AEW Fight Forever just came out less than two weeks ago, but Yuke's is already releasing new content for the game in the form of a battle royale mode.

Stadium Stampede, as it's called, pins 30 wrestlers together in one arena. Players can use weapons, vehicles, and finishers to wipe their opponent out of the match. While the game mode seems really fun, there's one glaring issue surrounding it.

For a mode that requires so many players, why doesn't AEW Fight Forever have Cross-Play?

The Case For Cross-Play

In case you don't know, Cross-Play is a feature that allows users to play together across different platforms. Many games today utilize this feature for a multitude of reasons. It allows for faster matchmaking, and lets friends play together even if they don't own the same console.

Many titles, like Destiny 2 and the upcoming NBA 2K24 use this feature, though it's not just AAA games either. Even indie games like Stardew valley have Cross-Play. So the question stands, why doesn't AEW Fight Forever have this feature?

There's a lot of reasons that AEW Fight Forever needs Cross-Play. First, if/when the game's online population dips, it's going to be increasingly difficult to find 30 players for a Stadium Stampede lobby.

Secondly, if you and your friends want to play the mode, you'll have to play it on the same system. But what if some of your friends own one console version of the game while other friends own another? That means you and your friends will pass on playing it, which could negatively affect the game's population, and maybe even its sales.

And lastly, matchmaking times will take longer since there's a smaller pool of players to choose from. Finding a match without a Cross-Play feature may be easy now, but just wait a month or two until the game's population levels out.

Can Cross-Play Be Added Post-Launch?

While some games, like last year's F1 22 added Cross-Play as a post-launch feature, it doesn't mean every game will. AEW Fight Forever is the first in hopefully a long line of wrestling game's from Yuke's, but that would also mean they're focusing on the release of DLC, as well as working on the next title, if possible.

But who knows? Kenny Omega did respond to fan criticisms via his Twitter account. Perhaps some of the fan feedback included Cross-Play, which the developers may take into account. Yuke's has a strong record of developing wrestling games, so they already have a sense of familiarity with the genre. However, Cross-Play is something Yuke's has never experimented with before.

AEW Fight Forever could be the first game they try to utilize this feature for, but chances are they're looking to the future of the series, instead of focusing too much on their current title.

That's no reason to give up hope though. If fans are vocal about a desire for Cross-Play, and Yuke's sees a financial opportunity to make more money from it, then there's no reason to believe it won't be added. We'll just have to wait and see.

AEW Fight Forever Guides

While we wait for Stadium Stampede and DLC #2: The Limitless Bunny Bundle, you can check out some of our AEW Fight Forever Guides:

AEW: Fight Forever released on June 29th for PC (via Steam), PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch. The game received average reviews from critics and users.

For info on AEW Fight Forever and other sports titles – check out ClutchPoints Gaming.