Do Combat Designers And AI Designers Matter In Realistic Boxing Games, And Did Steel City Interactive Have Them? A Full Research-Based Breakdown

Creating a realistic boxing videogame is far more complex than creating a traditional fighting game or a general sports title. Boxing is a tactical, biomechanical, psychological, and stylistic sport that demands true expertise in two critical disciplines.

Combat Design
AI Design and AI Technical Design

These roles are not optional. They are the foundation of any serious attempt at realism and authenticity. When these roles are missing, underdeveloped, or hired too late, the result is always the same. The game defaults into a hybrid or arcade experience, the boxers do not fight like themselves, and the mechanics never reach true simulation depth.

A deep analysis of industry standards and publicly available information strongly suggests that Steel City Interactive did not begin ESBC or Undisputed with the specialized Combat Design and AI Design staff required for a realistic boxing videogame. Below is the full merged and expanded explanation.

1. Why Combat Designers Are Essential In Boxing Games

A Combat Designer defines the feel, logic, and identity of the sport. They are responsible for:

Punch timing, commitment, recovery, and damage
Footwork systems and weight distribution
Defensive layers, slip windows, pivot angles, and counters
Stamina curves, fatigue modeling, momentum swings
Range management and ring generalship rules
Collaboration with animation to ensure biomechanical accuracy
Systems that allow different boxing styles to actually exist

When this role is missing, every boxer feels the same because no one is architecting the underlying mechanics that allow individuality to appear.

Symptoms of a missing or weak Combat Design team

Universal loose footwork for all boxers
Identical turn speeds and movement pacing
Punches with similar timing and pathing
Lack of style-based mechanics, such as inside fighting or slick outboxing
Inconsistent stamina and damage modeling
Simplified block logic and unrealistic defensive behaviors

These symptoms are clearly visible in Undisputed and strongly indicate that SCI did not have a senior Combat Designer leading development during the foundational years.

2. Why AI Designers And AI Technicians Are Equally Critical

AI in a boxing game is not background noise. It is the soul of the simulation.

The AI Designer builds the logic for:

Tendencies and style profiles
Strategy, rhythm, timing, tempo, and adaptive decision making
Counter-punching, pressure fighting, ring cutting, and retreat logic
Adjustments mid-fight
Skill expression across boxer types
Realistic mistakes, openings, and situational intelligence

AI Technicians or AI Programmers implement the systems under the hood, create debugging tools, and ensure performance and responsiveness.

Symptoms of missing AI specialists

All boxers behave the same
No true pressure fighting logic
No real outboxing logic
No meaningful adjustments
Limited counter-punching
Predictable retreat patterns
Lack of personality or tendencies
CPU vs CPU fights expose shallow intelligence

Undisputed displays all of these patterns consistently. This strongly suggests SCI did not have the AI staffing needed for simulation-level realism.

3. How Many Combat And AI Staff Does a Realistic Boxing Game Actually Need

Based on established sports and combat-game studios:

Minimum for a realistic sim prototype

1 Senior Combat Designer
1 AI Designer
1 AI Programmer

Ideal team for a full mid-sized boxing game

2 Senior Combat Designers
2 Gameplay Designers supporting systems
2 AI Designers
2 AI Programmers

Total specialists: 8

AAA ambitions

3 to 4 Combat Designers
3 to 5 AI Designers
4 to 6 AI Programmers

Total specialists: 10 to 15

This staffing is standard for a simulation game aiming for authenticity.

4. Did SCI Have These Specialists? A Research-Based Assessment

A review of SCI’s public hiring, interviews, credits, patch notes, feature removals, updates, and AI behavior reveals the following:

1. Early development showed no dedicated Combat Designer roles.

SCI’s hiring patterns focused on general designers, programmers, and artists. There was no evidence of a senior combat systems specialist.

2. There is no public record of an AI Designer with behavioral simulation experience.

A boxing simulation requires AI designers familiar with:

Utility scoring systems
Behavior trees
Personality profiling
Adaptive decision architecture

SCI’s AI patterns do not reflect this expertise.

3. Interviews repeatedly referenced limitations.

SCI publicly mentioned:

Staff shortages
The difficulty of footwork
The challenge of implementing realism
The reason certain mechanics were removed
That this was their first attempt at a boxing game

These statements align with teams that lack specialists in Combat and AI systems.

4. The gameplay behavior confirms the staffing gap.

AI is uniform, predictable, and non-adaptive.
Footwork is generic and lacks biomechanical nuance.
Punch mechanics do not reflect realistic commitment and torque.
Defensive layers are shallow and incomplete.
Stamina and damage lack sim depth.

These outcomes do not appear when a studio has strong Combat and AI staff from day one.

5. SCI later hired developers with AAA experience, but too late.

This is a common industry issue. If you add senior staff after core systems are already built, they inherit rigid foundations that cannot be easily rebuilt. A public Early Access game cannot be restarted internally without major consequences.

