AEW Fight Forever's release date could be getting held up by the ESRB, according to a new rumor about the upcoming pro wrestling game. It didn't take long after the formation of All Elite Wrestling for leaders in the company to confirm that at an official AEW video game was in development. Once expected to launch in 2022, the AEW video game still has yet to see the light of day, nearly four years after the project was first announced.

It's no secret that AEW Fight Forever has had some troubles behind the scenes. The real-life altercation between CM Punk and AEW EVPs Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks saw AEW Fight Forever remove Punk as its cover athlete, while reports have indicated that the game may have gone over budget. Considering this, one would think it would be in AEW's best interest to get AEW Fight Forever out as soon as possible to recoup some of that investment, but it seems the ESRB is proving to be a roadblock.

According to a report by Wrestle Zone, the ESRB is keeping AEW Fight Forever from releasing to the masses. Apparently, AEW Fight Forever's blood and gore has kept the game from earning the T for Teen rating that the company wants. Wrestle Zone's sources claim that AEW Fight Forever has been re-submitted to the ESRB, and it's believed that it will get its T rating, as opposed to the M for Mature rating that it may have otherwise been slapped with.



It makes sense that AEW would want the Fight Forever video game to have a T for Teen rating, as being stuck with an M for Mature rating would limit the game's potential audience a great deal. With a T rating, kids and teenagers will be able to purchase AEW Fight Forever with no restrictions, and parents may be more willing to buy the game for their children. Plus, it's unlikely that any excessive blood or gore would be a big selling point for a pro wrestling game like this, so it doesn't make much sense AEW to limit the game by including such content.

That doesn't mean that AEW Fight Forever won't have more violence than the typical WWE video game. WWE typically doesn't allow blood on its television programs, but AEW does, and so the AEW Fight Forever game will similarly have blood. However, it's possible for games to have blood without crossing the line into M for Mature territory.

Some of the AEW Fight Forever match types will lean into the promotion's more violent elements, but one has to wonder how these have been toned down for the game to earn its T for Teen rating. If the ESRB conflict has been resolved as Wrestle Zone's report claims, fans may find out sooner rather than later.

AEW Fight Forever is in development for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.

Posted: Feb 05, 2023 9:39 pm
Related Forum: Gaming Discussion

Source: https://gamerant.com/aew-fight-forever-release-date-2023-when-esrb/