Independent Sheffield studio Steel City Interactive (SCI), developer of the first major boxing video game in over a decade, Undisputed, has raised more than £15m in funding for the title.
Novator Ventures led SCI’s latest financing round, which included participation from existing investor London Venture Partners (LVP), as well as boxing industry veterans, Egis Klimas and Jose de la Cruz who have joined SCI as advisors in advance of full release on consoles and PC.
SCI is bringing the sport of boxing back to gaming with the creation of “the most authentic boxing game to date.” Featuring true-to-life visuals, bone-jarring action, and more licensed fighters than ever before, Undisputed will give players unprecedented control to master every inch of the ring.
Currently available in Early Access on PC, the eagerly awaited full release of ‘Undisputed’ on PlayStation 5, Xbox S/X and PC will feature an unprecedented roster of over 70 licensed boxers including Tyson Fury, Oleksandr Usyk, Canelo Alvarez, Terence Crawford, Sugar Ray Leonard and Katie Taylor.
Ash Habib, CEO and founder of SCI said: “I’m delighted to have such a formidable team of investors in our camp. They share our vision to bring boxing back to video games and deliver a world-beating, authentic game that does justice to the sport we all love.”
Thor Björgólfsson, chairman and founder of Novator, said: “There has been a vacuum in the market for a high quality, licensed boxing video game for the past decade. It is fantastic to see how a passionate indie studio went on a mission to put boxing back on the map of video gaming and created the first major boxing game in a generation. We are delighted to partner with Steel City Interactive to support Ash and his team in launching Undisputed and cannot wait to play the full version.”
David Gardner, general partner of LVP added: “From the outset, it has been tremendous working with Ash to hone his ambitious plans for Steel City Interactive and bring on board the right mix of strategic partners to help him realise success. Boxing remains one of the most popular sports globally and yet has been underserved by the games industry. In striving for authenticity and embedding itself deeply within the boxing community, we believe Undisputed will deliver a knockout reception when the bell rings for full launch.”
