In an attempt to widen AEW's media footprint, the company decided to take a foray into the often unforgiving world of video games. Kenny Omega has been working closely with the team at YUKE's, as he's long been known for his love of digital entertainment. Several of his all-time best entrances were based on video game characters, and his epic One-Winged Angel finisher is named after Final Fantasy 7's villain, Sephiroth. WWE has essentially had a monopoly on the wrestling game scene, given that it has been the only wrestling company with the pockets to develop a series.
There had been some rumblings that Omega was unhappy with how things were progressing, but the latest press release from AEW gives the impression that the process has smoothed out a bit. It hasn't been the easiest process, given that this is AEW's first attempt at creating a digital property, and video game creation is incredibly complex. That changes with the release of Fight Forever, and as details emerge, fans are given more and more reasons to be excited about the game.
In the said press release, AEW announced that they'd found a publisher for Fight Forever in THQ Nordic, and Omega had the following to say: "One of the first things I did after signing with AEW was to ask Tony Khan to let me help assemble the best gaming team on the planet, to make the best wrestling game ever. Well, we just landed the perfect finisher by partnering with global publishing and distribution powerhouse THQ Nordic for AEW: Fight Forever. The THQ brand has long been synonymous with wrestling games – there is simply no more qualified partner to bring AEW: Fight Forever to the millions of wrestling fans the world over."
A handful of new details were also included in the press release. Several unique match types were revealed, including the Exploding Barbed Wire Death Match and the Unsanctioned Lights-Out match. Fans will also be able to create their own wrestler and then put him through the paces in a career mode that was described as "deep."
Fight Forever players will also be able to go online and form tag teams with their friends, so AEW fans should spend the next several months thinking up clever stable names for when the game releases. THQ intends to show more gameplay footage at the THQ Nordic Showcase on August 12. A release date isn't known at this juncture, and the final roster for AEW Fight Forever hasn't been released. Early AEW stars such as Omega and The Young Bucks will be included, but more recent signees such as CM Punk and Bryan Danielson have not been mentioned yet.