Kenny Omega has just revealed the reason why the long-awaited AEW Fight Forever video game still doesn't have an official release date. First announced in November 2020 at the AEW Games 1.0 Special Event, the title has now been in development for over two years. While several videos and photos have already emerged, Yuke's and THQ Nordic have remained tight-lipped on when AEW Fight Forever will be coming out.
Yuke's is no stranger to the wrestling game scene as it formerly worked on the WWE videogame franchise since the first WWF Smackdown! For the original PlayStation. The company has worked on all subsequent releases up to WWE 2K19 which was its last release for the company. The abysmal WWE 2K20 was released afterward and Yuke's non-involvement in that title was very prevalent. AEW has valued the company's experience with wrestling video games and that's why Yuke's was brought in to work on AEW Fight Forever.
Appearing on fellow wrestler Swerve Strickland's Swerve City Podcast, Kenny Omega confirms the rumors surrounding AEW Fight Forever's lack of a release date. Omega revealed that the developer was looking to scale back the content to secure a "T" rating from the ESRB. A "T" rating would imply that the game would be fit for teens and above and would contain violence and some suggestive themes. From Omega's guesting, he also implied that older builds of the game could get too bloody, which would've pushed the rating to "M".
With the supposed scaling back, one has to wonder if modes such as AEW Fight Forever's Stadium Stampede match would change big time. The carnage to be experienced in that match seems very unpredictable. With the proposed number of weapons available for use, fans have to wonder if some will change or if blood will be blessed to achieve their desired rating. For context, WWE games have always had the option to turn blood on and off but have never been shy about the foreign objects and interactive backstage actions available in-game.
As WWE 2K23 will be released on March 17, 2023, fans of AEW Fight Forever may be worried if the delayed release will affect the title. Fans have already noticed that AEW Fight Forever and WWE 2K22 share some similar animations, so expect that the first game to come out might have the advantage. And while both games will nonetheless deliver a different experience, especially with the different rosters and match types, the similarities might force fans to gravitate towards which one of the two delivers the fresher and more complete package.
AEW Fight Forever will be available for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.