A Plea To Gamers And Boxing Fans: Stop Funding What You Did Not Ask For
The Ash Habib Contradictions Edition
The boxing gaming community is tired. Tired of being misled. Tired of being told one thing in interviews and seeing the opposite in the game. Tired of funding a project that no longer resembles the realistic and authentic sim that was promised.
Steel City Interactive has relied on one pattern for survival. The community keeps paying even when the product keeps drifting further away from what players actually asked for. Every purchase becomes a signal that the watered-down approach is acceptable. Every DLC purchase tells SCI that the fans will stay loyal no matter how much the original vision is compromised.
This is why a boycott of Undisputed 2 is not emotional. It is strategic. It is intelligent. It is the only way to stop being used as lab rats for a constantly shifting development philosophy.
The Heart of the Problem: Ash Habib Keeps Contradicting Himself
From day one, Ash Habib sold the boxing world on realism and authenticity. ESBC was marketed as the first boxing game in years that would bring the sport to life without compromise. Ash said things like:
“We want to create a true representation of the sport.”
“This will be the most authentic boxing experience ever.”
Players believed him.
The industry believed him.
Boxers and trainers believed him.
Then everything changed.
As pressure mounted, Ash began saying the opposite. Suddenly, realism was no longer the goal. Suddenly, authenticity was a burden. Suddenly, accessibility mattered more than accuracy.
He started saying things like:
“We cannot go too realistic because players do not want that.”
“If you play the game the way it is intended, it works.”
Intended by whom?
Based on what research?
According to what survey?
There has never been a public, global poll asking boxing fans what they actually want.
There has never been a transparent report showing whether fans prefer realism, hybrid gameplay, or arcade.
There has never been any data to support the direction SCI is now defending.
Ash simply changed the message and hoped the community would accept it.
The Mechanics That Keep Disappearing With Convenient Explanations
Referees were removed because they were suddenly too hard to implement.
Clinch mechanics were removed even though they were once advertised as a major feature.
Simulation elements faded away.
Footwork accuracy was toned down.
Damage modeling became shallow.
Authentic defensive layers were simplified.
Then what appears on schedule.
New boxer DLC.
Paid content.
Cosmetics.
Monetizable additions.
This reveals the priority more clearly than any interview.
Core features can vanish.
Revenue features cannot.
Fans Are Treated Like Test Subjects
SCI uses Early Access not as a development stage with accountability, but as a shield to justify constant pivots. Ash changes direction whenever convenient because the community keeps paying no matter what direction he chooses.
Players did not sign up to be an experiment.
Players did not sign up to test a philosophy that contradicts itself every few months.
Players did not sign up to fund a vision that changes depending on who Ash is talking to.
Buying Undisputed 2 without demanding clarity and commitment only guarantees more contradictions.
Demand Real Data Before You Spend Another Dollar
If SCI truly believes players do not want a realistic and authentic sim, then let them prove it.
Not with words.
Not with shifting interviews.
Not with vague statements.
With real numbers.
The community should demand:
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A public survey asking fans to choose realism, hybrid, or arcade.
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A gameplay philosophy poll covering referees, clinching, stamina integrity, damage modeling, and footwork.
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A transparency report explaining why mechanics were removed and why the vision changed.
Until then, Ash’s claims about what players want are nothing more than convenient justifications for decisions the community never agreed with.
Boycott Undisputed 2 Until SCI Commits to Authentic Boxing
Fans must stop funding contradictions.
They must stop rewarding broken promises.
They must stop accepting a version of the sport that becomes less authentic each year.
If Undisputed 2 does not return to realism and authenticity, do not buy it.
Do not support a sequel that continues the pattern of shifting narratives.
Do not let SCI continue to use the community’s loyalty as a safety net.
Your wallet is your voice.
Your boycott is your leverage.
Your standards are the only thing that can force accountability.
The Community Holds All the Power
Ash has said everything in every direction.
He has promised realism.
He has rejected realism.
He has downplayed authenticity.
He has used authenticity as marketing material when useful.
He has blamed players for expecting the features he advertised.
The cycle will only break when fans decide to break it.
Do not buy Undisputed 2 unless the game honors the sport with realism and authenticity.
Do not reward a company that keeps changing its message every time it faces criticism.
Do not allow SCI to pretend the community agrees with a direction no one voted for.
This is not hate.
This is accountability.
This is self-respect.
This is the boxing community protecting the future of the sport in gaming.
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