08/28/2025
Undisputed 1.5 Update: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of Boxing’s Biggest Video Game Patch
By Mike Glove – TBC News
When Steel City Interactive first announced Undisputed—a boxing simulation promising realism, deep rosters, and authentic venues—fight fans were ready to believe. After all, it had been years since boxing gamers had a serious alternative to dust off their gloves and step back into the virtual ring. But the journey hasn’t been smooth. Controversial patches, broken systems, and lingering exploits tested the patience of even the most die-hard loyalists.
Now, with the 1.5 update live, the community finds itself at a turning point. Is this patch the comeback the game needs, or just another jab in a long bout of frustration? Let’s break it down.
The Good: Community Wins at Last
The headline of update 1.5 is that Steel City Interactive finally tackled some of the most glaring complaints from competitive fighters:
The Southpaw Speed Exploit Is Gone. For months, left-handed fighters gained an unfair edge thanks to an input glitch that made punches lightning fast. Ranked mode became a lopsided mess, and forums were flooded with calls for action. With 1.5, that exploit is officially eliminated—bringing long-overdue balance back into the ring.
Quitters No Longer Get the Upper Hand. Previously, when an opponent quit mid-fight, players were often slapped with an undeserved loss. This fix is huge for the ranked scene and may restore trust in online matchmaking.
Punches Finally Feel Like They Count. Power jabs can now score knockdowns, hit detection has been tightened, and punch confirmation is more consistent. Competitive players who live by precision will appreciate the difference.
Free Content That Matters. The update also comes with a treat: two free fighters—Antonio Tarver, a former light heavyweight king, and Billy Dib, a fan-favorite from Australia—join the roster. To sweeten the deal, the legendary Kronk Gym in Detroit makes its debut as a venue. For boxing purists, the Kronk is holy ground, and its addition gives the game some much-needed soul.
Fan-requested Nerfs. Perhaps the most celebrated balance change is the tuning of Sergio “Maravilla” Martínez. The fan-favorite was notorious for being overpowered; his “Lightning Hands” perk is gone, and his speed has been toned down. For players who dreaded constant Maravilla spam in ranked, this is a small victory.
The Bad: Still Fighting an Uphill Battle
Despite the strong hits, not everything lands clean.
Player Sentiment Remains Mixed. On Steam, recent reviews are still hovering around the dreaded “Mixed” rating (roughly 45% positive in the last 30 days). That means less than half of active reviewers are satisfied—proof that trust takes longer to build than it does to lose.
Movement Still Divides the Crowd. Even after prior tweaks in June and July to footwork and punch tracking, debates rage on about the game’s feel. Some praise the improvements, but many still argue the movement is clunky and stiff compared to the fluidity boxing deserves.
Career Mode Neglected Again. For offline players, the patch doesn’t bring major changes to career mode or AI depth. While Kronk Gym and new fighters are exciting, those looking for deeper single-player progression may feel left out once more.
The Ugly: A Legacy of Broken Trust
The harshest truth? This update doesn’t erase the game’s troubled past.
Old Wounds Still Fresh. The now-fixed “quit-forced-loss” bug, bizarre scoring decisions, freezes, and commentary glitches left scars on the community. Even though 1.5 directly addresses many of these issues, fans aren’t quick to forgive.
A Reputation Problem. Competitive players are already stress-testing the new systems, looking for lingering exploits or bugs. If even a fraction resurfaces, the patch could backfire, reinforcing the narrative that Undisputed can’t deliver stability.
Unfinished Feel. Critics note that while patches are welcome, they often feel like damage control rather than forward momentum. Without big-picture changes—like revamped career features, smoother animations, and better online stability—the game risks being defined more by its “fixes” than its “features.”
What This Means for Players
If You’re a Ranked Grinder: This is arguably the most balanced the online meta has been in months. With the southpaw exploit gone, Sergio Martínez nerfed, and quit-losses fixed, the playing field feels fairer than ever. Expect some chaos as fighters test new strategies, but competitive boxing just got more legitimate.
If You’re an Offline Purist: You’ll enjoy the new fighters, the Kronk atmosphere, and the polish of punch mechanics. But don’t expect deep career changes—your journey is essentially the same as before, albeit with a few more tools in the toolbox.
If You’re On the Fence: This is the best time to step back in. The patch makes the game more playable than it’s been since launch, though whether that’s enough to win over burned fans is still up for debate.
Final Bell
The Undisputed 1.5 update is a step in the right direction—maybe even a major one—but it’s far from the final round. The good news? It shows Steel City Interactive is listening. The bad news? Players are tired of listening and want results they can trust.
In boxing terms, this patch wasn’t a knockout. But it may have saved Undisputed from being counted out. Now the real question is: can the devs keep fighting long enough to go the distance?
—Reported by Mike Glove, TBC News
