When “Indie” Becomes a Shield — The Steel City Interactive Paradox

An Investigative Editorial by Poe / Poe’s Think Tank

Introduction: A Tale of Two Identities

In 2025, Steel City Interactive (SCI) was crowned Best Large Studio at the TIGA Games Industry Awards — an impressive leap for a company that began as a small Sheffield startup promising to revive boxing in gaming.

Yet even as it stands shoulder-to-shoulder with major developers, SCI continues to describe itself as an “independent” or “indie” studio. That claim clashes with its actual scale:

Three studios across Sheffield, Leamington Spa, and Las Vegas
A major publishing partner (Deep Silver / PLAION)
Official licenses and brand deals with the WBC, IBF, Ring Magazine, Everlast, and others
Over one million copies sold of Undisputed worldwide

What began as an underdog story has evolved into a multinational operation — and the persistence of the “indie” label now raises difficult questions about transparency and accountability.

From Indie Dream to Corporate Reality

The Expansion Era

Founded in 2020 by brothers Ash, Asif, and Asad Habib, SCI launched Undisputed (formerly eSports Boxing Club) amid huge community excitement. Within five years, it transformed into a multi-studio network with over 70–100 employees, senior hires from EA Sports, and operations spanning two continents.

2025 saw the opening of a second U.K. studio in Leamington Spa and a third branch in Las Vegas, handling athlete relations and U.S. brand partnerships — further evidence of AAA-level scale.

Publisher, Partners, and Power Brokers

While SCI initially self-funded, its formal publishing agreement with Deep Silver / PLAION marked a turning point.
This is the same publisher responsible for franchises like Dead Island, Metro Exodus, and Saints Row — hardly indie territory.

Add to that a roster of heavyweight partners — WBC, IBF, The Ring Magazine, Everlast, Empire Pro Tape, and more — and the picture becomes clear: these are corporate-grade licensing operations that demand robust infrastructure, legal teams, and substantial budgets.

The Million-Copy Milestone

Crossing the 1 million-sales threshold propelled Undisputed into the commercial mainstream. It proved the appetite for boxing games remains strong — but it also elevated expectations.

At that point, SCI could no longer credibly be treated as a fragile indie experiment. It had entered the realm of mid-tier and AAA-adjacent development, with the same responsibilities that come with that scale.

The Accountability Gap: When “Indie” Becomes a Shield

Despite its resources, Undisputed’s public reception has been mixed. Players have cited bugs, AI flaws, feature cutbacks, and unfulfilled promises — from missing referee systems to unfinished offline depth and unrealistic AI tendencies.

This raises a critical question:

Is the “indie” label being used as a shield to deflect accountability for a product that failed to meet expectations?

Some defenders excuse these issues by insisting SCI is “still an indie team” — suggesting fans should lower expectations. But that argument collapses under the studio’s actual status:

A publisher-backed title with global distribution
Multi-office infrastructure
Industry recognition as Best Large Studio (TIGA 2025)

If a company is large enough to win awards in that category, it’s large enough to be held to professional standards.

The “Indie Shield” Phenomenon

Across the industry, some studios strategically retain the indie image for marketing or narrative control. It evokes passion and grassroots credibility — but when misused, it blurs accountability:

Bugs and delays become “growing pains.”
Missing features are dismissed as “indie limitations.”
Criticism is reframed as “unfair pressure on small devs.”

SCI’s communications risk falling into this pattern. The “indie” identity that once earned goodwill now feels like a defense mechanism — one that undermines the studio’s credibility and the trust of its player base.

When Growth Outpaces Identity

The contradiction between SCI’s words and SCI’s reality creates confusion. It isn’t wrong to evolve — but it is misleading to evolve and pretend not to.

SCI’s success story should be celebrated honestly: a small team that grew into a powerful studio capable of reviving a dormant sport. Yet clinging to the indie label risks appearing disingenuous, particularly when used to buffer against justified critique.

Context: How Other Studios Handled Growth Transparently

Hello Games dropped the “indie” tag after No Man’s Sky scaled massively.
Larian Studios (of Baldur’s Gate 3) operates independently but doesn’t market itself as “small.”
CD Projekt Red long ago abandoned the indie descriptor after The Witcher 3’s success.

Each embraced transparency — and earned more respect for doing so. SCI could do the same by owning its evolution instead of clinging to a past identity.

Indie Roots, Corporate Branches

Steel City Interactive’s achievements are undeniable: the return of boxing to gaming, commercial success, and international recognition.

But three studios, a global publisher, million-copy sales, and a “Best Large Studio” award do not equal “indie.”

If the label persists, it risks functioning less as heritage and more as a shield against accountability — one that excuses broken promises and deflects legitimate criticism.

The truest show of independence now would be transparency: acknowledging scale, accepting scrutiny, and proving that success doesn’t require hiding behind the word “indie.”

Disclaimer:
This article represents the independent opinion and editorial analysis of its author, based entirely on publicly available information as of November 2025. All factual references to Steel City Interactive, Deep Silver / PLAION, and associated partners are drawn from verifiable public sources such as company websites, press releases, award listings, and news reports.

The views expressed here constitute fair comment and journalistic critique protected under U.S. First Amendment and U.K. Defamation Act 2013 provisions for opinion and public-interest commentary.

This publication makes no allegations of unlawful conduct and does not purport to represent official statements from Steel City Interactive or its affiliates.

All trademarks, company names, and product titles remain the property of their respective owners.

Poe’s Game Intel

Saturday, November 8, 2025