In 2011, the WWE SmackDown vs. Raw series became the WWE 2K series, which was largely a cosmetic change, as it was still developed and produced by THQ and Yuke's. However, with THQ's dissolution and Yuke's parting ways with WWE, this could be the opportunity for AEW to release a game-changing wrestling video game.
Fans of wrestling video games have been playing what amounts to practically the same game since the 2011 change, and the WWE show no interest in overhauling their game, as it still sells fairly well. However, just as AEW has shaken the world of professional wrestling, they can also shake the world of wrestling video games by doing these 10 things.
10 Make a Strong Singe-Player Campaign
For years, players of the WWE 2K games have criticized the "MyCareer" Mode, which is the single-player campaign, something akin to a Story Mode. The 2K games have tried different forms of single-player campaigns, ranging from the player taking a created wrestler or a wrestler of his or her choice to the top of the WWE to the controversial Showcase Mode.
While the MyCareer Mode has seen improvements over the years, it is still far from perfect. For an AEW video game to overtake the WWE 2K games, a strong, unique single-player campaign is a must.
9 Quality of Wrestlers Over Quantity
Every year, WWE hype up the roster size, which seems to get bigger and bigger every year, with more legends signing contracts and more NXT stars becoming popular enough to warrant a WWE video game appearance.
However, they seem to focus more on just including as many superstars as possible rather than making each wrestler feel unique. To beat the 2K games, an AEW game should no doubt include most of the wrestlers who have appeared for the new promotion, but the game should focus on the quality of each playable wrestler rather than trying to stuff as many wrestlers as possible on the roster.
8 Avoid Yuke's
Like many other wrestling promotions, AEW seems to be more than willing to take a wrestler or backstage worker who has left the WWE and give them a new home. However, while they have seen success with many former WWE workers in their midst, they should avoid Yuke's.
While Yuke's has parted ways with the WWE and it would undoubtedly be a great way to stick it to the WWE to get Yuke's to work on an AEW game it could instead make potential fans of an AEW game leary, as seeing Yuke's involvement might make them think that the game is too similar to the 2K games before even picking it up.
7 Work With Spike Chunsoft
While Yuke's would not be the ideal partner, Spike Chunsoft might just be. In August of 2018, Spike Chunsoft developed and published the critically-acclaimed Fire Pro Wrestling World video game. Additionally, they already have a working relationship with one of the Executive Vice Presidents of AEW, Kenny Omega, as Omega appeared in the commercial for the Fire Pro Wrestling video game.
Spike Chunsoft has been working on the Fire Pro Wrestling game series for nearly 2 decades, so they have the experience and the talent, as shown in their previous endeavors, to bring life to an AEW game that could be a viable competitor to the WWE 2K games.
6 Fix the Hair
This is an issue that has been present since back in the original Smackdown! vs. Raw video games from over 15 years ago. Some wrestlers have long hair and the hair physics on those wrestlers always looks very strange.
The hair looks to have a weird texture as it does not look like hair, and it also does not move like real hair. This is one of the most common complaints about the WWE games, and, as it is such a well-known criticism of the product, having good looking hair could surprisingly be a legitimate selling point for an AEW video game.
5 Have Better Commentary
This is another issue that has plagued the WWE games for well over a decade. The commentary on these games never sounds quite right, and, after playing just a few matches, players will start to hear the same sound bites over and over again. The commentary tracks are so limited and generic that having even mildly better commentary would be enough to excite fans.
Plus, it would be nice to hear Jim Ross back on commentary in a wrestling video game, and his broadcast partner Excalibur has the high energy of a video game character already, and he would definitely knock it out of the park.
4 Perfect the Ports
When WWE 2K18 was announced as coming to the Nintendo Switch, no one seemed to bat an eye. After all, if high-intensity games like Doom and Wolfenstein II could work on the Switch, why not WWE 2K?
However, the Nintendo Switch port of WWE 2K18 was abysmal. It ran at an awful frame rate, and could barely even keep up with a one-on-one match; anything more complicated than singles competition was out of the question. IGN called the game "all but unplayable." Making a playable Nintendo Switch port of their video game would certainly set the AEW video game well ahead of the WWE 2K series.
3 Create a Female Career Mode
For all of their self-praise for the Women's Evolution and their focus in the past few years on women's wrestling, it is interesting to note that they have never had a female MyCareer mode. Women have featured in the single-player campaign before, but never as the main character.
Not only would a female single-player campaign option set an AEW video game above the WWE 2K games, they have the roster to back it up. With names like Brandi Rhodes, Britt Baker, Awesome Kong, Riho, Teal Piper, Bea Priestley, and many more, a women's career mode in an AEW video game would undoubtedly be tons of fun.
2 Make a GM Mode
Ever since the death of General Manager Mode, or GM Mode, in the Smackdown! vs. Raw series, fans have wanted to see a return for years. While a GM Mode may seem like a strange mode for an AEW game to have, as part of the appeal of the GM Mode in the WWE games is going head-to-head with another brand, nothing is stopping AEW from making up a fake promotion for the player to face off against.
While this may not be the ideal GM Mode that WWE game fans want to see, having a GM Mode would surely be enough to entice fans of the older WWE games to check out an AEW game.
1 Revive the AKI Engine
This is the most important factor in making a successful AEW video game. For an AEW game to beat the WWE 2K series, it would need to be substantially different. The AKI engine is the engine that was used to make the game that many fans consider the gold standard of wrestling video games: WWF No Mercy.
Not only that, but Kenny Omega has expressed his desire for an AEW video game to bring back the AKI engine, mentioning it by name whenever he has been asked about an AEW video game. Reviving the AKI engine could quite possibly be the nail in the coffin for the WWE 2K series.