Tuesday saw the reveal of All Elite Wrestling's current video game plans. The wrestling company announced three different games currently in development, including two mobile games. But most of AEW's focus was on its "best in class" console game, a modern wrestling game that AEW hopes will compete with WWE's annual releases. There's good reason to believe AEW's off to a great start, as it's partnering with studio Yuke's for the game. And even more exciting, the team's brought in the director of WWF No Mercy.
Hideyuki Iwashita is not a household name. His last video game credit is from 2008 when he directed SimCity Creator, and it isn't clear what he's been up to since then. But among wrestling game fans, Iwashita is a legend. Iwashita was the game director for WWF No Mercy, a Nintendo 64 game developed by AKI Corporation that nostalgic fans conjure when considering an era "when wrestling games were great."
The other franchise that Iwashita is commonly associated with is the Def Jam wrestling franchise. Def Jam pitted popular rap artists signed to the Def Jam recording label, including DMX, Ludacris, Method Man, and others. The franchise had a mixed reception but was inarguably unique. Iwashita directed the first Def Jam game, Vendetta, and then produced its prequel Fight for New York.
It's clear why AEW would bring Iwashita back, 20 years after WWF No Mercy and 15 years after Def Jam's golden age. AEW wants its new game to be directly inspired by those classic wrestling titles. It wants a modern wrestling experience, which Yuke's can create, with WWF No Mercy design sensibilities, which Iwashita should be able to provide. He's an experienced game director, as well as a veteran game producer. It's a perfect match.
Fans, however, will likely require more to be persuaded. During yesterday's announcement event, all AEW was able to share was a cinematic trailer which hinted at the style of visuals and gameplay that Yuke's and AEW are aiming for. It looks like an arcadey, fun-focused, fast-paced wrestling game, to be sure, but a cinematic trailer is not actual gameplay. Yuke's has a lot of work left to do.
It may be some time before AEW fans get to see more of the company's in-development console game. The project appears to be early in development, which could mean it will be a very long time before it's finished. But, for AEW fans and for wrestling fans alike, there's a lot to look forward to.
AEW's in-development game has no current release date.