• WWE’s biggest rival AEW has announced when its videogame will be launched worldwide after it was initially revealed in 2020.
• The game is a homage to WWF No Mercy, a cult classic, and will be an alternative to the WWE 2K games released every year.
• AEW: Fight Forever is launching worldwide on 29th June 2023 on almost every platform.

After being announced in 2020, All Elite Wrestling (AEW)’s throwback wrestling fighting game – AEW: Fight Forever – has gotten a release date after initial delays in development. The game is being developed by Yukes, which made several past wrestling games and is being published by THQ Nordic.

AEW is the biggest rival to the global professional wrestling monopoly of the WWE since World Championship Wrestling in the late 90s. The company has become an alternative to the WWE’s squeaky-clean product and showcases more in-ring action, more violent matches and less soap opera acting.

Its upcoming videogame is also taking this alternative spirit in its design and marketing.

Unlike the yearly WWE games from 2K which are more like professional wrestling simulators and create-your-own wrestling company sandboxes, AEW: Fight Forever is a homage to the classic WWF videogames from the Nintendo 64 era, namely WWF No Mercy, which was released in 2000 by THQ.

No Mercy has a huge cult following, and for many years WWE’s own games division has weathered complaints that its games were too different from the 2000s title.

Instead of realism-based graphics and wrestling gameplay, Fight Forever uses stylised visuals and is more akin to fighting games like Street Fighter, but closer to obscure titles like those in the Fire Pro Wrestling series.

Interestingly, the original director of WWF No Mercy, Hideyuki Iwashita, was brought on the development of AEW: Fight Forever as a consultant in 2020. Though it is unknown how much influence he has on the final product now after three years of development.

“Our world-class team [has] delivered an authentic, nostalgic feel of wrestling games past, along with the unmatched creativity that AEW brings to the table,” shared AEW CEO Tony Khan in a press release.

“It’s going to be cool to see our fans finally getting a fresh and much-needed alternative next-gen console wrestling game on June 29.”

Other disparities from the WWE games are shorter entrances, wrestlers can fight between genders, as seen in the trailer with Chris Jericho about to deliver the Lionsault to Dr Britt Baker, and more “hardcore” match stipulations, like the “Exploding Barbed Wire Death Match”, to name a few.

Industry staples will be included, so wrestling game fans need not fear. AEW: Fight Forever will let you create your own wrestlers, entrances, move-sets, and arenas, play in ladder matches, battle royales, and will feature online multiplayer.

The game, which will launch on PlayStation 4, 5, Nintendo Switch, Windows PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S, will be available worldwide on 29th June 2023, according to the company’s videogame division.

Watch the gameplay of AEW: Fight Forever below:

[Image – AEW Games on Twitter]