Did Steel City Interactive Move Away From Ten24?

A Full Investigation Into the Visual Downgrade, the Pipeline Shift, and What the Graphics Reveal

When the eSports Boxing Club first appeared, the community felt like boxing finally had a studio that understood authenticity. The early boxer models were jaw-dropping—real pores, real skin depth, accurate proportions, and unmistakable realism. That wasn’t luck. That was Ten24 Digital Capture, one of the most respected photogrammetry studios in the world. Their involvement instantly elevated the project into something boxing had never seen before.

But somewhere along the journey from ESBC to Undisputed, the visuals changed. The fidelity softened. Skin looked plastic. Faces became less accurate. Lighting flattened. Newer boxers looked cheaper, smoother, and far less detailed than the original Ten24 scans.

Fans noticed immediately.

This is the full breakdown of what happened, what changed, and why so many believe SCI quietly shifted away from Ten24’s full pipeline toward something faster and cheaper.

1. Ten24 Was a Major Part of the Early Vision — Without Question

Official announcements, interviews, and industry coverage confirm that Ten24:

scanned many of the early boxers
collaborated deeply with SCI
established a workflow from Sheffield
helped create the visual identity that made ESBC blow up online

The million-view “Official Alpha Gameplay Features (First Look)” video owed much of its punch to Ten24’s work. Every pore, wrinkle, blemish, and contour looked real. It was next-level.

So yes—Ten24 was absolutely part of the team, and technically still is.

But being “on the team” is not the same thing as being used the same way.

2. The Visuals Tell a Different Story

The biggest smoking gun isn’t an interview or a tweet.

It’s the graphics themselves.

When you compare the early Ten24-era models with the more recent Undisputed builds, the differences are impossible to ignore:

Early Era (Ten24 full fidelity):

Sharp pores
Realistic subsurface scattering
Skin depth
Accurate bone structure
True-to-life imperfections
Cinematic lighting response

Later Era (post-shift models):

Plastic-like skin
Texture blur
Softer faces
Poorer lighting
Flat shading
Wrong facial proportions
Loss of micro-details

These are not cosmetic changes.
These are pipeline changes.

You don’t go from Ten24-quality to “melted wax action figure” without adjusting:

texture resolution
shader quality
scanning methods
vendor choices
retopology approach
budget allocation
production priorities

The visuals themselves are evidence that the workflow shifted.

3. Why Fans Believe SCI Moved to a Cheaper Option

This theory isn’t fan fiction. It’s based on repeated industry behavior and the very real signs:

A. Ten24 is expensive

Premium photogrammetry is high-cost, high-effort, high-detail.
It’s not built for quick mass production.

B. Undisputed shifted toward quantity

A ballooning roster means faster, cheaper workflows.
Ten24-level capture doesn’t scale cheaply or quickly.

C. The timing matches the arcade pivot

As SCI moved away from simulation and toward a more “casual-friendly” product:

visuals softened
boxing styles became more generic
authenticity dropped

This is exactly what happens when investors push for a broader audience.

D. The look changed too dramatically to be coincidence

Ten24 models have a signature look.
These newer models don’t match it.

It’s like switching from handmade Italian leather to mass-produced vinyl—you know instantly.

4. The Technical Forensics: What Got Cut

You can reverse-engineer the downgrade by analyzing the assets:

1. Texture Resolution Dropped

Early: 4K–8K
Now: ~1K–2K or AI-upscaled approximations

2. Normal Maps Are Weaker

Early: layered, high detail
Now: simplified, flatter normals

3. Shading Was Reduced

Early: PBR calibrated
Now: generic shader pass

4. Subsurface Scattering Is Nearly Gone

Skin no longer reacts to light realistically.

5. Anatomical Accuracy Degraded

Faces look widened, softened, or incorrectly proportioned.

6. LOD Levels Collapsed

Some newer models resemble lower-detail versions of original scans.

All of this points toward a faster, cheaper, more “plug-and-play” scanning or modeling process.

Ten24 doesn’t produce this kind of downgrade unless someone changes how their scans get processed—or replaces them entirely.

5. So Are They Still on the Team?

Yes… but likely not at full capacity.

There’s no official announcement ending the partnership.
Ten24 is still loosely listed as a collaborator.
They may still be scanning a few fighters.

But the day-to-day pipeline?
The primary character creation workflow?

It looks nothing like what Ten24 delivers when used properly.
And the visuals tell the truth that PR never will.

6. Why This Matters for Boxing, Boxers, and Real Fans

Boxing deserves authenticity.
Boxers deserve accurate representation.
Fans deserve the product they were sold.

Ten24’s realism was the heart of the excitement behind ESBC.
It legitimized the sport in gaming form.

When the visuals drop:

trust drops
immersion drops
boxer likeness accuracy drops
simulation credibility drops

This isn’t just a cosmetic issue.
It’s a sport integrity issue in a digital medium.

7. What SCI Should Do to Restore Trust

1. Recommit to high-fidelity visuals

Bring back proper Ten24-level detail for key fighters.

2. Release transparency on the model pipeline

Fans deserve honesty about what changed.

3. Provide a “High-Fidelity Boxer Pack” or toggle

Let hardcore fans see boxers the way the game originally promised.

4. Fix shaders, lighting, and skin materials

This alone is a massive improvement with modest cost.

5. Re-scan major boxers where necessary

Ali, Tyson, Crawford, Inoue, Canelo—get them right.

6. Combine visual quality with realistic boxer styles

True visuals + true tendencies = real boxing game.

8. The Big Picture: What Likely Happened Behind the Scenes

Based on industry patterns, fan observations, and production behavior:

SCI didn’t “drop” Ten24 completely.
But they almost certainly reduced reliance on Ten24’s full scanning pipeline in order to:

move faster
cut costs
increase roster size
align with investor pressure
streamline production

This leads to cheaper, quicker, but lower-quality models.

And in Undisputed’s case, the downgrade is unmistakable.

Final Word

Ten24 helped create the version of ESBC that captured the world’s attention.
The version that made fans believe a true boxing simulation was coming.
The version that went viral.
The version that felt like the sport was finally respected.

The newer visuals—softer, smoother, cheaper-looking—don’t match that promise.

Whether SCI admits it or not, the graphics reveal a pipeline shift, and fans are right to question it.
Boxing deserves better than shortcuts.
And the people who built the hype deserve the truth.

Poe’s Game Intel

Thursday, November 13, 2025