Def Jam: Fight for NYwas the sequel to what was an absurd mash-up of hip-hop culture and wrestling game mechanics. When EA publishedDef Jam: Fight for NYin 2004, the game expanded on the mechanics from its predecessorDef Jam: Vendetta. An all-star cast of voice actors alongside what were some of the biggest names in hip-hop at the time told an immersive story thatMortal Kombatwould be jealous of. A sequel has been teased by EA for years, but without much fire to the smoke.
The history betweenhip-hop and fighting games likeStreet Fighterwas already long whenDef Jam: Fight for NYwas released. The brawler seemed like a culmination of that relationship, and allowed players to control actual rappers in a complex and brutal 3D action system. Fans have been pondering over teases from EA ever since after a generally panned sequel inDef Jam: Icon. Over the years, EA has dropped scraps of hope via Twitter in the form of polls about what city shouldDef Jamgo to next and some posts as recent as late 2020, but so far not much has come of these teasers.
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Is There Still Hope for a Sequel to Def Jam: Fight for NY?
The most recent evidence for a newDef Jamgame came late last yearover Twitter with the Def Jam Recordings account posting an image of the original and implying that there would be a special announcement once the account reached over a million followers. Unfortunately for fans, that benchmark has come and gone without any new information. Many are assuming that what they are hinting at will be a remaster or remake of the originalDef Jam: Fight for NYfor next-gen consoles in lieu of a new game. If this proves true, it’s likely that EA and Def Jam will be using a remaster as a way to gauge potential success of a true sequel.
Now would be a good time for a newDef Jam: Fight for NYrelease either way. The popularity of hip-hop has only grown since 2004 when the original was released. Groups like Run the Jewels have appeared inGears of War 4and produced theirsingle “No Save Point” forCyberpunk 2077, while other artists like 21 Savage featured in the original promo campaign forMortal Kombat 11. Online communities have clamored for a newDef Jam: Fight for NYtitle and thinking about a modern version with online matchmaking and replay support is tantalizing for many fans.
But with so much radio silence sinceIce-T called for a newDef Jam: Fight for NYremaster suspiciously close to the aforementioned tweet from Def Jam Recordings, fans are left in the dark wondering whether the project would see the light of day. It seems unlikely that EA would ignore such a large fan outcry, but so far there’s no news about what’s happening with the future ofDef Jam: Fight for NY.
A newDef Jam: Fight for NYis rumored to be in development.
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