Conflicting reports leave AEW: Fight Forever release date in limbo

Troubled title remains in Gorilla

THQ Nordic’s senior community manager has rebuked reports that the long-in-development wrestling title AEW: Fight Forever is finished and ready to launch, following such comments presented by overly-excitable AEW president Tony Khan.

“I can’t say the exact release date,” said Khan during a press conference held to promote the AEW Revolution pay-per-view. “There’s a lot of things that go into that, and I don’t want to step on anybody with that. It is coming very soon. The game is finished.”

But, as noted by Wrestling Inc., THQ community manager Per Hollenbo had a different opinion. Having been shown a tweet stating that AEW: Fight Forever was ready and just waiting on a release date, Hollenbo stated “I mean if you want an unfinished game sure we could release now. The game is doing really well and is getting there, but not 100% yet, so yea, just another rumour on Twitter I fear”

I mean if you want an unfinished game sure we could release now 😆

The game is doing really well and is getting there, but not 100% yet, so yea just another rumour on twitter I fear 😔

— Zyddie (@Zyddies) April 8, 2023

The crossed wires represent part of the troubled development Fight Forever has had since its first reveal back in November 2020. Since then, whispers have frequently done the rounds of creative differences between developer Yukes and the wrestlers involved with the making of the game. Further problems arrived with the initial leaking of the game’s title, the departure of cover star C.M. Punk, frequent pushback on the release window, and — most recently — legal disputes over AEW’s ability to use the “Fight Forever” moniker. All of the above lends credence to the longstanding rumor that the entire project has gone way over budget.

Of course, wrestling fans absolutely want a new wrestling game franchise, and AEW looked set to be the best option to present an alternative to 2K Games’ WWE 2K franchise. But AEW: Fight Forever seems to be really crawling through barbed wire and iffy pyrotechnics in order to reach fruition. The market needs another wrestling franchise — Steel Sharpens Steel and all that jive — so here’s hoping that AEW: Fight Forever is able to deliver when, if, it ever makes its way to the ring.

THQ Nordic Rep Disputes Report That AEW Fight Forever Is Ready To Release [Wrestling Inc]