Underground Legend

📍 Richmond, VA (US)

🏷️ Video Games

If you don't know who I am, my name is Connor Benskin. I'm an incoming PhD student in Economics at Howard University, and a creative writer working at the intersection of culture, systems, and storytelling. 

The first project I wrote is Def Jam: Underground Legend, a Def Jam-inspired fighting game designed to be a true successor to Def Jam Vendetta and Def Jam: Fight for New York. You might be wondering why I decided to take this on.

This project isn't just about releasing another fighting game after 20 years. It's about educating while entertaining. Video games are one of the most powerful tools we have for telling Black cultural stories, preserving legacy, and showing how culture, competition, and creativity intersect. When done right, games can be both meaningful and fun. That's the standard I'm holding this project to. 

More recently, I participated in Pharrell William's So Ambitious HBCU Pre-Accelerator program. That experience confirmed two things: people are paying attention, and this project is on the right path. 

The project isn't theoretical. It's not a pitch deck in isolation. It's a hands-on build, designed to be played, shown, and evaluated. I'm leading this as a creator who understands both the creative, and technical sides of development, with a clear plan for what comes next. Here's what's already done or in progress: The arena/fighting stage for the demo is complete, character development for three fighters is underway, combat animations have already begun. Take a look below: 

What remains is the final layer that turns this into a polished, public-ready demo: User interface implementation, programming to ensure the demo runs smoothly, and additional combat animations so each fighter has a full, expressive move set. This programming and animation work is what transforms the build into a vertical slice. Something strong enough to stand in front of players, publishers, and partners. 

Once the demo is complete, it will be showcased publicly and used as a publisher-and partner-facing vertical slice. From there, the project can expand based on reception, partnerships, and next-phase funding. 

This campaign doesn't promise a finished AAA game overnight. It delivers something more important: PROOF.