The result is what we see now. Patches that tweak behavior rather than redesign systems. Balance changes instead of simulated logic. New content layered on top of incomplete fundamentals.

5. Why These Staffing Gaps Explain The 6-Plus-Year Timeline And Undisputed’s Current Limitations

If a studio begins without specialists:

AI does not evolve beyond basic logic
Combat systems remain rigid
Styles cannot be represented properly
Animation depth cannot expand realistically
Fixing issues late becomes extremely expensive
Updates remain surface-level instead of systemic
The game leans toward hybrid or arcade balancing

A realistic simulation cannot emerge when the architecture never had the proper designers at the helm.

6. Final Assessment

How important are Combat and AI Designers?

Absolutely essential. They determine realism, authenticity, style, depth, and longevity.

How many are needed?

For a real sim:
Minimum 3 core specialists
Ideal mid-sized team: 8
AAA ambition: 10 to 15

Did SCI have them? Based on research, evidence suggests:

They likely did not have a Senior Combat Designer during foundational development.
They likely did not have dedicated AI Designers to build behavior, tendencies, and styles.
They hired more experienced staff later, but after the structural foundation was already set.
The game’s AI and mechanics reflect these gaps clearly.

This explains the inconsistencies, uniformity, and limitations the community experiences today.

Below is the fully merged, unified, expanded article, combining the entire previous breakdown of all complementary developer roles plus the updated Section 3 with AI and Machine Learning motion-capture technology for recreating boxers who are injured, elderly, unavailable, or deceased.

This version is cohesive, deeply structured, and ready for your blog, digital book chapter, or design document.

The Complete Developer Ecosystem Required To Create Realistic, Mannerism-Rich, Authentic Boxers In A Modern Boxing Videogame

A truly realistic boxing videogame cannot survive on Combat Designers and AI Designers alone. Those roles are the architects of authenticity, but they depend on an entire ecosystem of specialized developers, technical artists, machine learning experts, animators, and consultants.

To faithfully recreate boxing styles, mannerisms, behavioral systems, footwork rhythms, psychological patterns, and legendary fighters from every era, a studio must assemble a cross-disciplinary team with specific expertise.

Below is the complete, modern breakdown of every role a Realistic/Sim boxing game requires, including new technologies that allow studios to recreate boxers who are too old, injured, or deceased.

1. Animation Director

Why This Role Is Essential

A simulation boxing game lives or dies on how a boxer moves. The Animation Director ensures every movement reflects real biomechanics.

Responsibilities

Oversees punch technique accuracy
Ensures footwork animations match weight shifts
Maintains animation quality and consistency across the roster
Ensures each boxer has unique animation signatures
Collaborates directly with Combat Designers on timing and commitment

Outcome

Every boxer moves like themselves, not like a template.

2. Senior Technical Animator

Why This Role Is Essential

This position binds animation and gameplay. Without technical animation support, even the best mocap feels stiff or disconnected.

Responsibilities

Builds blend trees and state machines
Implements procedural footwork and head movement
Syncs frames to mechanics like impact, block, and slip windows
Polishes root motion or hybrid motion systems
Integrates AI-generated or mocap data into gameplay

Outcome

Natural transitions, responsive movement, and believable punch flow.

3. Mocap Director, Mocap Fight Coordinator, and AI Motion Capture Team

This is where modern boxing simulation enters a new era.

A traditional mocap team alone is no longer enough. Many legends cannot move like they did in their prime. Some are too old, injured, retired, or physically limited. Some have passed away entirely. A Realistic/Sim boxing game needs a hybrid pipeline combining physical mocap and advanced AI reconstruction.

A. Traditional Mocap Responsibilities

Directs fighters, stunt doubles, or trained performers
Captures footwork, defense, punches, stamina states
Records transitions, unique rhythms, weight transfer

B. AI and Machine Learning Motion Capture

This new component solves the biggest problem in sports game realism.

Technologies Used

AI Pose Estimation
Extracts 3D skeletal motion from old footage.
Neural Motion Reconstruction
Rebuilds incomplete movements into full sequences.
Style Transfer Models
Applies a boxer’s specific movement style onto a performer.
For example:
- Ali’s bounce
- Tyson’s peek-a-boo rhythm
- Chavez’s pressure footwork
- Roy Jones Jr.’s unorthodox cadence
- Joe Louis’ textbook efficiency
Movement Synthesis Networks
Generate missing motions like slip-to-counter transitions or pivot sequences.
AI Frame Interpolation
Converts slow or limited demonstrations from older boxers into full-speed realistic data.

C. Stand-In Performers + AI Enhancement

A stunt boxer performs key motions, and AI reshapes them to match a legend’s exact style signature.

