Steel City Interactive CEO and founder Ash Habib has shared an update on the studio’s first title, Undisputed, and confirmed that support for the boxing game has officially ended as focus shifts to the development of a sequel. Following the launch of Undisputed in late 2024, Steel City Interactive has grown to over 100 employees, with veteran developers from other AAA studios joining the team. Habib says the studio now intends to start again from the ground up with an entirely new engine and “different architecture decisions.”
Undisputed was first launched exclusively for PC via Steam early access in 2023, and would later go on to release for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S as part of its 1.0 launch. Unfortunately, reviews for Undisputed were somewhat mixed. Players described the game as “bare-bones,” while others took issue with the many bugs, glitches, and, most notably, the horrendous hit registration issues. Despite continued updates over the last few years, the first major boxing game since 2011’s Fight Night Champion still has a mixed review rating on Steam. And with support for Undisputed officially over, that rating is unlikely to change.
Undisputed: 8 Beginner Tips
For those looking to dominate the competition in Undisputed, these beginner tips are likely to come in handy.
Steel City Ends Support for Undisputed as Work On Sequel Begins
In a new development update from Steel City Interactive CEO and founder, Ash Habib, the developer has confirmed that support for Undisputed has now come to an end. There will be no further DLCs, updates, or general improvements made to the game. However, the good news is that this decision has been made to allow the entirety of Steel City Interactive to begin working on a sequel. “With the help of the AAA developers now on board, we have started production on the sequel,” Habib confirmed. The CEO then says that everything will be brand new and will be built in Unreal Engine. He then described Undisputed as a “learning period” for creating the ultimate boxing experience, and that Steel City will now use that knowledge moving forward with a sequel.
Balance the critic averages
Balance the critic averages
Easy (6)Medium (8)Hard (10)
After the game’s full release in October 2024, Steel City Interactive committed to releasing new updates for Undisputed, which would not only add new fighters to the roster but also make major gameplay improvements along the way. However, Habib has said he takes full responsibility for the game’s issues, specifically related to online play. The CEO said his “uncompromising attitude” towards how he wanted the game to look and feel made it much harder to fix some of the community’s biggest complaints. “How we essentially built the core of the game impacted the online experience,” Habib said. He goes on to state that, if he could go back in time, he would compromise on a few of those things and alter the game’s movement to allow for a more enjoyable online experience.
While Undisputed won’t receive any more changes, improvements, or content, the game will remain operational and available to play across all offline and online modes, but its focus and resources are now being put towards the sequel. “Our ambition is to deliver not just the best boxing experience, but the most advanced sports combat game possible and make sure you, our players, remain at the centre of everything we do. I want this to feel like it’s your game, and the moment there’s something to share, you’ll see it here first,” Habib said.
Who’s That Character?
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Easy (7.5s)Medium (5.0s)Hard (2.5s)Permadeath (2.5s)
Development on Undisputed 2 is now underway, but it will likely still be a few years before it sees the light of day. It may also have some serious competition by the time it launches, as a rumor from a trusted insider claims that EA is currently in the process of reviving its iconic Fight Night series. While Undisputed has been the only major boxing game since 2011, that may soon change. According to journalist Mike Straw, EA has been restarting development on a new Fight Night game numerous times over the years, but it looks like the studio is now committed to bringing the fan-favorite boxing series back.
- Released
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October 9, 2024
- ESRB
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Teen // Blood, Lyrics, Violence
- Developer(s)
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Steel City Interactive
