No virtual wrestlers will actually die.
Screenshot from the wrestling game AEW: Fight Forever.

THQ Nordic and AEW just revealed a new game mode for the upcoming wrestling game AEW Fight Forever. That mode is none other than the Exploding Barbed Wire Deathmatch mode. I never saw any such match before in my life but their description of it being "extremely punishing" sounds quite appropriate.

I suppose there isn't too much more to say about the Exploding Barbed Wire Deathmatch mode. Everything you need to know about it is right there in its name. It's got barbed wire around the ring and it explodes. That seems simple enough.

AEW Fight Forever goes for that arcade-style wrestling game that you knew and loved from your childhood. If you're looking for a sim-style game, you should probably look elsewhere. The game is out on June 29 for PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, and PC via Steam. It looks like this one will start at $60.


Scheduled for release on June 29 across console and PC, AEW: Fight Forever’s nostalgic arcade feel already has wrestling game purists fantasizing about their finishers. AEW: Fight Forever presents fans with their first chance to pull off wrestling moves only seen on the wildly popular AEW programming. Online co-op wrestling is going completely next level with Tag-Team matches that feature sequences of team maneuvers performed with simple commands. Game modes include Ladder Match, Exploding Barbed Wire and Casino Battle Royale along with a stacked roster of popular AEW wrestlers. Fans can also enjoy career mode, wrestler customization, signature AEW arenas, and some good ol’ fashioned unsanctioned fun.

The AEW: Fight Forever ($59.99) “Matt Hardy” digital pre-order is available worldwide for PS4™/5, Xbox One and Series S/X, and Nintendo® Switch.

The AEW: Fight Forever Elite Edition ($79.99), which will be available for both console and PC:
  • Early Access (24-hour/available Wednesday, June 28 - only for consoles)
  • Matt Hardy and Broken Matt Hardy roster additions
  • Six more amazing AEW in-game roster wrestlers: Dax Harwood, Cash Wheeler, The Bunny, Keith Lee, HOOK and Danhausen
  • PLUS four mini-games inspired by the biggest wrestlers in AEW