The finally named AEW video game, AEW Fight Forever, is still in development, but it could be closer to its release date than many expected.
With another new report having just arrived, here's everything we know so far about the upcoming game, AEW Fight Forever.
AEW Console Game with Yuke's
When AEW Games launched back in November of 2020, one of their massive announcements was the reveal that an AEW Video Game was already in development.
All Elite Wrestling was only founded at the beginning of 2019, and didn't find their home on TNT as a weekly staple of cable television until October of that year.
Perhaps the biggest piece of the puzzle revealed when the title was announced is that former WWE games developer Yuke's is on board, which is the same company that made classics like WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain and worked on the WWE 2K series.
On top of that, they brought on board former WWF No Mercy director Hideyuki Iwashita aka "Geta" for the creation of the AEW Console Game.
Based both on interviews with Kenny Omega and footage we've seen so far, the title appears to be taking heavy inspiration from both No Mercy and Here Comes the Pain.
AEW Fight Forever Release Date
While nothing is official just yet, right now the tentative AEW Fight Forever release date is set for September 2022, according to a recent report by Fightful Select.
This is unsurprisingly further out from the early release window first teased by Kenny Omega, which was the first quarter of 2022, but it's still sooner than some have expected.
There's plenty of time between now and then for things to change, and we've seen with WWE 2K22 that a delay in favor of releasing a more complete and polished product can actually be a very good call.
The same report about the likely release date mentioned a major publisher was on board but had yet to be announced, and we expect that announcement will go hand-in-hand with the official release date, game title, and more.
If you just can't wait to try something from AEW Games, they've already released AEW Casino: Double or Nothing and AEW Elite GM on mobile platforms.
Platforms, Price, Demo, and Beta
While consoles or platforms have not yet been confirmed, we do know the title is being developed for both next gen and current gen systems, so PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S are all likely.
Price likely won't be confirmed for some time, but we expect the title to be available at the standard price point of $59.99 on current gen consoles and $69.99 on next gen consoles.
When more details are revealed about the game, that news should be included along with the ability to pre order the title and potential pre order rewards that may come with it.
There's no word yet on whether AEW Fight Forever will have a playable demo, trial, or a beta for fans to help test the title prior to launch.
Teaser Trailer & Gameplay Footage
The first look at the upcoming AEW Fight Forever video game came with a teaser trailer back in November of 2020, just as AEW Games was announced.
The footage confirmed a few of the game's potential roster members, the inclusion of intergender wrestling, and was just enough to wet the whistle of AEW fans.
We later got our first look at the actual, developed version with this gameplay sneak peek from AEW Games 2.Show.
The most recent look at the title came in September 2021. In this video, we got a reveal of the official model for Jungle Boy along with some in-ring footage.
This is the most complete look we've had so far, but clearly still represents a work in progress with plenty of refinement able to be done along the way.
With the rumblings of a major announcement not being far out, we expect the first real AEW Fight Forever trailer to arrive along with the official release date, publisher, platforms, game title, and more.
Game Modes & Features
Over the past several months we've seen a trickle of information about AEW Fight Forever, and a variety of potential game modes and features have been confirmed along the way.
As mentioned before, the gameplay itself will pull from No Mercy and Here Comes the Pain, but they're crafting it on an entirely new game engine that Yuke's has built.
Story Mode was recently confirmed to be a major piece of the title, but GM Mode will not be in it and is instead going to be available through the AEW Elite GM title on mobile phones.
Create-A-Wrestler and Create-A-Moveset will both be included, as well as competitive online multiplayer with the potential inclusion of crossplay.
Intergender matches and blood are both expected to be included, as well as the blood actually staining the ring mat and remaining visible throughout the match.
Confirmed Roster
With only a few short glimpses of the title being released over the last several months, we only know a small selection of what will likely make up the full AEW Fight Forever roster and ratings.
As of now, the following wrestlers are expected to be on the in-game roster:
- Chris Jericho
- Kenny Omega
- Hikaru Shida
- Matt Jackson (The Young Bucks)
- Nick Jackson (The Young Bucks)
- Darby Allin
- Jungle Boy
- Thunder Rosa
Kenny Omega has spoken about a desire to provide updates to the title after it is released, including the addition of new roster members as they're signed to the company.
While we don't know quite how expansive the game will be, we do know it's likely to be restricted to talents who have signed a formal contract with AEW.
That means legends from other promotions like GCW's Nick Gage or NJPW's Minoru Suzuki and indie talents that have worked AEW Dark but not yet signed with the company are likely not to make the roster, and this recently confirmed by Aubrey Edwards to be the case for the AEW Elite GM game.
However, that still leaves room for dozens of mainstays in All Elite Wrestling to be included in the AEW Fight Forever roster.
That should even include a handful of WWE legends that made it onto the roster for releases prior to WWE 2K22, such as Sting, Jake "The Snake" Roberts, Mark Henry, and others.
On top of that, the AEW video game is set to include wrestling legend and icon Owen Hart, which we have more details on here.