Free Fight Night summer content

By Robert Purchese Published 8 July, 2009

Face-button controls, various extras.

EA has announced two free updates for Fight Night Round 4, due to arrive later this summer.

The first, penned for early August, adds a new gym, gameplay option sliders and new equipment. There's an alternate version of Sugar Ray Leonard for Xbox 360 owners, too. Wonder what EA has done to him.

Following in September will be the asked-for option to switch to face-button controls for punches. Currently, right thumbstick gestures control punches - a mechanic introduced successfully in Fight Night Round 3.

Fight Night Round 4 was released just weeks ago at the end of June. And praise be given, for EA has made another sturdy brawler with a better arsenal and glitzier sheen than ever before.

Head over to our Fight Night Round 4 review to find out more.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (27) Latest comment 3 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • theiceman #1 3 years ago

    I'm on the fence about using the buttons. I prefer the controls as they are right now, but i also can see we all like to choose which control works for us. As long as you can choose which method to play against online.

  • 8bitMofo #2 3 years ago

    Following in September will be the asked-for option to switch to face-button controls for punches. Currently, right thumbstick gestures control punches - a mechanic introduced successfully in Fight Night Round 3.
    The fuck are you talking about? Right thumbstick (Total Punch Control) has always been been in there since FN2004!

    EA surrenders to the mob, pussies!

  • kangarootoo #3 3 years ago

    I won't use them, but I guess it gives people a choice. Hope they handle online agme matching though, 'cos mixed controls may not make for a balanced game otherwise.

  • Entity #4 3 years ago

    I liked the fact you could only use the right thumbstick. If I'm being pounded in a real fight, I'd probably make the same mistakes I do out of panic anyway.
    Edited by 1 at 08/07/09 @ 13:12

  • bad09 #5 3 years ago

    Best news ever!

    Shame I have to wait until September to invest in FN but at least they listened. Well done EA.

  • aids #6 3 years ago

    Guess I'll be getting FN in September, after all.

  • chasejamie #7 3 years ago

    Stick Wagglers > Button Mashers
    Edited by 1 at 08/07/09 @ 13:33

  • BBIAJ #8 3 years ago

    Agree with bad09/aids, I held off getting this as although the demo was very good, the lack of face button control from FNR3 put me off from getting the full game. It should be a bit cheaper by then too.

  • JahB #9 3 years ago

    great, they came to their senses. i'll buy it as soon as this patch hits

  • M_of_the_sys #10 3 years ago

    Will they change the Heavy Bag Combo training when they bring in the buttons? I think it'll be too easy with buttons.

  • Darren #11 3 years ago

    Fight Night Round 4 in September at £25 with button controls sounds good to me. Granted I only have a casual interest in boxing games anyway but the annoying analogue stick controls in the demo instantly put me off buying the game, full-stop.

  • andywilkie35 #12 3 years ago

    Hmmm well fortunately for me I'll have filled my boots by then and will have moved on from Fight Night 4, so I won't be encountering any button spammers online.

  • Deckard1 #13 3 years ago

    I guess the retards won then. Thats the online ruined. I wish games companies didn't have to cater to people that want there games to be idiot proof.

  • bad09 #14 3 years ago

    Deckard1 FN4 is far from idiot proof if people like yourself can buy it. ;)

    Honestly after hearing all the stick kiddies since release I shall not be bothering with online on FN4 in any way, not that I ever played 3 online much anyway.

    Anyway these little fools can't bring me down today my game is back in september! \o/
    Edited by 1 at 08/07/09 @ 15:58

  • M_of_the_sys #15 3 years ago

    @bad09

    If I'm still playing in September, I'll take you down with the sticks :p

  • bad09 #16 3 years ago

    @ M_of_the_sys

    them's fighting words friend, but with me being a "lowly retarded ugly virgin button masher" instead of a "super sexy large-penised 10 girlfriend shagging stick waggler" you're probably right. ;)

  • inni786 #17 3 years ago

    @ M_of_the_sys

    Just ordered my copy last night from fleebay £33 so not to bad
    Give me a week and I'll send in a challenge

    Have to warn you though, I'll be head butting all the way

  • jaangus #18 3 years ago

    FREE UPDATES ? from EA ? you must be telling me lies this is the company who would try selling ice to eskimos if they thought they could get away with it.

  • tinners #19 3 years ago

    So they are they gonna allow button users and stick users to play each other? if so this is gonna be so unbalanced.

  • monkeywithnoeyes #20 3 years ago

    hmm not sure if this is good news or not. I always used the buttons in FN3..and i didnt like the switch to the sticks in FN4 atfirst..but now i do firmly believe they work better for the game, as FN4 is alot more tatically relying on blocks and counters rather than steam rolling punches you could get away with in FN3.

    Ofcourse thats the single player. Online i've already played people that do a never ending stream of punches against you..leading to a very boring tedius fight. I can see this being ALOT more common once the face buttons are up for option

  • BabyJesus #21 3 years ago

    Too late E.A traded it in after I did legacy.

    Online was terrible for spammers unless playing eg'ers

  • KreyAtiv #22 3 years ago

    If they'd just put the option to use the buttons in there along with the old Total Punch Control options as well as the new one it'd have saved them a lot of time.
    Certain to pick this one up cheap enough now around the same time the update in September is due out. :)

  • brommers #23 3 years ago

    Now i will buy it. Was very dissapointed in the stick only setup.

  • layleeloo #24 3 years ago

    Absolutely fucking brilliant!!

    PROOF that people power CAN work, its just it doesnt happen often! Now lets just hope they do not make a hash of it on purpose to still encourage people to use buttons. Let's also hope that all control methods from the original are in there, like Control method 5 myself and all my mates use but I know a lot on here use method 3. I guess whatever they go for, it will be better and can not come soon enough!!!!! HOORAY!

  • layleeloo #25 3 years ago

    why are people voting down posts who are happy about button controls? Bloody stick waggling fanboys. Get a life. Choice is the realm of the free man.

  • parhelic #26 3 years ago

    According to the producer Mike Mahar, they didn’t want to put them in the game without extensive testing and tuning to ensure they avoided the mistakes of FIGHT NIGHT Round 3 where some users perceived there to be an advantage to using buttons versus the Total Punch Control. I quote, "In FIGHT NIGHT Round 4 it is just as easy to throw fast punches and combos with TPC as it is with the buttons. Gamers will not notice any difference or advantage versus the AI or playing against users online."

    I prefer sticks personally I can't understand the complaints against them but at least the cries have now ceased.

  • M_of_the_sys #27 3 years ago

    @inni786

    See you on there mate. I know it's a bit late now. :p