A UK-based independent game studio is hoping to fill the gap in the gaming industry for a dedicated and high-profile boxing series with the upcoming launch of Undisputed. The game features a 70-strong roster of legendary past and present fighters, including Tyson Fury who appears on the special edition cover. Independent studio Steel City Interactive has developed the game, using motion capture and digital scanning to create realistic versions of the boxers. The game has been in development for four and a half years, and the team has managed to attract investment, growing to about 70 people.
Undisputed has been available on PC for a while, and the game has a vocal community of fans. However, concerns have been raised over the perceived lack of progress, particularly with updates. Studio head Ash Habib, who founded the company with his brothers, pointed out that game development is not easy, but the team has taken on board the feedback from the community. The game has an official release date of October this year.
The gaming industry has been impacted by layoffs and studio closures, and Smaller studios like Steel City have also faced problems. However, Ash says the studio received huge support from the boxing industry, making it less reliant on the gaming industry for investment. The game also includes up-and-coming boxers as part of its effort to give back to the sporting scene, according to Ash. One of those is 27-year-old pro boxer Dalton Smith, who thinks boxing will benefit if Undisputed takes off. He believes that having a dedicated video game for a sport keeps fans engaged and can even get them interested in trying the real thing.
Ash and his brothers’ dream of making their own boxing game is almost realized with the upcoming launch of Undisputed. The studio head admits that there is still a lot of work to do, but he is focused on delivering what the team set out to do, making the boxing game
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