UFC 2014, the latest Ultimate Fighter Championship game will include female fighters for the first time in the series, according to an announcement by EA Sports obtained by IGN.
The fighting game, being developed by the critically acclaimed team behind the Fight Night series, will have several female fighters on the roster; however, only two have been confirmed so far for the game. UFC Women's Bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey will be one of the fighters included in the game, along with one of the top contenders for the belt, Miesha Tate. UFC President Dana White explained that the newly created Women's Bantamweight championship has been a big success in the UFC, and including two of the top women fighters in the division into UFC 2014 is a smart move by EA Sports.
"The fights are always exciting, Ronda Rousey is as talented as any champion in the UFC and her rivalry with Miesha Tate is one of the most intense in UFC history. The female division has become a huge part of the UFC and fans will now be able to experience fighting with them in the game," White said.
The team at EA Sports is also excited to include female fighters into the game, as it helps show the diverseness of the UFC and allows players to explore even more fighter options for the next gen game. Dean Richards, General Manager of the UFC branch of EA Sports, had this to say about the news:
"This is a great moment for video games and for mixed martial arts...In our commitment to delivering the most realistic fighting experience ever achieved, we wanted to represent the full spectrum of talent and diversity of all the fighters in the sport, including women who have become an undeniable force to be reckoned with," Richards said.
While this the first time women are being included in an UFC game, it is not the first time that female fighters are included in a mixed martial arts video game. The honor of being the first video game to have playable female fighters available for users is the largely forgotten MMA game Supremacy MMA, which was made by 505 Games. Nonetheless, UFC is the biggest professional fighting company in the world, and having a large roster of both male and female characters will be one of the highlights for the upcoming game.
Look out for more UFC 2014 news as the game approaches its projected release window of spring 2014.