EA is bringing UFC back to video game consoles this year, complete with a few surprises. Last fall the publisher announced that the upcoming EA Sports UFC will include female fighters such as Ronda Rousey and Miesha Tate. Now the publisher has announced that one of the greatest martial artists of all time will appear in the game.
EA and UFC today revealed that late actor Bruce Lee will be a playable character in EA Sports UFC. Calling Lee “the father of mixed martial arts,” the organizations revealed that fans will be able to play as Lee across four different weight classes, pitting him against modern UFC fighters.
“There’s no debate, Bruce Lee is the father of mixed martial arts,” said Dana White, President of UFC. “He believed not one style of fighting was the best and that you had to have a little piece of everything to be a complete fighter. He was proven right when the first UFC event took place in 1993.”
Gamers who pre-order EA Sports UFC will be able to unlock Bruce Lee as a playable fighter on day one, no skill needed. Those who pick up the game at a later date will have to complete the game’s career mode on Pro difficulty to unlock Lee.
“I am so excited about this opportunity to bring my father back to videogames!” said Shannon Lee, chair of the Bruce Lee Foundation and Bruce Lee’s daughter. “I’m thrilled that fans can now interact with him in a new way. The EA Sports UFC development team has been incredible to work with, and they’ve done a great job capturing the look and feel of my father. I think people will love getting a chance to fulfill a fight fantasy by playing Bruce Lee in the new UFC game.
In addition to the announcement, EA today released a new cinematic trailer for EA Sports UFC. The video is called the Bruce Lee reveal, though the legendary actor doesn’t appear until its final moments and isn’t shown fighting.