METRO BOOMIN UNVEILS ORIGINAL ONLYHANDS™ CHARACTER AT NEW YORK COMIC CON WORLD PREMIERE

Metro Boomin just pulled up to New York Comic Con with his own fighter, and nah, this ain’t some cheap celebrity skin slapped onto a game for marketing. The man behind some of hip-hop’s biggest records is stepping into the world of OnlyHands™ as a fully realized playable character, while also helping build the damn universe around him.

Metro officially unveiled his original OnlyHands character during the game’s world premiere at New York Comic Con, giving fans their first real taste of what Nothing Projects Interactive and Republic Records have cooking. We got gameplay, the official trailer and, because apparently somebody woke up and chose violence, an uninterrupted fight between playable versions of Boosie Badazz and Kodak Black.

You can watch Metro’s character reveal HERE.

This goes deeper than Metro lending his face and name to a fighting game. He’s serving as Executive Producer and Season 01 Cover Artist, with a hand in shaping the music, characters and overall creative direction of the OnlyHands universe from the jump. If you know Metro’s work outside the booth, especially The Metroverse and his work surrounding Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, this move makes plenty of sense. Dude has been flirting with comics, animation and world-building for years. Now he gets to throw hands too.

The NYCC presentation went down at the Javits Center with Metro joined by Zane Comer, CEO of OnlyHands, while Carl Jones handled hosting duties. Yeah, THAT Carl Jones. The Boondocks. Black Dynamite. Freaknik: The Musical. The voice of Thugnificent himself was up there steering the conversation, which already tells you this wasn’t your standard corporate panel where everybody spends 45 minutes talking about how “excited” they are. Denzel Curry, another artist joining the OnlyHands roster, was also in attendance for the premiere.

Metro talked about watching this universe grow beyond the first game and confirmed plans to contribute exclusive new music to future soundtracks. His character is being built around his own creative identity, complete with an evolving story connecting the music, visuals and gameplay instead of treating the artist like a glorified unlockable costume. Then came the hands.

The Boosie Badazz versus Kodak Black sequence gave the crowd a much better look at what OnlyHands actually wants to be as a fighter. Combat is being designed around spacing, timing and skill, with each artist bringing their own fighting style, signature moves and personality into the mix. Basically, picking your favorite rapper because you like their records might not save you when somebody across the screen actually knows how to fight. Get those thumbs ready, fam.

That concept is really the sauce behind OnlyHands. Every artist enters this world as an original character, complete with their own visual identity, combat style, moves, music and storyline. Metro Boomin, Kodak Black, Boosie Badazz and Denzel Curry are among the first artists confirmed, with the universe designed to keep expanding through additional fighters, music, looks and moves.

That last part could be where this joint gets interesting. OnlyHands isn’t being positioned as a one-season celebrity novelty. Nothing Projects Interactive is building something meant to evolve alongside music and culture, opening the door for new artists and new stories as the game grows.

Now comes the big question: can the fighting actually deliver?

Celebrity involvement will get eyes on the game. Metro Boomin will definitely get ears on the soundtrack. Kodak versus Boosie will get people talking. None of that means much if the controller gets in your hands and the combat feels like two action figures slapping each other in a bathtub.

The NYCC footage at least shows the team understands that part of the assignment. There’s an actual fighting game underneath all the names and music, and if Nothing Projects can nail the mechanics while letting these artists get weird with their characters, OnlyHands could turn into something much bigger than the gimmick the title might make you expect. Plus, come on.

A fighting game called OnlyHands where rappers literally settle it with their hands? Fam, somebody understood the assignment. OnlyHands is currently in development for iOS and Android, with its initial release planned for 2027.

ABOUT METRO BOOMIN

Since breaking through in 2013, Metro Boomin has become one of the defining producers of modern hip-hop, with more than 20 billion streams and 87 Billboard Hot 100 hits as a lead artist. His catalog includes records such as Drake and Future’s “Jumpman,” Migos’ “Bad and Boujee,” Post Malone’s “Congratulations” and Future’s “Mask Off.”

His albums and collaborations include Not All Heroes Wear Capes, Savage Mode II with 21 Savage, HEROES & VILLAINS, and his 2024 Future collaborations WE DON’T TRUST YOU and WE STILL DON’T TRUST YOU. That run also produced the Kendrick Lamar-assisted “Like That,” which reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Metro continued expanding beyond music through his work on Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and his original comic-book universe, The Metroverse. A longtime comics, animation and gaming fan, OnlyHands feels less like Metro randomly jumping into another industry and more like another piece of the world he’s been building around his music.

The Crusade Never Ends!