It's no secret AEW Fight Forever was not the game many fans had hoped for. Yes, it had strengths, like its nostalgic gameplay that harkened back to the old wrestling games, but its flaws were far more numerous. Outdated visuals, lack of commentary, and intros that felt unfinished were just the tip of the iceberg, as a frustrating pin system, lack of match types, and a deeply disappointing character creator were all deeper issues. The lack of a My GM equivalent was another pain point, but perhaps the biggest problem of all with the first AEW game was its roster.
While AEW Fight Forever Roster was nothing to scoff at when the game first released, it has since become painfully outdated. Quick roster updates are important to any sports franchise because changes can happen quickly, and pro wrestling is no different, as signings and departures happen constantly. Fight forever years have now passed without an update, and it shows; seeing the likes of CM Punk in an AEW ring in 2026—even a digital one—feels wrong because of his infamous messy exit. Likewise one of Fight foreverThe super expensive DLC spots going to Danhausen, someone who took shots at the company on social media while he was signed and right after he left, are also off-putting. There are some really big stars missing Fight foreverand a look at the card for Double or Nothing 2026 shows just how different the next AEW match is likely to look.
A new day for AEW video games is hopefully just around the corner
With All Elite Wrestling rumored to be making a big signing for their tag division soon, there could be a little extra push for a new video game.
Some of Double or Nothing's biggest matches cannot be done in Fight Forever
AEW's Double or Nothing 2026 Match Card is as follows:
- Darby Allin vs. MJF (Hair vs. Title Match)
- Thekla vs. Hikaru Shida vs. Kris Statlander vs. Jamie Hayter (AEW World Women's Championship)
- Kyle O'Reilly Vs. Jon Moxley (AEW Continental Championship)
- Konosuke Takeshita vs. Kazuchika Okada (International Championship)
- Cage and Cope vs. FTR (In the Quit Match for the AEW World Tag Team Championship — if Copeland and Christian lose, they retire as a team)
- Jericho, The Hurt Syndicate and The Elite vs. The Demand, The Dogs and Don Callis Family (Stadium Stampede)
- Samoa Joe vs. Will Ospreay (Owen Tournament Quarterfinals)
- Bandido vs. Swerve Strickland (Owen Tournament Quarterfinals)
- Athena vs. My Shirikawa (Owen Tournament Quarterfinals)
Looking at this card comes a rather shocking revelation: 7 of the 9 matches could not exist in Fight foreverunless someone wanted to use the game's missing character creator to try and make some of those stars. No Will Ospreay means his match is cancelled, while both Athena and Mina are not present in the game, removing that Owen match. The women's four way isn't feasible without Thekla, so it's out, as is the Stadium Stampede due to the lack of Ricochet, The Demand, The Dogs, Mark Davis, and the Hurt Syndicate. No Kyle O'Reilly means no Moxley match, and no Bandido means Swerve's match is impossible as well. And despite being the very best of the best Japanese wrestlers, Takeshita and the Rainmaker are not included Fight forevereither.
Place the brackets in the correct order.
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Place the brackets in the correct order.
Light (5)Medium (7)Hard (10)
Only the Men's World Championship and World Tag Team Championship matches are possible in the current AEW game, and even those don't feel very good. MJF's model felt outdated even when Fight forever released, like he was in the middle of his Better Than You Baybay arc and was the Champ, looking like he did in the early days of the company. Similarly, Christian Cage's now-iconic heel-turned-father persona is not used. Fight forevermeaning the match also feels wrong because of the missing turtle-neck. This can be seen throughout the game as well. Jungle Boy is less of a boy these days, Kris Statlander is no longer an alien, Jamie Hayter has a whole new sense of style, and Jericho has gone through about five gimmick changes from the look he has in Fight forever. This doesn't even take into account those not on the Double or Nothing card, like Toni Storm, who has truly become timeless thanks to her gimmick change.
