When Fight Night Champion launched in 2011, I called it a knockout hit and one of the best sports games of that year. Making the perfect boxing game requires a lot of hard work and dedication which is why we hadn’t seen other high-profile licensed boxing titles in the years that followed. This all changed in 2020 when Steel City Interactive announced Undisputed.
Having been in Early Access since January 2023, Undisputed is finally ready for primetime when it officially releases next month. During PAX West, I spent hands-on time with the game and learned more details about the ambition behind this spirited project. Here’s a quick overview of my thoughts on why this might be the best upcoming boxing game on the market.
A Solid Contender
Undisputed has been described as an authentic boxing game with realistic visuals, fluid movement physics, and brutal action with career-altering consequences. The game will have over 70 licensed boxers and female fighters, trainers, cutmen, and coaches available at launch.
The World Boxing Council (WBC), World Boxing Organization (WBO), and International Boxing Federation (IBF) are all represented in the form of championship belts that can be won in the career mode. There’s also a robust character creation mode and online play for those interested in taking on all challengers.
I started my demo by playing a one-on-one matchup between Roy Jones Jr. and Muhammad Ali. I first recognized the pristine presentation of each fighter’s entrance. Not only do the fighters look like their real-life counterparts, but they also have their signature styles and boxing moves. This important attention to detail adds another layer of authenticity to the overall experience.
Once the action started, I quickly learned that strategy and precision are key to winning a match. Taking time to plan your attack, and manage your fatigue is exactly the gameplan every fighter should have going into a fight. When you take certain hits like body blows, you’ll see the effects on full display thanks to the physics system. Even after taking damage, there is a moment when adrenaline kicks in and it can work for or against you depending on the situation.
In the case of my fight, I got owned by Ali which makes sense because he is one of the greatest. I saw that there was an option to take a knee which works the same way as throwing in the towel. This feature is great if your goal is to avoid an embarrassing knockout by your opponent.
If you get knocked down, a mini-game surfaces which requires aligning the trigger buttons on your controller to build your recovery gauge. It’s challenging to recover after getting knocked down and it further reinforces why you need to pay close attention in every fight.
The Path Of A Champion
The final portion of my demo included a brief look at the career mode. The key objective of this mode is for you to become the undisputed champion of the world after winning all three championship belts listed above. You’ll also gain fame and grow your follower count with each new fight that you take on.
What I love about this mode is that it also requires the same type of strategic thinking used when stepping into the ring. You’re responsible for managing your stats and deciding if you want to train for an upcoming fight. If you suffer an injury in a previous altercation, you can make things worse by continuing to fight and effectively end your career early.
On the flip side, if you decide not to attend training camp for an upcoming fight your fighter can gain weight and risk being penalized as fight day approaches. Having to manage all of these things along with leveling up your character makes this feel like an RPG-type experience which diehard boxing fans will find interesting.
Final Verdict
While my time with Undisputed was short, I walked away very impressed. It is shaping up to be the best-licensed boxing game in recent memory. If you are a fan of boxing games, do yourself a favor and check this out next month.
Undisputed launches on October 11th for PC, Xbox Series X/S, and PlayStation 5. Stay tuned for more thoughts on the game next month.
