Fight Night Champion Resurrection Signals EA Return to Boxing Games

Key Highlights:

• EA reportedly reviving Fight Night series.
• Development has been on-and-off since 2021.
• Potential release window: 2027-2028.

Electronic Arts (EA) is reportedly breathing new life into its beloved Fight Night series, according to industry insider Mike Straw.

The boxing franchise, dormant since 2011’s Fight Night Champion, has been the subject of revival rumours since 2021, with development reportedly starting and stopping multiple times.

Straw, a reporter for Insider Gaming, shared this update during a recent livestream on YouTube, stating:

“EA is once again working on Fight Night. They don’t know when it’s coming, but if they do expect it to be a this generation game.”

This suggests that EA Sports is committed to releasing the title on current-generation consoles like the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.

The development of a new Fight Night game has reportedly been a complex process:

1. Initial plans aimed to release the game between two UFC titles
2. Development was paused to focus on EA Sports UFC 5
3. Work has continued sporadically since then

While no official release date has been set, Straw speculates that given the need for a full development cycle, the game could potentially launch around 2027 or 2028.

EA’s decision to revive Fight Night may be influenced by several factors:

• The recent release of Undisputed, which filled a gap in the boxing game market
• Continued fan interest in the Fight Night franchise
• EA’s observation of Undisputed‘s performance and reception

However, Straw also noted that EA has expressed concerns about potential sales, questioning whether there’s sufficient interest in a new Fight Night Champion game.

Given the mixed financial results of some sports games outside of football and basketball, EA is likely weighing the risks of investing in a project that might not have the same broad appeal as its other franchises.

The success of Undisputed and the subsequent renewed interest in boxing games may have helped alleviate these concerns.

Electronic Arts have not been giving the current instalment much love. The last FN Champion update was the Patch 1.08 from December 2011. This added 5 new classic boxers to the roster while also Improving renderer and facial animations. Since then, nothing has been updated or added to the game.

Alongside the Fight Night news, Straw mentioned that EA has begun development on EA Sports UFC 6, expected for release in 2025.

This ongoing commitment to the UFC franchise highlights EA’s continued interest in combat sports titles.

UFC’s ongoing popularity, particularly with global MMA stars like Conor McGregor and Israel Adesanya, keeps the series relevant and profitable.

Boxing’s Enduring Appeal

Boxing is still the top sport in the fighting genre. Recent undisputed match between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol saw Beterbiev deafeat the Russian to become the new undisputed champion at light heavyweight by majority decision in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Meanwhile Mike Tyson is still scheduled to fight Jake Paul in a older Vs younger matchup that has insane hype around it. Speaking of Iron Mike, Tyson and Muhammad Ali were also additions to UFC 5 last year which saw Boxing and UFC meet in a crossover for the ages. Lets hope that was a sign of things to come.

As development on the new Fight Night sequel progresses, fans of the series can look forward to potentially stepping back into the virtual ring within the next few years.

Though, as with many long-gestating projects, it remains uncertain whether the final product will meet the high expectations of a fanbase that has been waiting over a decade for a new instalment.

However, given the project’s history of starts and stops, enthusiasts should remain cautiously optimistic until EA makes an official announcement.