UFC 5 players slam EA Sports for “extremely lazy” Muhammad Ali animations
EA SportsEven UFC 5’s pre-order bonuses enter the cage with animations ripped directly from existing fighters on the roster.
UFC 5 fans are slamming EA Sports over the “extremely lazy” inclusion of Muhammad Ali in the franchise’s latest game.
EA Sports UFC 5 arrived with a handful of significant new features and improvements including its overhauled damage system, revamped submissions, and cinematic KO replays, promising a more immersive and realistic gaming experience.
However, the excitement has been short-lived for many players who quickly discovered a baffling lack of new fighters in the game’s roster. The absence of active fighters such as Ian Garry, Bryce Mitchell, Manel Kape, and Yan Xiaonan has left fans wondering if the game is truly worth upgrading to.
Despite the lack of new active fighters in the game, three legendary fighters are now available as playable characters, two of whom are playable for the first time in the franchise’s history. Mike Tyson and Fedor Emelianenko are now available in UFC 5, but it’s Muhammad Ali’s “extremely lazy” inclusion in the game that has been met with backlash.
A viral TikTok clip by creator ‘eyegameuwatch’ highlights the stark contrast between the legendary boxer’s iconic style and the in-game representation
“EA was extremely lazy with Muhammad Ali,” they said. “I do not like the character model and as far as the animations, they are awful. It feels nothing like Muhammad Ali.”
Fans who were excited by the opportunity to move like a butterfly and sting like a bee inside UFC 5’s virtual octagon instead found what appears to be a re-skinned heavyweight version of ex-UFC fighter Nate Diaz.
“They literally took Nate Diaz and put Muhammad Ali’s skin on top of him and put him in heavyweight,” the creator said. “That is exactly what we got.”
The clip shows side-by-side gameplay footage of both Diaz and Ali’s in-game models throwing the exact same strikes. “We have Muhammad Ali and Nate Diaz side-by-side in a video game that promises to be as real as it gets, doing the exact same animation,” the creator exclaimed.
The EA Sports UFC community quickly rallied behind the criticism, with fans on Reddit echoing the sentiment of the creator. Many have pointed out the lack of fighters in UFC 5 compared to its predecessor, while others have labeled the game as a “complete copy and paste of UFC 4.”
While it remains to be seen how EA Sports will address the backlash surrounding Ali’s inclusion in the game, they’ve recently announced a plan to add more fighters to the roster, including Bryce Mitchell and Maycee Barber, who will be added in February.
