Stop Lying. The Industry Keeps Using Pathetic Excuses To Avoid Making Real Boxing Games

Let’s get right into it because the nonsense has gone on long enough.

The gaming industry keeps pretending that boxing is some niche sport that can only support one videogame at a time. That excuse has been recycled for more than a decade, and it has never been grounded in data, logic, or reality. It is a convenient shield for companies that do not want to invest properly. It is a lazy narrative that publishers use to justify cutting corners and building hybrids instead of real simulations.

And fans deserve to know that the excuse is not just weak — it is a lie.

1. The “Small Sport” Excuse

Boxing has tens of millions of fans worldwide. Olympic boxing alone draws more viewers than a lot of sports that receive full-featured AAA titles. Combat sports are growing globally. Boxers have massive social reach. The issue is not demand. The issue is studios refusing to meet that demand with ambition.

Publishers will invest 150 to 300 million dollars into shooters, RPGs, open worlds, and licensed sports games. But when boxing comes up, suddenly they pretend the world shrinks.

It is not the sport. It is the mindset.

2. The “Only One Boxing Game Can Survive” Excuse

No other genre uses this logic. Not racing. Not football. Not basketball. Not fighting games. Not shooters. Not survival games.

Why? Because it is ridiculous.

Multiple boxing games could easily thrive if:

• One goes all-in on realistic/sim

• One embraces hybrid/arcade

• One goes manager-mode or strategy

• One builds around VR

• One takes an indie tactical approach

Every other sport has sub-genres. Boxing has room for multiple lanes too. The only reason it hasn’t happened is because nobody has delivered a reference-standard sim yet. Once someone sets that bar, the market divides naturally.

3. The “Licenses Are Too Hard” Excuse

Translation: We do not want to spend money.
Because licenses aren’t “hard” for EA, 2K, UFC, F1, MLB, FIFA, or any corporate giant when they actually want something.

Most boxing fans don’t even need every license. They want:

• A deep, realistic system

• Authentic mechanics

• A rich creation suite

• A career mode with substance

• Accurate tendencies, footwork, stamina, rhythm, counters, and damage logic

A great simulation game with full customization could outperform a poorly made licensed game by miles.

4. The “Budget Isn’t Big Enough” Excuse

No studio needs 300 million dollars to make a great boxing game. They need:

• The right animators

• A tech-savvy AI team

• Real boxer consultants

• A strong creative direction

• To stop wasting money on useless detours

Companies blow money by mismanaging priorities. They cut features that matter and overspend on distractions.

Players notice. That is why trust collapses.

5. The “Boxing is Too Hard to Simulate” Excuse

Then stop making “halfway” boxing games where flaws hide behind buzzwords.

Simulation is not “too hard.” It is only too hard for teams that:

• Don’t understand the sport

• Don’t hire the right people

• Don’t commit to authenticity

• Don’t build the mechanical foundation before marketing

The fans have explained what they want for years. Developers pretend not to hear it.

6. The Real Problem:

Companies want to make “boxers who stand still and swing.”
The fans want boxing.
There’s a difference.

---

Financial Analysis:

Why Multiple Boxing Games Can Coexist — And Why It Is Financially Smart

Here’s the part publishers pretend not to understand.

1. The Global Market Is Much Larger Than They Claim

When you include:

• Amateur boxers

• Gyms

• Trainers

• Pros

• Hardcore boxing fans

• Fitness boxing community

• Combat sports fans

• Traditional gamers looking for fresh sports titles

You are not talking about a niche market. You are talking about a global ecosystem easily worth hundreds of millions long-term.

A boxing game promoted correctly could hit:

• 4 to 8 million units lifetime for a sim

• 2 to 6 million units for an arcade/hybrid

• 1 to 3 million for a management/GM title

• 500k to 2 million for a VR title

Split across genres, these games do not cannibalize each other. They serve different habits and different mindsets.

2. Revenue Breakdown for a Realistic/Sim Boxing Game

A flagship sim could generate money from:

• Base game sales

• Paid DLC boxers

• Creation Suite gear packs

• Seasonal tournament modes

• Sponsorships (brands would absolutely jump in)

• Gym creator tools

• Story expansions

• Cosmetic packs

• Esports events

• Real boxer collaboration packs

Lifetime revenue potential: $250M to $500M+.

A realistic/sim boxing game is not a “small revenue” investment. It is a long-term brand opportunity.

3. Revenue Breakdown for a Hybrid/Arcade Boxing Game

Fast, accessible, spectacle-heavy games sell on vibes.

It could generate:

• Strong console sales

• Casual replay value

• Skins and cosmetics

• Smaller development cost

• Lower risk audience

Lifetime revenue potential: $100M to $250M.

4. A Manager/GM Boxing Game Could Thrive

Football Manager proves this.

There is a huge audience for:

• Matchmaking

• Training camps

• Gym management

• Career planning

If built correctly: $50M to $150M over its lifetime.

5. Combined Market Potential

If four boxing games existed across different lanes, the total ecosystem revenue could easily exceed:

$400M to $800M+ across all titles.

That’s not niche.
That’s not risky.
That’s an underdeveloped gold mine.

6. Boxing Has One of the Strongest Global Fan Cultures

Promotion thrives on stories.
Boxers are personalities with massive social followings.
Gyms and amateur programs are global.
Iconic legends have multi-generational appeal.

No other combat sport has this history.

A well-made sim alone could generate more organic promotion than half the industry realizes.

---

Final Reality Check

The reason multiple boxing games do not coexist today is not that the market cannot support them.

It is because the industry has been lazy, scared, and dismissive of what boxing fans actually want.

Once a studio builds the first truly realistic/sim boxing game with depth, identity, and authenticity:

• It forces competition

• It expands the market

• It inspires multiple lanes

• It pulls in sponsorships, athletes, and mainstream media

• It creates natural sub-genres

This is not theoretical. This is how every mature genre evolves.

The only people who claim “only one boxing game can survive at a time” are the people who do not want to put in the work to build a great product.

---