Street Fighter’s world-famous musician and recording artist, Dee Jay is all about getting into the groove and letting the beat guide players to throwing down fantastic feints and combos in every round. He has been given some new routines this time around to fiddle with against opponents, and they entail tons of time in the training grounds to execute consistently.

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His moves and gameplay revolving around tempo and pace makes him a tricky fighter to fight against and to master. But once players have figured out his crafty moves, Dee Jay is a fun mid to close-range striker who can bring the house down with his nifty attacks

Dee Jay Strategies

Dee Jay has tons of movement options to get in close to his opponents in Street Fighter 6. Once he is within striking range, he can dictate the pace with his Special Moves to either punish opponents or lock them in place as he wails on them with his relentless attacks.

Conversely, Dee Jay also has good options to get out of dodge when the opponent is ramping the pressure. He can zone with the best of them with his Air Slasher, and has reliable anti-air attacks like Jackknife Maximum to keep jumping enemies grounded.

Keep ‘Em Guessing

Given that all of Dee Jay’s light attack versions of his Special Moves are feints, it is important for players to determine which attacks they can follow up from these fake outs. For example, his Light Jackknife Maximum makes him leap into the air where he can follow up with his Knee Shot unique attack that can lead into a decent combo.

His Jus Cool Special Attack has three variants, depending on which kick is pressed: either a low sweep, an overhead kick, or a fast launcher. Dee Jay players need to figure out when to use these while they are juking and jiving to keep the pressure on enemies during matches.

Learn His Punish Counter Attacks

Most of Dee Jay’s higher-damaging combos are pulled off during Punish Counters. His Heavy Punch and Super Art 1 are especially good options to tag an opponent who falls for the fake out. That said, it is important for Dee Jay players to familiarize what other attacks in his arsenal are Punish Counters and figure out the best distance to use them during matches.

Memorize the Super Art 2 Buttons

When players execute Dee Jay’s Super Art 2, they are given a brief window to hit the right buttons that will continue the combo string. Memorizing which buttons to press during the Super Art is essential since mashing won’t complete the combo: players have to remember and time their button presses with the beat or visual indicator (the notes) to keep the combo going.

At the end of the combo, players should also be attentive to which heavy button they would choose: Heavy Punch will have the player switch sides with their opponent, while Heavy Kick is best used when their opponent is near the corner.

Master the Jus Cool Follow-Ups

Dee Jay’s Jus Cool grants players a variety of follow-ups to mess with the opponent. This is especially deadly when the enemy is in the corner: Funky Slicer is a good check against opponents who might want to poke their way out of the corner, while Waning Moon allows Dee Jay to continue his combo even if the initial attack is blocked.

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Maximum Strike is a great anti-air option for opponents who keep jumping, and can be linked for some combos. Juggling Dash and Juggling Sway are excellent gap closing and distancing moves to further confuse opponents: Juggling Dash can be used to go through projectiles, but players have to get the timing correct. Dee Jay’s rush-in options also gives him great mix-ups and throw loops for more mind games.

Practice and Master His Charge Attacks

Dee Jay’s more damaging combo strings utilize his charge attacks. For players who want to maximize his damage output, they have to ensure that they can execute the Air Slasher and Jackknife Maximum consistently.

Medium and Heavy Jackknife Maximum is essential for corner combos, so it is important for players to execute these moves without a hitch. Otherwise, they can opt for Machine Gun Uppercuts for corner pressure.

Dee Jay’s Move List

Dee Jay has a total of 30 unique moves in Street Fighter 6. He still has Air Slasher, Jackknife Maximum, and Machine Gun Uppercut from previous games. Input-wise, most of Dee Jay’s Special Moves are now easier to execute since they are now either quarter circle forward or quarter circle back inputs.

Dee Jay has a total of 9 Unique Attacks, 12 Special Moves, 7 Super Arts, and 2 Throws.

Best Combos for Dee Jay

Dee Jay’s combos hit fast and hard. His combo starters can be thrown at off angles or visual timings to fool opponents and open them up for big damage. He utilizes his Jus Cool stance to start or continue his combo strings which can carry opponents near corners, further adding pressure and chances for trickery.

