Esports Boxing Club came out of nowhere, and we could not be more hyped! A super realistic boxing game with legit esports ambitions and the infrastructure to fulfill them? Yes, please!
Alright, let's try to do this without any 'this game is a knockout' puns. We're not IGN, we've got standards. The OGs amongst you might remember Fight Night: The best boxing game there ever was and long thought to be the best there ever will be. Until now. Esports Boxing Club came out of nowhere and despite its super-boring name, it looks super cool. No more words necessary, time for some gameplay:
What Platforms is Esports Boxing Club Releasing For?
Developer Steel City is planning to release Esports Boxing Club for PS5, Xbox Series X, PS4, Xbox One and PC. From the footage above, that begs one question: Can the last gen consoles handle those graphics? We don't know if the good ol' PS4 and Xbox One are ready for that jelly. Then again, graphics aren't everything with an esports title. Just ask League of Legends. Time will tell, but we just hope ESBC doesn't get weighed down in performance or development by being tied to the last gen systems.
When Will Esports Boxing Club Be Released?
The release date for Esports Boxing Club Early Access is Summer 2021. Yup, that's not all that far away... You gotta love it when a publisher announces a game and then doesn't make you wait 3 years. Brownie points for Steel City, major Brownie points.
Esports Boxing Club Graphics & Animations
This deserves a category of its own. While some sports games look good by virtue of insane amounts of sweat, Esports Boxing Club actually looks good for real. The sweat is where it's supposed to be and the boxers are not just soaked to show off ray tracing. The fabric of the shorts, shoes and the canvas looks realistic enough that old heads from the Frazier/Ali days will do a double take with glasses on. This game looks stunning. Part of the reason for that developer Steel City motion-captured real boxers and the game claims to feature true next-gen footwork and hyper-realistic movement. We don't know what next-gen footwork means exactly, but it sure sounds good. Watch them talk about it here:
Esports Boxing Club Gameplay Features
If you couldn't tell from the game having Esports in its title, ESBC really means business: From the realistic footwork and movement to realistic bumps, bruising and competition. Your fighters will take damage to the point of needing time off to rest: Fight bruised and on short notice, and you risk injury. It's a cool-sounding feature that will have to walk a fine line between being annoying, being redundant or actually adding to the gameplay. For now though, we like it. The ESBC devs are really trying to do real-life fighting justice, something no one's really done in the past decade.
- READ MORE: Review: EA UFC 4 – How Good Is the EA Game?
Esports Boxing Club Fighter Roster
ESBC went in on the licenses and boasts a pretty impressive roster that's too large for us to list here. Currently, over 30 fighters are confirmed and more are being added daily. The highlights include Rocky Marciano, Joe Louis, Jack Dempsey, Sugar Ray Robinson, Roy Jones Jr, Alexander Povetkin, Terence Crawford and strongman turned boxer Eddie Hall.
Beyond fighters, real life trainers, cutmen, announcers and, of course, women's boxers will also be part of the roster. Yup, ESBC really is looking to bring realism to every aspect of the game.
The final roster is said to feature 65 licensed boxers.
Will Esports Boxing Club Have Multiplayer?
Of course, ESBC will have multiplayer. The game has 'Esports' in the title. ESBC will not just have multiplayer, it will actually support a true esports structure and have its players pursue a digital boxing world championship. How cool is that? Actual titles that are competed over by the best of the best? This screams esports-entertainment and it also screams balancing issues. We'll see how this develops, but it sure is music to our ears at the moment.
We got our eyes on this esports title. ESBC might finally bring virtual boxing back to glory and if Esports Boxing Club delivers on its promises... sky's the limit, right?
Will EA Sports Bring Back Fight Night?
So you made it all the way to the end and this question is on your mind, huh? The answer is: No, EA Sports has no plans to bring back Fight Night. EA just released UFC 4 and included Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua in that game. That just further cements the fact that they are committed to the UFC franchise for now. It also means we likely won't get Anthony Joshua or Tyson Fury in Esports Boxing Club. For all Fight Night fans though, Esports Boxing Club should be exactly what you're looking for. This is the successor to Fight Night we all wanted. This game is way up on our Watchlist.
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