D. Historical Footage Mining

Machine learning can extract:

Feints
Guard adjustments
Habits
Punch cadence
Reactive defense patterns
Moment-to-moment rhythm shifts

E. Sources Used

Professional fights
Shadowboxing clips
Gym training footage
Interviews showing posture and gestures
Archival recordings of deceased boxers

F. Support Staff For This Pipeline

Machine Learning Engineer
AI Motion Capture Specialist
Video Data Curator
Motion Reconstruction Artist
Style Consultant
Stunt Boxer Performer

Outcome

You can recreate legends and modern boxers with unparalleled authenticity, even when they cannot physically perform.

4. Behavioral Systems Programmer

Why This Role Is Essential

The AI Designer’s ideas cannot function without the Behavioral Systems Programmer who builds the architecture of intelligence.

Responsibilities

Creates utility scoring systems
Implements blackboard AI frameworks
Builds adaptive decision trees or state machines
Supports tendency, personality, and style modules

Outcome

AI that reacts, adapts, and behaves like a human boxer.

5. Data Scientist or Gameplay Data Analyst

Why This Role Is Essential

Realistic behavior needs real data.

Responsibilities

Analyzes punch output, stamina curves, ring control metrics
Creates statistical profiles for tendencies
Validates simulation accuracy
Helps balance AI difficulty without artificial cheats

Outcome

AI that “feels” legitimate because it is based on boxing data.

6. Systems Designer With Sports Simulation Expertise

Why This Role Is Essential

This designer oversees the deeper rules that define boxing as a sport.

Responsibilities

Builds stamina systems and fatigue curves
Designs damage systems
Creates ring generalship algorithms
Handles clinch, referee, and foul logic
Structures depth for punch accuracy, defense, and situational awareness

Outcome

A true simulation where mechanics reinforce real boxing intelligence.

7. Narrative and Trait Designer

Why This Role Is Essential

Boxers are characters. They have psychology.

Responsibilities

Designs personality traits
Builds behavioral patterns
Creates “hurt logic,” “tired logic,” “winning logic,” and “losing logic”
Defines mental states such as aggression, caution, risk-taking, and resilience

Outcome

Every boxer feels emotionally real.

8. Audio Designer Specialized In Combat

Why This Role Is Essential

Boxing realism is not only visual. It is audible.

Responsibilities

Records signature breaths, grunts, shuffles, glove adjustments
Matches audio cues to AI decisions
Syncs impact sound with torque and damage calculations

Outcome

Boxers sound alive, not generic.

9. Technical Gameplay Designer

Why This Role Is Essential

This role bridges gameplay mechanics, combat system logic, and animation.

Responsibilities

Tunes hit frames, recovery, interruption windows
Manages hitboxes, hurtboxes, and punch pathing
Ensures mechanics reflect real-world timing

Outcome

A boxer’s actions feel grounded in real physics and timing.

10. Machine Learning Engineer (Advanced Role)

Why This Role Is Essential

ML can learn stylistic data that humans might miss.

Responsibilities

Trains models on fight footage
Builds predictive movement analysis
Helps synthesize new footwork or punch sequences
Supports AI Designers with adaptive behavior logic

Outcome

Boxers behave more naturally, unpredictably, and authentically.

11. Gameplay QA Analyst (Combat Specialist)

Why This Role Is Essential

Realism requires iteration and correction.

Responsibilities

Tests boxer tendencies
Evaluates footwork speed, rhythm, punch variety, stamina curves
Runs CPU vs CPU tests for realism verification

Outcome

AI remains true to the sport across patches.

12. Sports Consultants (Boxers, Trainers, Analysts)

Why This Role Is Essential

No simulation survives without real-world input.

Responsibilities

Validates movement, strategy, timing, and decision logic
Helps codify style differences
Reviews AI behavior and tendencies

Outcome

Boxers fight authentically, not theoretically.

13. UX Designer For Sports Simulation Tools

Why This Role Is Essential

Developers and players need powerful, intuitive interfaces.

Responsibilities

Designs tendency sliders
Builds AI debugging dashboards
Creates trait editors and style configuration tools

Outcome

Customization becomes deep, accessible, and production-friendly.

Final Summary: The Full Developer Ecosystem Needed For True Boxing Simulation

To complement Combat Designers and AI Designers, a studio must integrate:

Animation and Motion Team

Animation Director
Senior Technical Animator
Mocap Director
Fight Coordinator
AI Motion Capture Team
Stunt Boxer Performer
Motion Reconstruction Artists

AI and Behavioral Team

AI Designer
Behavioral Systems Programmer
Data Scientist
Machine Learning Engineer
AI Motion Capture Specialist

Combat and Systems Team

Technical Gameplay Designer
Systems Designer
Gameplay QA Combat Specialist

Personality and Presentation Team

Trait Designer
Audio Designer
Sports Consultants
UX Designer

What This Achieves

Authentic biomechanics
Boxers with real tendencies and adjustments
Accurate movement for retired, aging, injured, or deceased fighters
Styles based on real footage and AI motion synthesis
Psychological and emotional depth
Realistic stamina, timing, and strategy
True individuality across the roster

This is the complete blueprint for a modern, realistic, simulation-grade boxing videogame.

Friday, December 5, 2025