The Def Jam fighting game series has been out of the spotlight for quite a while Although, given a recent tweet from the official Def Jam Twitter account, a Def Jam Fight For NY sequel could be on the way. The tweet asks the users to “Pick a city” and lists Atlanta, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Miami as possible locations. No concrete information or other hints were given.
Pick a city pic.twitter.com/VkbVZvNpHw
— Def Jam Recordings (@defjam) August 1, 2018
The Def Jam official Twitter page has also dropped hints about a possible Def Jam Fight For NY sequel before. In June 2018, the account tweeted a fake PS4 cover of Def Jam Vendetta with the cover star erased, asking: “HYPOTHETICALLY, who’d you like to see on the cover if this game made a comeback?” Def Jam Vendetta was more of a wrestling game and came out in 2003, predating Def Jam Fight For NY by a year.
Def Jam Icon was the most recent Def Jam brawler. Releasing in 2007, it let players fight each other and over control of the background music that gave the corresponding fighter a damage boost. While sale figures were never released, it was met with mediocre reviews that likely didn’t help a sequel get off the ground nor did the fact that developer EA Chicago dissolved in late 2007. Footage of this canceled sequel was eventually leaked online. It was allegedly supposed to feature “a renewed focus on fighting mechanics.”
Def Jam Fight For NY is fondly remembered by some and enough time has passed to make it ripe for a comeback. All this time has given the game another decade of possible new artists to pick from. Vince Staples, 2 Chainz, Logic, Big Sean, and even Justin Bieber are all possible combatants from Def Jam’s stable. Although Def Jam games have also featured a few non-Def Jam artists before like Busta Rhymes and Xzibit.
