If you played the early access version of Undisputed Boxing on PC, you might remember seeing Ryan Garcia on the roster.
However, if you’ve played the game since its retail release on console and PC, you have likely noticed Garcia isn’t a part of the roster. I spoke to Ash Habib, the head of Steel City Interactive, the studio that developed the game, and he explained Garcia’s absence.
According to Habib, Undisputed follows the World Boxing Council’s lead regarding Garcia. The WBC suspended Garcia following his testing positive for banned substances and a string of incidents of questionable behavior. Because the WBC suspended Garcia, Steel City and the game publishers also had him removed from the roster for now.
“I’m a big fan of Ryan Garcia in terms of what he’s done in the sport,” Habib said during an exclusive interview. “It’s a tough one, right? I look for him to get back into boxing. I look for the WBC to lift that suspension once they deem it appropriate. He’s on that path to being someone who can represent the WBC. I think for us, we’re hoping that’s what happens and he does come back into Undisputed once that does happen.”
Here is a clip of our conversation.
It appears Garcia has a great chance to return to the Undisputed roster if he can steer clear of the issues that have plagued him of late. Once Garcia’s suspension is lifted, he would be a highly valued addition to the game.
As it is, the game launched with 81 unique licensed fighters, many of whom are available in multiple weight classes. Even without Garcia, the roster is one of the game’s strengths. In addition to Garcia, other fighters have been announced but weren’t a part of the roster at launch.
According to Habib, multiple big-name boxers are still coming to the game. Specifically, Habib said there would be some great “Mexican fighters” heading to the game. Considering we already have Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. and Canelo Alvarez in the game, you have to wonder if Erik Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera are going to be a part of the next update.
Likewise, we could be looking at Oscar De La Hoya added, though he has not been formally announced. If there was an entire update dedicated to top Mexican fighters that included Morales, Barrera, De La Hoya, Vergil Ortiz, Jr., Ruben Olivares, Salvatore Sanchez, Juan Manuel Marquez, and Ricardo Lopez, that would instantly add more value to the roster.
In addition to expanding the roster, some gameplay concepts are being addressed, per Habib. The developers are listening to feedback on the game and preparing a series of updates designed to deliver a better gameplay experience.
The most significant focus will likely be the movement, online latency, better stamina costs for throwing power shots, and a longer cool down after power punches.