A sub-genre that seems to have been overlooked with the passage of time, boxing titles have become a rare breed when compared to their heyday in the mid-2000s, with fewer and fewer developers willing to take on the ring.
But although the card might be lacking, that does not mean fans don’t have a few gems to choose from, even in 2025. Here are the best boxing games to play in 2025.
5. Thrill Of The Fight
- Release Date: July 1st, 2016
- Where To Play: PC via Steam, Meta Quest
Did you ever wonder what it would be like to enter the ring for real? Well, Thrill of the Fight opens our list by providing a VR experience as true to the real thing as one can hope to get. Here, every punch has weight, your training has meaning, and your stamina lasts for as long as you can keep up, a feature that makes the title the perfect fit for those looking to stay active while in the comfort of their home. The only downside here is presentation, as the title is almost 10 years old by the time of writing, and believe me, it shows.
4. Creed: Rise To Glory
- Release Date: September 25th, 2018
- Where To Play: PC (Steam), PS4 (PSVR), PS5 (VR2), and Meta Quest
A surprise for all who did not expect to find a title tied to an IP here, Creed: Rise To Glory goes against the wave of movie-based slop by bringing to fans an extremely solid VR title that, although more streamlined when compared to the technicality of Thrill of the Fight, blows out of the park via its visuals and game-feel. As a bonus for all fans of the Rocky franchise, the game allows you to play as and face many of its most famous names, going from The Italian Stallion himself to Adonis Creed and Victor Drago.
3. Punch Out!! (Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!!)
- Release Date: October 1987
- Where To Play: Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 (Nintendo Switch Online)
Even if now starring Mr. Dream as its final boss after the rights to Iron Mike’s likeness and name expired, Punch Out!! is still the quintessential arcade boxing game and brings an experience whose responsiveness surpasses that of many titles released today. The main system here is simple: you can block, dodge, punch, counter, and spend stars to perform a special dealing increased damage, the latter of which must be managed if you want to climb the ladder all the way to the undefeated champion.
1. Fight Night Champion
- Release Date: July 11th, 2011
- Where To Play: PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Xbox owners can buy it via the Xbox Store and play it on both One and Series X/S.
Fight Night Champion is the latest title in EA’s legendary but now long-dormant Fight Night franchise, which revolutionized the genre via its approach to movement. As you can expect, the game is still seen by many as the standard, via both its visual fidelity (which stands the test of time), seamless feel, and highly polished mechanics, even if many might consider the latter to be a downgrade when compared to previous titles, especially 2009’s Fight Night Round 4 (which unfortunately can no longer be purchased digitally).
Honestly, I cannot recommend this game enough, as some of my fondest memories of its generation come from either forging my boxer’s path in Legacy Mode or jumping into the ring with friends to bring the dream bout between Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson to life in all of its glory.
1. Undisputed
- Release Date: October 8th, 2024 / January 31, 2023 (Early Access)
- Where To Play: Steam, PS5, and Series X/S
Undisputed takes the first spot in our list by being the only non-VR title here to feature a steady online mode and an up-to-date list of boxes, going from many legends to today’s superstars. As we all know, though, the soul of every boxing game lies in its gameplay, and we are glad to say that the game provides an extremely solid foundation to players, even if it’s still a bit rough around the edges when it comes to movement and animation quality. Its career mode is also extremely solid, making it a good pick for those looking to create a boxer and forge their path to stardom.
Just do yourself a favor and don’t compare it to Fight Night, which, as you could see above, was way ahead of its time. To see more of the game, check out our Undisputed Review.
