EA Sports bringing back beloved ‘Fight Night’ video game franchise after 15 years away

After 15 years away from the ring, EA Sports’ popular “Fight Night” boxing video game franchise is officially making a comeback.

EA Sports announced Tuesday that it is reviving the long-dormant series, which last released a new installment in 2011 with “Fight Night Champion.”

“To everyone who stayed in our corner: Fight Night is coming back,” the company wrote in a brief announcement on social media, accompanied by an image of boxing gloves hanging over a ring.

The announcement did not include an official release date, gameplay footage or further details about which gaming platforms will get the new title.

The “Fight Night” franchise debuted in 2004 and became one of the most popular boxing video game series of all time, releasing three yearly installments from 2004-06, and then two more follow-ups in 2009 and 2011. Its final entry, the aforementioned “Fight Night Champion,” launched in March 2011 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 and featured a slew of boxing legends, including heavyweight Hall of Famers Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson.

EA Sports subsequently shifted its focus to mixed martial arts, releasing five installments of its “EA Sports UFC” series from 2014-26. Several modern-era boxing stars, such as Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, have appeared as playable characters in EA’s UFC games, as have Tyson and Ali.

Tuesday’s announcement follows years of speculation and false starts for a potential “Fight Night” revival. Though, at least for now, boxing fans will have to wait for more details about when the critically acclaimed franchise will officially return.