After an extensive early access period, boxing simulatorUndisputedhas made its way into the world. For years, the licensed boxing genre has lied dormant in gaming, which madeUndisputeda truly exciting prospect. EA’sFight Nightfranchise hasn’t released a game since 2011, so many fans of boxing were excited about potentially getting a fresh franchise focused on the sport.
However, the game’s full launch hasn’t gone smoothly. Much of the reception surroundingUndisputedhas made it the receiver of mixed reviews. While the game has been praised for many of its fighting mechanics, much of the criticism surrounds multiplayer and a lackluster career mode story. Now that developer Steel City Interactive has confirmedUndisputed’s first update won’t arrive until December, the potential franchise may be running the risk of digging itself into an early grave.
Slow Post-Launch Support For Undisputed Doesn’t Bode Well For Its Future
Slow Momentum Could Squash Franchise Potential
Steel City Interactive recently addressed player feedback, especially in regard to online multiplayer, via blog post. In the official statement from the team, it was revealed that the first major update forUndisputedwould arrive sometime in the middle of December. Many of these major issues,likeUndisputed’s power punches, have become notorious in the game’s community. For many titles now, it’s common for there to be bugs and problems at launch, but some players have deemed online gameplay as completely broken.
In today’s fast-paced industry, having to wait for two months before getting an official patch for specific issues is a really long time for many players. If these problems persist for long enough,the mixed reviews forUndisputedare likely to take a downturn, which could really hurt its chances at being the next big name in the boxing world. With the sports fighting genre being quickly eclipsed by the UFC and the WWE, many boxing fans have been ready to experience a renaissance of the sport in gaming. Unfortunately, ifUndisputedis unable to bring timely updates in the future, the game’s player-base and attention could quickly vanish.
Undisputedboasts authentic fighting mechanics and a roster that includes a robust list of licensed fighters.
Undisputed Will Hopefully Pick Up the Pace
Planned Updates For the Mid-December Patch
Mixed reviews are rocky enough of a start for any release, but not bringing a much-needed patch to a game until two months after its 1.0 launch doesn’t send a positive message to a lot of players.Nailing combos inUndisputedcan feel great, and the fighting mechanics as a whole hold a lot of promise. However, if Steel City Interactive isn’t able to bring timely fixes to the game, thenUndisputedcould lack the traction needed to warrant a larger series. The boxing drought in gaming has been an unfortunate turn of events, andUndisputedrepresented the potential for it to come back swinging.
With so much potential, the game can’t be outright discounted yet, but hopefully, Steel City Interactive is able to bring essential fixes to the game in a much more efficient timeframe than its first update. IfUndisputedwants to be the next big name in licensed boxing games, then focusing hard on its post-launch support will likely be key. After a lengthy early access period, these issues have brought even more frustration, butUndisputedmay still have a chance to bounce back from its divisive launch.
