Highlights

• Video games have been a gateway into the wrestling industry for many fans, but AEW's first few games have failed to impress and need more attention and resources.
• AEW's mobile games, while designed to make money, are shallow experiences that lack the excitement and appeal for gamers seeking a more worthwhile experience.
• AEW's first console release, AEW Fight Forever, lacks innovation and uniqueness, making it a passable but ultimately unambitious and boring wrestling game. AEW needs to take their gaming division more seriously and deliver a great video game experience.

Video games are an underappreciated section of the wrestling industry as they can often be the avenue into the medium for some fans. The great SmackDown vs. Raw titles of the 2000s, WCW’s Nintendo classics during the 90s, and even New Japan’s Fire Pro Wrestling have all been gateways into the sport for many fans, young and old.

RELATED: Every WWE Video Game From The Company's Golden Era, RankedAEW has yet to capture the momentum that successful video games can offer, as their first few products have failed to impress. Despite there being some promise in their ideas, it is perhaps an area that needs a bit more attention or resources invested into it.

AEW Terrible Mobile Games

AEW’s first two games were made for mobile devices, with one being a gambling platform which is what it sets out to be. The Casino: Double or Nothing game was simply made to earn a bit of money for the company, using their superstar's likenesses to make it more appealing for AEW fans. This is fine and probably makes loads of business sense, but it hardly excites gamers looking for a more worthwhile experience.

RELATED: 10 Best Business Decisions In AEW HistoryTheir second mobile game had much more excitement around it, as Elite General Manager promised a management sim that was reminiscent of the fondly remembered SmackDown vs. Raw series. However, it is clear by just playing the game for a few minutes that it is a shallow experience with a more basic gameplay loop than the general manager modes that came almost two decades before it.

The GM game was a big misfire from the company that immediately undermined the whole gaming branch of the company. Making such a diluted game, even if it is restricted by being on mobile devices was no fun for anyone. It killed any more investment in mobile AEW games for sure whilst also spurning the hype for its planned first console release.

AEW Fight Forever Didn't Live Up To The Hype

Almost three years after the failed mobile games were released, AEW ventured into even grander gaming territory with their first console release, AEW Fight Forever. The clear message of the game was to be an arcade throwback of sorts, emphasizing fun over realistic wrestling simulation.

RELATED: 8 Things In AEW: Fight Forever That Need To Be FixedThere are elements to the game that are really fun, as it is easy to pick up and play with a good (if a bit outdated) roster. It was even marketed pretty well by AEW as it felt like a big release as a new intellectual property within the gaming industry.

The problem with it is that it is just passable as an AEW branded wrestling game, without any innovation or uniqueness. The WWE 2K games, whilst similar every year, feel much more like a comprehensive wrestling experience than Fight Forever. The focus on making the game more basic in order to attract a broader audience may have made sense in terms of wanting to shift units, but it ultimately made the game feel very unambitious and after a while of playing it, pretty boring.

AEW’s first console release was far from a flop, but it has not established itself as a developer of great wrestling games which is disappointing given how passionate at the core of the promotion. With their very own wrestlers, including EVP Kenny Omega endorsing the gaming division as one that will listen to what fans want, it sure looks like they are not living up to their promise just yet.

AEW Games Going Forward

Now they have at least established themselves in the game industry the next thing AEW needs to think about is what’s next. Do they double down on creating passable, but uninspiring releases every couple of years with a limited budget and scope for creativity? Or do they take it more seriously as a branch of their ongoing attempts to become a more dominant force within the wrestling industry?

RELATED: 10 New Features That WWE 2K24 Needs To HaveFrom a business perspective, either option is fine for AEW, but they have a real chance to provide their fans with a great video game experience if they want to. Hopefully, their next opportunity will give them the chance to explore new genres and methods of delivering games, with the utmost priority being that they remain fun and worthwhile.

Whatever they do, a yearly release schedule that WWE employs with their 2K series should be avoided as the key to making games better is patience, not consistency. AEW should not stretch their seemingly limited gaming department even more, as the common trend in all of their products so far has been that not enough time and thought have gone into them.