Why Fight Night makes more sense for EA Sports now

EA Sports announced on October 20 that Fight Night is making a comeback, 15 years after the release of Fight Night Champion. The publisher has yet to reveal a release date, platforms or gameplay, but the announcement confirms that EA is finally returning to the boxing series after years of focusing on its UFC games.

The news comes after Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund became involved in EA's ownership. The fund already has major interests in professional boxing, while Undisputed has shown that there is still an audience for licensed boxing games.

EA now has more reasons to bring Fight Night back, although funding and player interest alone may not be enough to overcome the challenges that delayed its return for so long.

EA took over the UFC video game license from THQ in 2012 and moved developers from Fight Night to its new MMA series. When EA introduced its first UFC game in 2013, it highlighted the involvement of the team that had worked on Fight Night's fighting physics.

The UFC also gave EA an established roster of fighters, a recognizable name and regular events to build its games around. New champions and major fights provided opportunities to promote the series, while EA could work directly with the organization behind them.

For Fight Night, one of the biggest obstacles was finding enough developers. In 2021, a reported internal email from EA Canada revealed that another boxing project had been put on hold while the studio focused on EA Sports UFC 5. Hiring new staff had been difficult, and EA wanted to avoid splitting its senior developers between two games.

EA had also extended its UFC partnership through 2030, giving the publisher an ongoing commitment to the MMA series. Fans might have wanted another Fight Night, but EA still needed the budget and development team to make it happen alongside its UFC games.

Sports such as basketball and soccer make it easier for developers to bring large numbers of players into their games. The NBA and its players' association negotiate licensing agreements, while FIFPRO represents tens of thousands of professional soccer players. Publishers still need separate deals for certain teams, leagues and other rights, but they have a way to secure many players at once.

Boxing works differently. Fighters have their own promoters, managers and contracts, so signing a deal with one organization does not give a developer access to every boxer. Studios often have to negotiate with fighters individually, including how much they will be paid and how they will appear in the game.

Steel City Interactive founder Ash Habib has spoken about these difficulties while developing Undisputed. He said some licensing requests reached eight figures, while Devin Haney wanted to appear on the game's cover before agreeing to participate. Even after signing dozens of fighters, a studio can still miss out on major names because their demands are too expensive or difficult to accommodate.

EA has a much larger budget than Steel City Interactive, but signing famous boxers still comes at a cost. Spending more on licensing could leave less money available for developing the game unless EA increases the overall budget.

Bringing back familiar fighters from earlier Fight Night games could also be difficult. In April, Habib said Steel City had signed Muhammad Ali exclusively for Undisputed. The exact terms and duration of that agreement are not publicly clear, but EA cannot assume every legendary boxer will be available for its new game.

EA's new ownership could help the publisher build connections in professional boxing. On August 4, a group including Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), Silver Lake and Affinity Partners completed its acquisition of EA. PIF has already invested heavily in sports and entertainment, including major boxing events.

Through its company Sela, PIF helped organize Anthony Joshua's fight against Daniel Dubois at Wembley and Terence Crawford's bout with Israil Madrimov in Los Angeles. Its involvement in boxing now extends well beyond events held in Saudi Arabia.

Sela has also partnered with TKO, the company behind UFC, to launch Zuffa Boxing. Dana White is among the new boxing promotion's leaders, while TKO provides experience in organizing and promoting major fights. Zuffa has also secured a distribution deal with Paramount beginning in 2026.

These connections could create opportunities for Fight Night. EA might be able to promote the game alongside major boxing events or work with people who already have relationships with professional fighters. A successful Fight Night could also introduce more fans to the boxers appearing at those events.

However, EA has not confirmed whether its new ownership played any role in bringing Fight Night back. There is also no announced licensing agreement with Zuffa Boxing.

Even with these connections, EA would still need permission to include individual fighters in the game. Having investors involved in both businesses does not automatically give the publisher access to their names and likenesses, especially when many boxers compete outside Zuffa.

Undisputed sold more than one million copies worldwide in 2024, according to Steel City Interactive. After more than a decade without a new Fight Night, its success showed that players were still interested in boxing games. The game also secured a partnership with Saudi Arabia's Riyadh Season in December 2023, well before EA announced its return.

EA has already seen the potential of reviving an older sports franchise. EA Sports College Football 25 became North America's bestselling HD game through September 2024, proving that a long-awaited comeback could attract a huge audience.

However, Undisputed also shows how difficult it can be to deliver a convincing boxing experience. In April, Steel City founder Ash Habib admitted that parts of the game had fallen short of expectations. The studio has since stopped updating Undisputed to focus on a sequel built in Unreal Engine.

EA is returning to a market with proven demand and an established competitor. A strong roster will help attract fans, but the new Fight Night will ultimately need convincing combat, distinct fighting styles and reliable online matches to keep them playing.

Fight Night Champion's story mode followed fictional fighter Andre Bishop, while the career mode let players build their own boxing careers. The punching system also rewarded careful stamina management, making every fight more challenging than simply throwing as many punches as possible.

EA has yet to confirm which of these features will return. However, a strong career mode, an engaging story and satisfying combat could help the new Fight Night succeed even without every famous boxer on its roster. They would also give players reasons to keep playing long after their first few matches.

The timing of Fight Night's return looks promising. EA's new ownership brings connections to professional boxing, while Undisputed has shown that players are willing to buy another boxing game.

However, EA still needs to secure fighter licenses, assemble a dedicated development team and support the game after release. Bringing back Fight Night after 15 years is exciting for longtime fans, but building a successful series will depend on how well EA handles the challenges that kept it away for so long.