The actual reasons why Electronic Arts stopped making ‘Fight Night’ games had more to do with the difficulty of procuring boxer imaging rights and licensing issues, as well as EA’s decision to focus on their ‘EA Sports UFC’ mixed martial arts fighting franchise instead (which looks to be a mistake in hindsight, considering the fact that the UFC games have failed to match the commercial and cultural appeal of ‘Fight Night Champion’).
Microsoft’s decision to include EA’s boxing tour de force in its Xbox One backwards compatibility catalog last year was met by universal cheer by fans around the world, and the game continues to enjoy a healthy player base despite now approaching its decennial anniversary.
The reasons behind this travesty have nothing to do with the popularity of boxing video games or boxing itself unlike Rugby Union games, boxing games have always been rather popular, as evidenced by the strong commercial performance and enduring legacy of games like ‘Fight Night Champion’.
