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AEW: Fight Forever officially launches in June 2023

AEW: Fight Forever has finally nabbed a release date, after several years in development.
aew fight forever release date

AEW: Fight Forever, the first video game adaptation for All Elite Wrestling, will officially launch on 29 June 2023 for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Windows PC, and Nintendo Switch. The game has been in development since 2020, and was delayed several times for unknown reasons.

Some speculated the delay was related to behind-the-scenes drama between AEW management and former cover star CM Punk, however recent reports from publisher THQ Nordic dispute this. In April 2023, community manager Per Hollenbo said the game was still ‘unfinished’ and ‘not 100% yet’, in response to reports of its completion.

‘There is tons of things to take into consideration when developing a game, submission, QA, loca, ratings, optimisation, polish, coding and much more. So even if a game looks finished to some people, if it miss[es] one of those steps it isn’t finished or ready to release,’ Hollenbo said.

Now, it appears those final steps are complete – as AEW has officially announced the game’s launch in a new trailer starring award-winning wrestler and Yakuza / Like A Dragon fan, Kenny Omega.

Read: AEW: Fight Forever preview – Button mash goodness

The new trailer has given a fresh look at the game’s action – which appears far more polished than in early footage. It appears the extra time in development has allowed for improved lighting, better-looking character models, and wrestling moves that feel meatier and more stylish. Omega’s character model has been improved significantly, and movement seen in this trailer appears more fluid and cinematic.

Notably, this trailer reveals AEW: Fight Forever is a very different-looking wrestling game when compared to its nearest rival, the WWE 2K franchise. Rather than going for realism, designers have opted for a more cartoonish, big-headed look that calls back to classic, blocky wrestling games from the early 2000s era.

AEW has previously described the game as a ‘spiritual successor’ to titles including WWF No Mercy and Virtual Pro Wrestling. We’ll learn more about whether Fight Forever can live up to these names when it finally launches for PC and consoles on 29 June 2023.

12/11/2024 02:02 am GMT

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Leah J. Williams is a gaming and entertainment journalist who's spent years writing about the games industry, her love for The Sims 2 on Nintendo DS and every piece of weird history she knows. You can find her tweeting @legenette most days.