All-Elite Wrestling’s new console game could be launching next year, at least according to company Vice President and in-ring performer Kenny Omega. AEW announced that it is working on its own answer to 2K’s WWE series last November, and has even managed to recruit former WWE developer Yukes along the way.
Since then, details about this new AEW title have been slowly but surely coming forward, such as its full campaign mode, multiplayer, and create-a-wrestler mode that will allow players to build their own custom avatar to step in the ring with the likes of Chris Jericho, Cody Rhodes, and even Kenny Omega. Speaking of Omega, he himself has been hard at work offering up new tidbits about his company’s upcoming title, promising that it will return to the more arcade-like style of past wrestling games like WWF No Mercy and Fire Pro Wrestling instead of the simulation approach of 2K’s WWE offerings.
According to RingsideNews.com, Kenny Omega has opened up about the upcoming AEW game yet again, this time in a recent sit-down with Wrestling Observer Radio. He says that work on the game is coming along nicely and that it might even be ready to launch next year. "So far we’ve got a lot of cool things incorporated into the game that I think fans are gonna really love,” Omega explained while praising the character models and wrestling engine that AEW is utilizing in their upcoming title. “…But it’s going to be a process, and I’ve said this before, but it’s not something that we’re rushing. We do plan to hopefully get it out by next year. But [we] can’t commit to a solid date just in case.”
As is the case with the company’s televised product, AEW could face some fierce competition from noted rival WWE when its new video game does finally arrive – but it truly is anyone’s match at this point. WWE’s goodwill among gamers took a serious hit with the disastrous launch of WWE 2K20 and the resulting year-long hiatus, but developer 2K promises a return to form with this year’s WWE 2K22. Another factor in this brewing game war could be some real-life roster changes among both brands, as a recent rumor suggests that longtime WWE competitor Daniel Bryan might be cut from 2K’s next title due to his possible jump to AEW. This could open him up to appear in AEW’s new game if development lines up with his possible signing.
Wrestling fans have faced a drought in both available video games and variety over the past couple of years (last year’s arcade-style WWE 2K Battlegrounds did little to placate audiences itching for retro gaming action), so news that AEW’s promising new offering might be arriving soon will be welcome. Kenny Omega admits that his company isn’t ready to put a solid release date down yet, but if the new All-Elite Wrestling game lives up to his promises, shared enthusiasts of gaming and the Squared Circle could have a new competitor to root for next year.
Source: RingsideNews.com, Wrestling Observer Radio