Following the clues posted by "EA Sports UFC" on Twitter about the game's mystery character, game developer Electronic Arts has confirmed that Bruce Lee will indeed be featured in the game. But according to a report by Cinema Blend, the iconic martial artist will not be included in the core roster of the main game, but instead as a pre-order DLC bonus.
Total Xbox reported that if gamers pre-order the game, they'll be able to use Bruce right away. They also have the option to wait for the game's release and not pre-order it. But to unlock Lee's character and include him in the fight roster, they'll have to fight their way in Career mode on "Pro" difficulty.
"EA Sports UFC" will be released on June 17 for the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 consoles.
On the EA Sports' website, Creative Director Brian Hayes explained the inclusion of Lee in the game:
"You have the premiere organization in the fastest growing sport in the world, the UFC; and the most iconic martial artist in the history of the world, Bruce Lee - a martial artist renowned for his philosophies that laid the groundwork for modern mixed martial arts. I can't conceive of a universe where bringing these two things together doesn't make sense.
Seeing Bruce Lee walk out and enter the Octagon to fight in the UFC for the first time is a surreal and truly sensational experience...This does not just look like Bruce Lee. It is Bruce lee. The way he carries himself, his fighting stance, his rippling physique devastating speed, signature strikes and accompanying yells, whoops and shrieks."
Upon learning of Bruce's appearance on "EA Sports UFC," his daughter, Shannon Lee, told USA today, "There hasn't been a Bruce Lee video game in a while. Not that this is a Bruce Lee game, but to be able to bring my father into that space in a way that I think is super fun and pretty exciting was intriguing to me."
She added, "I was super excited about it because while video games are fantasy, there's always a debate going back and forth about how [my father would] have done in the Octagon. Now we get to have a little bit of fun and see."