AEW Shelves Fight Forever Sequel After $30 Million Loss

Q: After a massive $30 million loss, will AEW ever risk stepping back into the console gaming ring?

AEW is unlikely to risk another console game anytime soon, though it has not ruled out a return altogether. The reporting around *AEW: Fight Forever* points to a severe commercial setback. Insider Gaming’s Mike Straw said the game cost AEW, Yuke’s and THQ at least $30 million, with delays pushing release from an intended 2022 launch to summer 2023 and inflating development costs. A developer source also said sales reached only about half of internal expectations, a shortfall that appears to have driven much of the loss. That makes a direct sequel, or any near-term follow-up, look highly improbable. Multiple reports say AEW still has interest in games “down the line,” but nothing is imminent. Straw also cast doubt on rumors of active talks with a third-party partner, saying AEW sources told him they knew nothing about such a licensing arrangement. The broader signals from AEW’s gaming arm reinforce that caution. AEW Games content, including the *All Elite Arcade* podcast, has been put on hold indefinitely, suggesting the company’s gaming efforts are in a dormant phase rather than expanding toward a new console project. If AEW does return to console gaming, it will likely do so only under tighter financial controls and with a different strategy: a smaller budget, clearer production timeline, stronger live-service support, and a more up-to-date roster. For now, the evidence suggests AEW’s next step is retreat, not a quick rematch.

3 articles · Updated · TheSportster · Aug 21

$30 million in losses from Fight Forever has left AEW with no reported plans for a follow-up game three years after the 2023 release.
A delayed launch drove much of the deficit: Yuke's had targeted 2022, but the game arrived in 2023 after a long development cycle that began when AEW was still in its infancy.
Sales then compounded the problem, with the report saying Fight Forever sold roughly half of what AEW and Yuke's expected.
Middling reviews and a thin campaign appear to have limited demand further, leaving AEW without the annual-release model that helps sustain WWE's 2K series.
AEW still owns the game's engine, giving it the option to take the technology to another studio if it decides to revisit wrestling games later.