Beginner Combo: Jumping Knee Shot BnB

This combo is one of Dee Jay’s easier jumping attacks. Knee Shot is good since it hits opponents for the whole duration of the jump, and it’s still Dee Jay’s turn if it’s blocked. The tricky part of this combo is during the crouch+Light Punch, the player has to be mindful to charge the Jackknife Maximum: doing so will give the optimum damage.

Beginner Combo: Punish Counter Machine Gun Uppercut

Dee Jay has tons of combos that can be done off a Punish Counter. This combo is a simple one to execute, but to get the Machine Gun Uppercut to connect, the Heavy Punch should be a Punish Counter.

When Heavy Punch connects, slightly delay the input of Machine Gun Uppercut, otherwise it will not come out.

Intermediate Combo: Sunrise Festival Combo

Dee Jay’s Sunrise Festival Super Art needs correct timing of button inputs to maximize its damage when used on combos. Its Heavy Punch or Heavy Kick ender gives Dee Jay players options to either switch sides with their opponent, or deal more damage. But if the timing for the button input continues to be tricky, opting for the Light version of Sunrise Festival is a good compromise, but it deals less damage.

Advanced Combo: Corner Super Art 3

Dee Jay’s damage output is greatly amplified when he gets his opponent in the corner. He can throw out his Super Art 3 as an ender after most of his air juggles. More advanced Dee Jay players can even spam Overdrive versions of Air Slasher, then follow up with Overdrive Rolling Sobat Kick and end with Super Art 3, but that entails a LOT of patience and hours in the Training Room.

Tips for Winning with Dee Jay

Dictating the pace is essential for Dee Jay players: either they can go all-out and rush their opponent, or wait for the right time to punish and dish out some heavy-hitting combos. Dee Jay can be a menace, but its players have to train and figure out which playstyle they should run with.

His fakes are good for advanced players to throw out during matches to bait enemies into turtling up or whiffing an attack which Dee Jay players can punish. While his Super Art 2 can link to most of his combos, Dee Jay demands his players to get the timing of its hits correctly: this means time will be spent in the Training Room to consistently land all the hits of his Super Art 2.

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Here are some advanced tips when playing Dee Jay:

• Whiff punish is key: Dee Jay has a lot of Punish Counter attacks which he can utilize to catch opponents who are pressing buttons in neutral. Once they are tagged with a Punish, capitalize on it by landing Machine Gun Uppercut or one of his quick combos.
• Mix-up normals with throws: Dee Jay is good at getting in close to enemies and punishing them for their mistakes. Mixing up throws with his normal and unique attacks can further bamboozle opponents.
• Don’t overdo the feints: In higher levels, players can see tendencies their opponents do in the course of the rounds. It is best to switch game plans and not use feints too often to avoid being read by opponents.
• Machine Gun Uppercut tech: learn when to use the Medium and Heavy versions of Machine Gun Uppercut. This is a reliable move, but has a slower start up compared to Dee Jay’s other moves.
• Remember his charge attacks: Air Slasher and Jackknife Maximum are good zoning tools, but they need charge inputs. Those who want to master Dee Jay have to master his charge attacks, since they can also be used to deal devastating combos once they can be consistently executed.
• Avoid getting Burnout: Dee Jay's full potential is when players spend their Drive Gauge for his moves and rush-in tactics. However, it is best for players to keep their Drive Gauges in check and not get into Burnout when using Dee Jay, since he is especially vulnerable if he can't spend Drive Meter to get out of sticky situations.

How to Counter Dee Jay

Dee Jay players will either read their opponents for signs of aggressive or passive playstyle. As such, it is best for players battling Dee Jay to be as hard to read as possible: this means balancing being aggressive each round.

When in close quarters, most Dee Jay players will try to Throw Loop their opponent. It is best to be mindful of this tactic and apply the necessary defensive options. His attacks also have high commitment from him: his Jackknife Maximum leaves him open if it doesn’t hit, and his Machine Gun Uppercut has a slow wind up. If he whiffs on these attacks, players can severely punish him with a combo of their own.

Experienced Dee Jay players also use their Drive Gauge with reckless abandon. If facing a particularly aggressive Dee Jay player, wait until they have nearly spent their Drive Gauge: once they have one bar left, players should turn the tide and chunk out the remaining bar to leave the Dee Jay player in Burnout.

Street Fighter 6 is available now for PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.