Fight fans, rejoice. There’s finally a new boxing video game en route and boy, does it look good!
The last time we were treated to a boxing simulator was back in March 2011, with the last instalment of the Fight Night series, Fight Night Champion. That’s a full decade the sport has been left in the gaming abyss! The upcoming, hyper-realistic eSports Boxing Club is set to change that.
The game, which looks beautiful, will feature 65 licensed fighters on its roster, which will expand every season, has seven championship titles, from the iconic ‘green and gold’ of the WBC to the legacy-defining Ring Magazine strap and it will include up to 50 attributes and traits, from punch power to discipline, to make sure every boxer feels unique.
We spoke to Fuad Abdul-Aziz, Community Manager at Steel City Interactive, the team behind the game, to get the lowdown on what we can expect…
Tell us about Steel City Interactive and why you decided to make a boxing game
We are an independent studio based in Sheffield. Our Studio comprises of new talent and industry veterans whom have worked on some of the biggest AAA franchises. Being avid boxing fans, we were frustrated at the lack of boxing games available, so this all started as a passion project. It has now turned into the most advanced boxing game ever in terms of features, licenses and scope.
How far into development is the game?
The project started 18 months ago, however we completely upgraded everything in June 2020 and essentially built the game again from the ground up. The title has come on tremendously thanks to our talented team. Almost every other week, the game improves to another level. However, even after release, ESBC will continually be developed as we will add more features into the game.
What can we expect from the roster?
Our roster is one of the biggest in sports gaming period. The variety of fighters in the game is something which will make ESBC stand out. We have legends, current/former world champions & prospects. The roster covers fighters from the UK, South/North America, Asia, Australia & various European countries so you can see the incredible variety.
Will there be expansion passes with new characters and venues?
Yes, some of the new fighters that we add post release will be available as DLC, however some fighters and venues will be provided to fans as free updates.
Are the venues going to be licensed?
We are working extremely hard to licence as many of the world recognised venues as well as adding some of our own that the developers have created.
How accurate are the stats for each fighter going to be?
ESBC will feature a Live Update system, whereby fighters statistics and records are updated. The statistics will match the general consensus of each fighter.
Have you had any feedback from fighters about the game?
Yes, boxers have realised that boxing has been left behind in the gaming sphere, with MMA and other combat games taking centre stage. The fact that there are world champions who have had full careers and retired, without ever being in a videogame is a sad state of affairs for boxing video games. We are extremely grateful to the boxers who have continually showed their support to the game. The fighters are obviously extremely excited to play with their character in the game as well as those who are not in the game.
What will the control system be like?
We will have both the stick system as well as buttons in ESBC as we understand certain gamers like certain styles.
What platforms can we expect to play the game on when it’s released?
Our plan is to release on PC, PS4/PS5, XBOX One series S/X. Early access will be available on PC only and then console release will follow later on.
Anything else you’d like to add to promote the brand?
By having the WBC, Ring Magazine, IBF, CompuBox and BoxRec all featuring in ESBC, gamers can finally look forward to a fully licensed boxing game with lifelike next-generation graphics.
