Stop Forcing Hardcore Fans to Accept Casual-Focused Boxing Games

The Ghost of EA Fight Night Champion

When EA released Fight Night Champion, the franchise was already at a crossroads. Instead of doubling down on simulation depth and boxer individuality, EA pivoted toward casual players. They streamlined mechanics, pushed a cinematic “Champion Mode” narrative, and downplayed the unique traits that made real-life boxing so compelling.

The result? Hardcore fans felt alienated. The casuals enjoyed a short burst of novelty, but when the dust settled, both groups drifted away. EA quietly shelved the franchise, proving that you can’t build long-term success by ignoring the people who care most about the sport.

Now, Steel City Interactive (SCI) risks repeating the same mistake with Undisputed.

The SCI Approach: A Familiar Formula

SCI’s messaging and design choices point toward a hybrid, arcade-leaning vision. Boxers often share the same animations, individuality feels stripped down, and the focus appears to be on cosmetics and DLC rather than depth.

This is the very formula that tanked Fight Night Champion. The problem isn’t just that it failed once—it’s that SCI should know better. Hardcore boxing fans are already warning them: this road leads nowhere. Casual fans don’t sustain niche sports games, and hardcore fans won’t tolerate being dismissed again.

Whose Job Is It to Know This?

Inside any serious game studio, there are roles specifically responsible for understanding which fan base sustains a game long-term.

Product Managers / Producers – They set the vision and balance business goals with community needs. It’s their responsibility to decide whether to lean arcade or simulation.
User Research & Analytics Teams – They run surveys, playtests, and focus groups. They should have data proving hardcore fans stick around, spend more, and create content.
Community & Player Insights Managers – They monitor fan conversations across Discord, Reddit, YouTube, and social platforms. They’re supposed to ensure the studio hears and respects its most loyal fans.
Executives & Investors – They apply pressure for broad appeal, often without understanding that boxing isn’t FIFA or Madden.

If these people are doing their jobs properly, they should already know that hardcore fans aren’t optional—they’re the foundation. If they don’t, either they’re misreading the data, or worse, deliberately ignoring it.

Why They Think Hardcores Will “Accept Anything”

So why do people with these titles assume hardcore fans will put up with a casual-focused product? Several flawed beliefs drive this:

Misreading History – They see Fight Night Champion as a success because of its initial sales, while ignoring the long-term collapse.
Trickle-Down Fandom – They think hardcore fans are so loyal they’ll buy anything just to support boxing.
Investor Pressure – Executives demand mass appeal, and research is twisted to fit the narrative.
Community Control – They believe messaging can spin hardcore complaints into irrelevance.
Category Mistake – They treat boxing like FIFA or Madden, ignoring that boxing doesn’t have a giant casual base to fall back on.
Short-Term Thinking – Launch sales make them look successful on paper, even if long-term engagement crumbles.

The result is arrogance: an assumption that hardcores will “fall in line” because they don’t have another option.

The Sad Reality: Forcing Fans Into What They Don’t Want

It’s not just a design decision—it’s a respect issue.

Hardcore fans aren’t asking for gimmicks, shortcuts, or reskinned boxers. They’re asking for the sport they love to be represented authentically. When a studio forces them into a casual mold, the message is clear: “Your passion doesn’t matter. You’ll take what we give you.”

This mentality turns hardcore fans from loyal partners into reluctant hostages. And history proves it backfires: once hardcore fans lose trust, they stop buying DLC, stop promoting the game, and start warning others not to bother.

What SCI Is Missing

SCI could have seized the opportunity to be the anti-EA: the studio that finally gave boxing fans the depth and authenticity they’ve been begging for. Instead, they’re flirting with the same failed formula.

Hardcore fans don’t just buy—they evangelize. They’re the ones who keep the game alive years later, running leagues, building mods, and spending money on every piece of content. Casuals come and go, but hardcore fans are the lifeblood of the sport.

By dismissing them as “5%,” SCI risks alienating the only group that can sustain them.

Conclusion: A Warning SCI Can’t Ignore

Forcing hardcore boxing fans to accept a casual-focused boxing game is not just sad—it’s self-destructive. EA already tried it, and the franchise vanished for a decade. SCI is standing on the same cliff, staring into the same void.

The real question isn’t whether hardcore fans will accept what they don’t like—it’s whether SCI will finally learn the lesson that EA ignored. Because if they don’t, history is about to repeat itself, and boxing fans will once again be left with nothing.

Message to SCI: Stop treating hardcore fans like an obstacle. They’re your greatest asset. Build for them first, and the rest will follow. Ignore them, and you’ll end up exactly where EA did: with a dead franchise and a betrayed community.

Poe’s Think Tank

Sunday, September 28, 2025