Last year, popular wrestling promotion AEW confirmed it would be delving into the realm of video games, offering two mobile titles and a fully-fledged console game helmed by former WWE developer, Yuke's. Current AEW World Champion Kenny Omega even confirmed that the developers working on the AEW Game would be collaborating with Hideyuki Iwashita, the creative director behind WWF No Mercy.
During the fourth episode of AEW's 2.Show, the wrestling promotion revealed a first look at the game in action, with the segment showing off former TNT Champion Darby Allin's character model and a brief glimpse at gameplay. Although the clip clocks in at just over 30 seconds, it offers some insight into how the AEW game will play, as Allin goes head to head with a green dummy.
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The model itself seems to be less caricatured than what fans saw of Kenny Omega, Chris Jericho, and Hikaru Shida in the AEW game's announcement trailer, although it definitely still has a larger-than-life appearance. Allin, of course, bears his seminal face paint and tattoos, as well as the attire he wore while facing Cody to win the TNT championship at Full Gear.
As for the early look at gameplay, the upcoming adaptation is shaping up to look a lot like No Mercy. The action seems pretty fast-paced, with the clip beginning with Allin performs a springboard back elbow off the ropes. The footage then cuts to the outside, as Darby Irish whips his opponent into the apron, lands a dropkick, and then executes a second springboard back elbow. It's worth noting that the clip specifically notes that it's from a build that is still in development, so a lot could change between now and the game's release.
There's currently no official timeline for when the AEW tie-in will release, with Kenny Omega stating back in January that the team is more focused on getting it right. He did speculate that it could be 2022 or 2023, although the main goal for the AEW team is to make something legendary. Alongside talking release dates, he also confirmed several features coming to the game, including create-a-wrestler mode and online multiplayer.
Omega did confirm there won't be a GM mode present in the game, although players will be able to get their fix through a new GM-focused mobile game coming in the near future. AEW Elite General Manager will allow players to assemble their own roster of AEW stars and pit them against each other in matches, earning ratings depending on the strength of their storylines and shows. Seeing as players have been begging for GM mode to re-emerge in the WWE 2K games, it's sure to find a passionate audience.
An AEW video game is currently in development.