Why Don’t They Make Boxing Video Games Anymore?

March 1, 2011, is the last time that fans were able to indulge in a fully licensed boxing game. Since the release of the rather good Fight Night Champion, EA Sports have failed to respond to questions concerning a potential franchise reboot.

The most notable boxing game release since Fight Night Champion was the recently released PlayStation VR title Creed: Rise to Glory, set in the fictitious world of the Rocky reboot Creed, which Push Square says isn’t worth the price tag. So, by examining the gaming platforms quickest to react to the trends and desires of fans, online casinos, and the current boxing landscape we look to see why there hasn’t been a boxing game for so long.

Online casinos on the pulse of gaming fans

One of the most popular online gaming platforms in the world is that of the online casinos. One of the reasons for this is that they’re always very quick to adapt to trends by creating and releasing a relevant game. Based on what they’re saying about Superlenny, their offering of well over 650 games is drawn from many providers, giving them a strong representation of online casino trends.

Their ability to quickly adapt to trends is shown in the releases of games like Rocket Men, featuring Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un, and the Game of Thrones games. So, the fact that the online casino has over 20 sports games but only one boxing game, Fisticuffs, to four martial arts games shows a lack of desire despite the excitement for boxing right now.

No heavyweight star in the USA

As many of the biggest game developers are based in the USA and the American audience is one of the biggest consumers of video games, the USA’s lack of a top-end star may be contributing to this. One of the issues is that Deontay Wilder is the nation’s primary heavyweight representative but has been spoon-fed to his title and title-reign, so fans don’t get behind him anywhere near as much as they do England’s, Anthony Joshua.

But, boxing is a global sport, and a game with good mechanics would certainly be a hit. Earlier in 2018, Floyd Mayweather did claim to be making a boxing video game, but details are yet to emerge on the project.