EA Sports confirmed the return of the "Fight Night" boxing game series, after a 15-year absence since the release of the last installment, "Fight Night Champion," in March 2011, without revealing the release date of the new game, its technical details, or the platforms it will be available on.
The announcement came via a dedicated account for the series on the "X" platform, with a message addressed to its audience stating: "To everyone who stayed in our corner... Fight Night is back," accompanied by an image of boxing gloves over an empty ring and the slogan "The fight is not over," signaling the resumption of the series, which enjoys a wide fan base among lovers of combat sports games.
The announcement did not include a gameplay showcase or footage from the new release, nor did the company specify the final name of the game, its market release date, or reveal the identity of the studio responsible for its development, making the announcement a confirmation of the series' return without additional details regarding its arrival to players.
Previous release details
The series last appeared with "Fight Night Champion," released in March 2011 for the "PlayStation 3" and "Xbox 360" consoles, offering a boxing experience that included a narrative mode centered around the fictional boxer Andre Bishop, along with a collection of historical names in the game, including Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, Sugar Ray Leonard, and Roberto Duran.
Market competition
After the series went on hiatus, Electronic Arts focused on mixed martial arts games through the "EA Sports UFC" series, while the boxing game market saw the return of competition through the game "Undisputed," developed by "Steel City Interactive," with reports of work on a new installment.
Licensing challenges
The announcement of "Fight Night" reopens the door to competition in the digital boxing game market, particularly regarding the rights to use boxers' images and names, which require agreements with players, promoters, and rights holders, amid differing licenses between boxing and other combat sports.
Source: Arriyadiyah newspaper
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