Last week, New Japan Pro Wrestling teased a major video game announcement, now we know that the long-running and beloved Fire Pro Wrestling World will be getting an influx of licensed NJPW stars when it launches on PS4 this year. According to NJPW’s presser at the Wrestle Kingdom 12 Fan Fest, their invasion into the typically-unlicensed wrestling simulator (which boasts thousands of player-created characters from Jason Voorhees to Macho Man to Bernie Sanders), should happen before July’s G1 Climax.
In other words, that means the long-awaited PS4 version of FPWW will be making its way to the console this summer.
Real wrestlers, real moves, real drama: NJPW enters the ring when Fire Pro Wrestling World hits PS4 this summer! pic.twitter.com/k2R7FUMxA0
— FirePro（ファイプロ） (@sc_prowrestling) January 3, 2018
Matsumoto 'for the first time in series history, licensed partnership with a major current promotion in njpw.
— chris charlton (@reasonjp) January 3, 2018
KUSHIDA has been a Fire Pro fan for as long as he's been a wrestling fan. Huge news for the new year.
Makabe 'Of course I've played it! Victory Musashi!' #njpwfanfesta— chris charlton (@reasonjp) January 3, 2018
This is a huge deal for the series. It’s dabbled in licensing some extremely small promotions in its near-three decade history, but nothing like this. Especially as NJPW enjoys a level of success it’s never before seen outside Japan.
https://twitter.com/MrLARIATO/status/948396159055335424
https://twitter.com/MrLARIATO/status/948402214455869441
https://twitter.com/MrLARIATO/status/948401955772170240
The game looks simple and even dated, but once a wrestling fan gets their hands on FPWW, it’s clear that this is one of the deepest wrestling games ever created. On PC, the game just left Steam’s Early Access program and is currently 33% off (and totally worth it). Spike Chunsoft also just released a small piece of DLC featuring Yoshihiro Takayama and his moves to benefit the wrestler’s medical bills after a freak accident left him paralyzed from the neck down.
