Uncontested debuts on October 11 for the PS5 and has been around for almost five years, evolving from the simplest Esports Boxing Club to the first major fighting game in over a decade. With over 70 of the most prominent prizefighters on the roster, including Canelo Álvarez, Tyson Fury, Oleksandr Usyk, Roy Jones Jr. and Joe Frazier, it was our goal to make sure that they not merely looked remarkable, but that they moved in their own, unique, unique methods too.
How do you find the longest reigning ultra lightweight world champion, Joe Calzaghe, to look as real and life-like as feasible? The searching procedure is the first step. To get the most accurate reference photos for us to work from, we collaborate with a variety of checking productions all over the world. The Steel City Interactive art group then use this to construct the in-game designs, recreating every body, spirit, hair, and bead of sweat.
For our fighting traditions, we also have a de-aging approach. We try to recreate precisely what these soldiers looked like at the time because people want to practice these combatants in their prime.
The de-aging approach is one of the most difficult aspects of bringing back characters from the past, according to the author. Lots of things often change with age: eye design, mouth volume, cheekbones, body fat, just ear size, but my aim is to get them up to their fighting shape, recreating the look of their greatest fights. First, I gather a lot of references from every angle to give an idea of what I want to accomplish. Then, I make sure the model is accurate in terms of what should be kept and what should be changed based on the images and video. I then work on the tone and symmetry, removing some fat, wrinkles, and imperfections from the body and face. After this, I sculpt the main muscles and tweak the facial features. Eventually, I’m at the point where I can see the boxer both up close and down close. When I’m happy with the result, I proceed to fix the textures as well”.
– Francesco Primiceri, 3D character artist at Steel City Interactive
We also try to get as many fighters as possible into our motion capture suits, so we can record their unique footwork, punches, slips, dodges– and even taunts! Our art and animation teams spend days processing the motion capture’s output before applying that to our detailed character models. We want it to feel like you are Oleksandr Usyk when you play as Oleksandr Usyk.
British and Commonwealth Super-Lightweight Champion, Dalton Smith, was one of the fighters we worked closely with to capture his boxing style. He also assisted in the creation of some of the fighters who are no longer with us, studying their movements and performing them in Undisputed to preserve their legacy.
I’ve always boxed in the ring or at the gym, but using a motion capture suit to punch in a motion capture suit is completely different. I donned up and spent a few days working with Steel City Interactive to capture some of the old-school boxers ‘ in-ring movements as well as my own. You do n’t realize how intense and meticulous the process is until you repeatedly throw the same punches and use the same blocks until it’s seen from every angle. My avatar really looks like me, which is amazing considering the results I’ve seen in-game.
– Dalton Smith, British and Commonwealth Super-Lightweight Champion
We believe it’s really important that those styles are supported by real-world statistics because there is a saying in boxing that” styles make fights.” If we do n’t give Rocky Marciano, the undefeated legend of boxing, the same punching power and endurance he was renowned for, there’s no point in having him in the game.
That’s why we work with CompuBox to define each fighter’s ratings, statistics and behaviours. When you’re playing as a boxer with a fantastic knockout ratio, like Deontay Wilder, his ability to land KO’s in the game is boosted. Each fighter has their own skills and abilities, taken from their real-life fight records, that will affect the outcome of the fight in a meaningful way, and this is the same as it does for the AI version of them as well. It’s your responsibility to discover a way to do that!
We’re excited for you to play Undisputed, which has the most extensive and authentic licensed fighter roster of any boxing game to date.
On October 8 for the PlayStation 5, you can download the Undisputed Deluxe WBC Edition and play three days early. Undisputed Standard Edition will be available for PS5 on October 11th.