Essentially, whether through successful gimmick shifts or new stars stepping into the spotlight, Double or Nothing 2026 highlights how dated Fight forever is — and by extension how promising the next AEW game is. Putting on countless bangers like Bandido, being a threat like the Death Rider iteration of Jon Moxley, and dominating the women's division like Thekla should really be possible in an AEW game. And that's not even taking into account all the stars who aren't on the DoN card but deserve a spot in the next release – Alex Windsor, Mercedes Mone, Billie Starkz, Willow Nightingale, Brody King, Roderick Strong, Tomasso Ciampa, Mark Briscoe and Kyle Fletcher all come to mind. AEW has evolved incredibly since the last video game, and the next game really needs to represent those improvements – and not just with the additions to the roster.
The next AEW game is also a clear chance to improve DLC offerings. Theme pack with wrestlers as what WWE 2K has previously done with its downloadable content could work just fine. A legends pack might include Brodie Lee, Owen Hart, Jay Briscoe, Bryan Danielson, Jeff Jarrett and Taz, while another example would be an ROH pack with Nigel McGuinness, Jay Lethal, Lee Moriarty, Athena, Billie Starkz and Blake Christian.
All former AEW stars are playable in WWE 2K26
As stars continue to bounce back and forth between wrestling's two biggest companies, it's no surprise that WWE 2K26 features several ex-AEW employees.
Double or Nothing's Strong Stories proves that a true cover star for AEW's next game is viable
Contrary to what AEW haters can be seen claiming online, the company has told some truly excellent stories over the years, from Hangman and Swerve's house-burning rivalry to Mariah May and Toni Storm's Hollywood Ending arc. Double or Nothing 2026 is no different, as there are several stories highlighting potential cover stars and a showcase-like story mode about them. While Fight forevers key art of depicting as many stars as possible made sense as it was the first true AEW video game, the company has a genuine legacy now after years of stories – a legacy that has launched a number of great careers.
There is perhaps no better candidate for the honor of being the first solo AEW cover star than MJF. Maxwell Jacob Friedman, arguably the best in the world on the mic, and a top 10 candidate for his work in the ring, has been and will continue to be a huge draw. By maintaining kayfabe on social media and in interviews, he has become a unique heel in the modern era, and his film roles have shown that WWE is not required to successfully make the leap to the big screen. MJF on the cover of the next game would easily help it sell copies, as by betting on himself and being someone so good that even most WWE diehards can't help but respect him, he's become a modern megastar.
What kind of weapon is that?
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
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Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Easy (7.5s) Medium (5.0s) Hard (2.5s) Permadeath (2.5s)
Still, there's an equally good option available to AEW Games, Tony Khan, and whichever developer takes Yuke's place on the next release: MJF's Double or Nothing opponent, Darby Allin. The current world champion has had a truly incredible run so far, packing plenty of his trademark death-defying stunts and multiple 5-star matches in just a few weeks. Unlike MJF, who would shine just as brightly in WWE, Darby represents the unique AEW characters and matches that “the other venue” wouldn't allow. Whether they are too violent, too “unsellable” or simply too real, the likes of Eddie Kingston, Mark Briscoe and indeed Darby Allin have endeared themselves to fans by being themselves. It's special, especially with WWE offering so little room for unique characters and pushing a certain look for so long. Of course, it would be cool to honor that by putting Darby on the box.
Ultimately, though, AEW is spoiled for choice when it comes to cover stars. It doesn't matter if it's the company's Ace Jon Moxley, the beloved Will Ospreay (who is in the middle of a fascinating Death Rider arc that could be a viable story mode option), the Most Dangerous Swerve Strickland, the Anxious Millennial Cowboy Hangman Adam Page, or a true legend like Sting. Honing any of these stars via a special mode and a matching cover would be a huge step forward, learning from what WWE 2K the series will be correct. And if that's combined with a suitably deep roster (plus a better character creator to add new signings on your own), a game as consistently impressive as the company it's based on is hopefully just around the corner.
