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Legendary martial artist Bruce Lee has been unveiled as the long-teased “mystery fighter” that will join the roster of EA Sports UFC. The founder of Jeet Kune Do who went on to become a film star will be available immediately to fans that pre-order EA Sports UFC, or he can be unlocked by completing the game’s career mode at Pro difficulty.
The inclusion comes with the blessing of Lee’s daughter, Shannon, who now acts as the CEO of Bruce Lee, LLC, and Chairperson of the Bruce Lee Foundation.
“I am so excited about this opportunity to bring my father back to videogames!” Shannon Lee said. “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.”
Lee made a huge impact in his tragically short 32 years, and helped to further popularize martial arts in North America. He trained in the Chinese art of Wing Chun, then while in America he founded Jeet Kune Do around the idea that the older style was too rigid and formal to be practical in street fighting.
After appearing as Kato in The Green Hornet, Lee returned to Hong Kong to discover that the show had made him a star. He quickly turned that popularity into a series of martial arts films that led to international fame.
This won’t be the first time Lee has been featured in a video game, but it will be the first time his fighting skills will be grounded in reality. Lee’s style is more based on standing attacks, which will present an interesting contrast to many of the styles seen in UFC, which have a heavy slant on submission and ground attacks.
Electronic Arts also announced the release date for the game along with the introduction of Lee. EA Sports UFC will appear on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on June 17.
