AEW’s long-awaited step into the video game world with Fight Forever in 2023 promised excitement but ended up dividing opinion among fans and critics. The game launched with high expectations, but soon after release, it was criticized for lacking the polish and depth of its competition. Now, one of the developers involved in the project has shed light on why things went wrong.

Speaking on Mic Check, Justin Leeper reflected on the game’s development process and admitted it was unlike anything he had experienced before, even compared to his past work on WWE titles. He explained that AEW, as the licenser, was heavily involved in the creative process, with Kenny Omega acting as the bridge between the development team and the company.

Leeper praised Omega’s leadership style, likening it to that of legendary game creator Hideo Kojima. “Like Hideo Kojima, Kenny has a strong vision but is willing to collaborate and defer to others when needed. He knows wrestling and understands games but also knows what he doesn’t know, which made the process very collaborative.”

While the collaboration with Omega was positive, the production itself was far from smooth. Without a powerhouse publisher like THQ or 2K to guide the project, there were ongoing issues with decision-making, budgeting, and planning. Leeper revealed that he had just ten months to build and implement the story mode on a limited budget, which forced him to handle motion capture personally and even learn how to create cutscenes in Unreal Engine.

Leeper described the experience as closer to working on an indie title than a major wrestling franchise game. “Video game development is chaotic, about 85% of the time it’s a s*** show and a good game shipping is almost a miracle,” he admitted. He added that while he is proud of what was accomplished, the lack of resources and early creative choices meant the final product could not match the replayability or depth players expect from a full-price release.