AEW has already signed some the WWE’s most recognizable superstars. Now, they have signed away perhaps the greatest wrestling video game developer in history. AEW announced today that they are working hand-in-hand with Yuke’s to create the AEW Wrestling game.
Yuke’s was the developer of most of the WWE’s wrestling games until WWE 2K19 in 2018 when their partnership with the WWE ended. Yuke’s created the 2K series as well as WWE games all the way back to 2000, including the WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw series.
“Players are expecting something new every time we release a game and we feel like we haven’t achieved what we’ve really wanted to do,” Hiromi Furuta, senior vice president and producer at Yuke’s, said at the time Yuke’s and the WWE parted ways. “In many cases we’re still using old assets and we’re not able to do some things in the way that we want to.”
Hikaru Shida, the AEW Women’s World Champion in AEW Wrestling. Courtesy: AEW.
Since then, Yuke’s has hinted that they are working on “secret project”. That project was confirmed today as the console game AEW Wrestling.
At today’s presentation, Kenny Omega displayed preliminary footage from the game which included him fighting Chris Jericho but being attacked by Hikaru Shida, the AEW Women’s World Champion, suggesting that men will be able to fight women in the game unlike the WWE games.
Kenny Omega congratulates Aubrey Edwards on AEW Elite General Manager. Courtesy: AEW Wrestling.
“I want to give the wrestling fans the games they want. I want to give the wrestling fans the games they deserve. I want a game to be fun. It should be easy to pick up but difficult to master,” said an excited Omega.
Omega also revealed that Hideyuki Iwashita, the director of the WWE No Mercy in 2000 for the Nintendo 64 and Def Jam Vendetta in 2003, will be overseeing AEW Wrestling.
“I am really excited to be involved in the new AEW Wrestling game and creating a new wrestling game for AEW fans around the world,” said Iwashita via satellite.
AEW Wrestling isn’t the only game the company is working on though. They will also be releasing AEW Elite General Manager for mobile devices. In it, players will be able to sign AEW wrestlers, build their own league, book their own matches and have to handle locker room morale in order to become a successful promotor.
“I wanted to assemble the best team of mobile game developers to make the best mobile wrestling game,” said Aubrey Edwards, who was a video game producer before she joined AEW as a referee and a project coordinator.
Capitalizing on the gambling motifs of their pay-per-views AEW is also producing a casino gambling game. AEW Casino Double or Nothing will be available this winter for mobile devices.
It is not known AEW Wrestling of AEW Elite General Manager will be released.
