After development struggles, going over budget, and conflicts, AEW is considering looking for a new developer for future video games.
insider-gaming.com
The future of AEW video games currently hangs in the balance.
Multiple sources have told me that the decision makers at AEW are “strongly considering” finding a new development partner moving forward. This comes after numerous issues surrounding the game’s development.
“They [AEW] knows that things didn’t go the way they expected,” one source said. “The game was over-budget and it under delivered when it came out. It has AEW strongly considering moving to a new developer for their games.”
AEW Fight Forever launched in June 2023 to mixed response. While the gameplay was
fun and easy to pick up, the lack of depth and various bugs was a turnoff for many players. In April 2024, Insider Gaming
was told that there was pressure on the developers to “deliver something faster than what it should’ve been”.
Now, AEW is trying to figure out where to go with their games. The original contract with Yuke’s called for one year of post launch updates which came in the form of four season passes that added wrestlers, moves, game modes, and venues. The last DLC pack game out in July, adding Jay White to the roster. There have been talks for releasing recently signed wrestlers Will Ospreay, Kazuchika Okada, and Mercedes Mone to the game’s roster, but it’s unclear where those talks between AEW and Yuke’s stand.
The sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity say that the primary focus is around the gaming future as a whole.
“Everything is on the table,” Insider Gaming was told. “There were some positives with the Yuke’s relationship, and some feel that with a foundation in place, another game could make things better rather than giving up after one attempt. But you can’t argue that there are concerns with how things went in the final year of the game’s development.”