Why Steel City Interactive Is Afraid of Making Undisputed an Authentic Boxing Game

The fear that Steel City Interactive has toward creating a truly authentic, realistic boxing game is not based on industry facts. It’s based on a long-standing misconception: the belief that realism is niche or that simulation boxing games never worked in the market. None of that is true. And none of it is supported by any past EA boxing titles, because EA never made a simulation boxing game to begin with. All EA boxing games—from Knockout Kings to Fight Night Champion—were cinematic hybrids, not authentic or realistic boxing simulations.

Understanding this is the key to understanding why SCI’s decisions make no sense today.

The core issue is simple: SCI keeps trying to copy a misconception instead of chasing authenticity.

They believe that realism is dangerous, when in reality, realism is what fans actually want.

1. SCI Bought Into a Myth About the Past

There is a false idea circulating in the community that “Fight Night games were sims” or “EA had the realistic formula right.”

But EA boxing games never simulated:

Real stamina
Real footwork
Real distance control
Real tendencies
Real defense
Real styles
Real physiology
Real pace or rhythm
Real punch economy

What EA made were polished, animation-driven action games with boxing themes. They looked mature, so people mistakenly labeled them “sim-like,” but the gameplay systems were not built on authentic boxing logic.

SCI is treating this myth as if it were fact.
They’re designing Undisputed as if:

“Fight Night was realistic, so fans don’t like real boxing. They like hybrids.”

Wrong.

Fans never got a real sim. They never had that option.

The demand for an authentic game has been unmet for over twenty years.

2. SCI Is Afraid of Risk; But Authenticity Isn’t the Risk

SCI seems terrified that leaning into authenticity will scare away casual players. But look what actually happened:

The realistic ESBC alpha footage exploded online
The arcade-leaning Undisputed Early Access drove fans away
Casuals didn’t stick around anyway
The hybrid design satisfied nobody
The deeper the game moved away from boxing, the worse the community reception became

Casual players do not reject realism.
They reject unpolished, shallow systems pretending to be realism.

Authenticity is not the threat.
It is the missing ingredient.

3. SCI Simplified Gameplay Because They Lacked Systems, Not Because Fans Wanted Simplicity

True realism requires:

Accurate tendencies
Distinct styles
Physics-based footwork
Punch accuracy logic
Angle-based decision-making
Stamina models that differ per boxer
Foot pressure and weight-transfer systems
AI that replicates human ring intelligence

SCI has not built these systems, and that is why realism scares them.

Their hybrid approach was not a design philosophy.
It was a shortcut.

They chose:

Sliding movement instead of footwork
Universal stamina instead of real fatigue curves
Homogenized styles instead of a real boxer identity
Button-speed punching instead of angle-dependent mechanics

They made everything easier to build, not better to play.

4. They Misinterpreted Early Access and Lost the Game’s Identity

Early Access is supposed to show the community the core vision first. Instead, SCI used Early Access to experiment, pull back, simplify, and flatten the depth. They believed that:

“Start arcade → slowly add realism later.”

But realism cannot be patched in.
It must be the foundation.

What happened?

The original ESBC identity disappeared
The early supporters left
The buzz died
The momentum collapsed

Undisputed lost the very audience that made the game big.

5. Investors and Advisors Push Hybrid Because They Don’t Understand Boxing

Investors fear:

Complexity
Long development loops
High skill gaps
Difficult balance
Niche identity

They push for games that:

Looks good on trailers
Play simple
Show instant impact
Use flashy animations

But boxing is not a casual arcade sport.

It is a technical craft.

The audience follows authenticity.

Sports games prove this over and over.

6. SCI Forgot Who Their Real Audience Is

The people who buy boxing games are:

Real boxing fans
Real practitioners
Coaches
Analysts
Hardcore players
Long-term supporters

These fans want:

Styles that matter
Stamina that matters
Defense that matters
Strategy that matters
Tendencies that matter
Ring intelligence that matters

The casual-first approach ignored the only audience willing to support the game long-term.

In chasing a mythical casual player base that never existed, they pushed away the real fans who would have supported the game for years.

7. They Are Trying to Balance a Game That Has No Authenticity to Balance

SCI’s biggest public excuse is:
“We don’t want styles to be overpowered. We want balance.”

Balance only matters when the foundation is authentic.
Otherwise, you are balancing problems you created, not problems boxing creates.

Real boxing is balanced organically through:

Conditioning
Tendencies
Speed vs timing
Inside vs outside
Style matchups
Risk management
Technique
Defense discipline
Decision-making

SCI removed real mechanics, so now they are forced to balance:

Artificial stamina
Artificial footwork
Artificial movement rules
Artificial punching risk
Artificial hit reactions

This is why no change ever feels right.

You cannot balance a fake version of boxing.

You can only balance boxing by actually simulating it.

8. The Game Is Struggling Because They Ran From What Made ESBC Special

ESBC got attention because it looked like the first true, authentic boxing game since… ever. Fans saw:

Authentic weight shifts
Authentic movement
Authentic punch mechanics
Authentic presentation
Authentic fighter behavior

That identity is gone.

Undisputed is now:

Not authentic
Not deep
Not realistic
Not simulation
Not casual-friendly
Not competitive
Not grounded in boxing logic

It sits in the dead zone between genres.

This happened because SCI was scared of committing to authenticity.

The Real Truth

SCI isn’t afraid because realism won’t work.
They’re afraid because:

They lack the systems
They lack the experience
They lack the advisors
They lack the courage to commit
They believe myths about the genre
They misunderstand their audience
They hide behind “casuals” to justify shortcuts

The hybrid approach backfired because it was never what boxing fans wanted.

And since there has never been an authentic 3D boxing simulation game in history, this was SCI’s chance to make the first one.

Instead, they ran from it.

That is why fans left.

Poe’s Game Intel

Thursday, November 27, 2025