AEW Fight Forever is a little over two weeks away, and on the day of one of the biggest AEW Dynamite shows of the year, AEW Games released three new trailers to celebrate the game’s roster. Ricky Starks, Powerhouse Hobbs, and Thunder Rosa were all given spotlights and had their signature moves and introductions shown off. One thing that’s quite clear with all of the trailers released so far is that Yuke’s put a lot of work into making each character feel like an authentic video game recreation of the wrestlers - instead of just a skin with their moves.
Ricky Starks was one of the company’s first pickups from Billy Corgan’s NWA and was the first World TV Champion of the modern era for that promotion, but truly found his home in AEW. The fast-moving Starks is known for a lightning-fast and intense spear alongside his version of the Dominator called the Roshambo. His posing is also something that he uses in his matches to show off in ways that aren’t seen a lot in wrestling today, and are replicated nicely in Fight Forever. The former FTW Champion makes his gaming debut in Fight Forever - as do the other wrestlers showcased today.
Powerhouse Hobbs got his start in AEW on AEW Dark during the pandemic era and quickly became someone that stood out on those shows. He had an intensity and physicality to everything he did and felt like he needed the right character move to take him to the next level - enter Taz and a heel turn that led to a legendary mean mug. The ECW legend becoming his manager allowed him to join Team Taz and established the renamed Powerhouse Hobbs as a force to be reckoned with. He was so good that “Hacksaw” Butch Reed wanted to bestow the Hacksaw moniker on him - which also fits in nicely with his Hobbs surname, but sadly passed away before that could happen. Maybe we’ll see Hacksaw Hobbs down the right if Hobbs turns face again.
Thunder Rosa was another NWA pickup and someone that stood out dating back to her days as Kobra Moon in Lucha Underground nearly a decade ago. With bold facepaint, a killer theme, and being introduced from the graveyards of Tijuana, Mexico, her intro is replicated nicely in the game. The offense also shows her off as someone who will be a lot of fun to use when it comes to either brawling, flying, or just wanting to do some cool moves constantly because she’s got a loaded lineup even from what’s visible in this trailer - capping off her match with her Fire Thunder Driver.
We’ll be able to get a better idea of how everyone feels in-action when AEW Fight Forever launches on Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series, and PC on June 29. A base game will be released alongside an Elite Edition with extra content. The console releases will also get a physical release - but sadly, no Elite editions will be released in that form factor, only digital.
