Publisher Steel City Interactive and DeveloperPLAIONhave announced that their authentic boxing gameUndisputedwill enter early access onSteamon January 31.
Developers are yet to determine the duration of the early access period, but they have a development roadmap that will introduce extra features over time, such as Career Mode, fighter creation tools, additional boxers, and more fighting venues. As it stands, early access will start with a roster of 50 licensed boxers and seven venues to choose from, and early purchasers will be at an advantage price-wise, as the price of Undisputed will gradually rise as the development goes on, but existing owners will not be affected by it unlike new players.
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There’s no authentic sports experience without some signature names, and Undisputed has tons of them. Modern champions like Canelo Alvarez and Tyson Fury, in addition to legends like Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Robinson, all make an appearance on the roster. A separate women’s division is also included, and many real-life boxing organizations, like the World Boxing Council, will be overseeing the games, not to mention it will feature fighter introductions by Jimmy Lennon Jr, referee work by Kenny Bayless, and punch stats and calculations done by ComuBox, the computerized punches scoring system used in real boxing matches around the world.
As for the punching itself, the game promises revolutionary footwork mechanics with an adjustable movement modifier, as well as more than 60 individual punches of varying angles and purposes. Players can define their gameplay style as it suits them and utilize feints, slip punches, weaves, dodges, blocks, and many other physics-driven interactions. Something to note is that players are required to use a controller, as keyboards are not supported per Steam instructions.
There is also an adrenaline system that the players will have to pay attention to when managing their stamina over the course of the fight, and no two matches will ever be the same thanks to the enormous diversity in player’s stats and attributes (50 different stats) as well as multiple AI styles and different difficulty settings. The team behind Undisputed has taken great care as well to verify everything looks and feels realistic, with incredibly detailed boxer models, unique locations, realistic damage animations, and broadcast presentations with expert commentaries.
The game is still expected, however, to have bugs and other technical issues, and the developers will rely on fan feedback to address these issues until the game is in a perfect and suitable state for full release.
