The problem is, most studios — including Steel City Interactive (SCI), developers of Undisputed — underestimate the breadth and depth of talent required to pull this off.

Making a boxing sim isn’t just about coding punches and building arenas. It’s about integrating boxing history, fight science, broadcast presentation, adaptive AI, and deep career progression into one coherent package. And for that, you need the right people in the right roles — not just boxing “fans” or generic game developers.

Below is the realistic hiring checklist for any company trying to create a true boxing simulation, complete with how many people you need in each role, what SCI already has, and what they’re missing.

1. Leadership & Direction (6 total)

✅ Game Director (Sports/Combat Specialist) – 1 person – SCI has Jxxxx Dxxxx (since May 2024).
❌ Creative Director (Boxing Focus) – 1 person – Missing.
❌ Technical Director – 1 person – Missing.
❌ Production Managers – 3 people – Missing. Oversees scheduling, budgeting, and milestone tracking.

2. Boxing Knowledge & Authenticity (9 total)

❌ Boxing Historian / Stats Analyst – 1 person – Missing.
❌ Professional Boxing Consultant(s) – 2–3 people – Missing. Mix of retired pros/trainers.
❌ AI & Tendency Designer – 1 person – Missing. Creates adaptive fight logic that mimics real-life tendencies.
❌ Referee / Judge Consultants – 1–2 people – Missing.
❌ Cutman / Trainer Consultant – 1 person – Missing.
❌ Tendencies, Capabilities, Traits & Attributes Designer – 1-3 people – Critical missing role.
- Oversees all boxer-specific data including fight styles, mentalities, strengths, weaknesses, stamina curves, and psychological behaviors.
- Integrates with AI systems so boxers fight according to their real-life skillset and personality.

3. Gameplay & AI Development (12 total)

❌ Lead Gameplay Programmer (Combat Systems) – 1 person – Missing.
❌ Gameplay Programmers – 3 people – Missing.
❌ AI Engineer (Boxing AI) – 2 people – Missing.
❌ Animation Programmer (Combat) – 1 person – Missing.
❌ Physics Programmer – 1 person – Missing.
❌ Fight Systems Designer – 1 person – Missing.
❌ Technical Combat Designer – 3 people – Missing.

4. Animation & Mocap (10 total)

❌ Lead Animator (Boxing Specialist) – 1 person – Missing.
❌ Animators (Combat Focus) – 4 people – Missing.
❌ Mocap Director – 1 person – Missing.
❌ Mocap Cleanup Artists – 2 people – Missing.
❌ Procedural Animation Engineer – 2 people – Missing.

5. Presentation & Broadcast (9 total)

❌ Presentation Director – 1 person – Missing.
❌ UI/UX Designer (Sports Focus) – 2 people – Missing.
❌ Commentary Writer / Audio Director – 1 person – Missing.
✅ Sound Designers – 2 people – SCI has audio staff, with Senior Audio Designer role open.
❌ Lighting Artist – 1 person – Missing.
❌ Broadcast Camera Artist – 2 people – Missing.

6. Modes & Content (8 total)

❌ Lead Designer – Career Mode – 1 person – Missing.
❌ Career Mode Designers – 2 people – Missing.
❌ Narrative Designer – 1 person – Partial (SCI has Junior Narrative Designer xxx xxxx).
❌ Online Systems Designer – 2 people – Missing.
❌ Economy & Live Content Designer – 1 person – Missing.
❌ Quest/Scenario Designer – 1 person – Missing.

7. Art & Asset Production (12 total)

❌ Character Artist (Realism Focus) – 2 people – Missing.
❌ Environment Artist – 2 people – Missing.
❌ Clothing & Gear Artist – 2 people – Missing.
❌ Texture/Shader Artist – 2 people – Missing.
❌ VFX Artist (Impact/Particles) – 2 people – Missing.
❌ Crowd/Prop Artist – 2 people – Missing.

8. Technical & Support (7 total)

❌ Technical Artist – 2 people – Missing.
✅ QA Lead (Sports Focus) – 1 person – Covered (xxx xxxxxxxx).
❌ QA Testers – 2–3 people – Missing (sports simulation focus).
❌ Build Engineer – 1 person – Missing.
❌ Network Engineer – 1 person – Missing.

9. Licensing, Marketing & Partnerships (6 total)

❌ Licensing Manager – 1 person – Missing.
❌ Licensing Assistants – 1–2 people – Missing.
❌ Community Manager (Boxing Knowledge) – 1 person – Missing.
❌ Marketing Director (Sports Focus) – 1 person – Missing.
❌ Marketing Artists/Editors – 1–2 people – Missing.

Total Recommended Studio Size

For a fully realized boxing simulation:

Minimum Core – 55–65 developers/staff
Ideal Full Team – 90–110 developers/staff (plus external mocap boxers, voice actors, and contractors)
Mocap Talent Pool – 10–20 boxers of varied styles and eras
External Partners – CompuBox, BoxRec, sports broadcasters

SCI’s Current Reality

Steel City Interactive currently has:

✅ Game Director (Sports/Combat)
✅ QA Lead
✅ Audio Staff (expanding)
✅ Junior Narrative Designer
❌ Missing most combat, animation, authenticity, presentation, and tendency/attribute roles

That means SCI has about 5–6 of the 90+ people needed for a true full-scale sim boxing game — with the rest still missing or outsourced.

Why This Matters

Without core boxing authenticity hires, specialist programmers, and presentation experts, SCI risks Undisputed becoming another “boxing-flavored fighting game” rather than the immersive sim they promised.

The “NBA 2K of boxing” requires the same discipline, staffing, and creative vision — just in a different sport. One of the most urgent hires is a Tendencies, Capabilities, Traits & Attributes Designer — without this role, the AI will never truly represent the sport’s diversity in styles, personalities, and skillsets.

The roadmap is clear: hire the missing expertise in the right order, secure authenticity partners, and commit to realism over arcade compromises.

Poe’s Think Tank

Tuesday, August 12, 2025