AEW’s upcoming video game will feature the late Owen Hart as a playable character. Owen was the younger brother of fellow Canadian wrestler Bret “The Hitman” Hart (along with other notable members of the Hart wrestling family) and had a memorable run in WWF (World Wrestling Federation, now known as WWE) until his life and career were cut tragically short by an accident during the 1999 Over The Edge pay-per-view event.
Under his masked persona of The Blue Blazer, Owen was meant to ride a zipline down to the ring for his match that night – only for it to become unhooked, causing Owen to fall 78 feet to the ground below. He was declared dead later that night, much to the heartbreak of his friends, loved ones, and fans all across the world. Owen Hart’s family held WWE legally responsible for the tragedy, and Owen’s widow refused to allow the company to profit off of Owen’s name or induct him into its Hall Of Fame. As a result, Owen himself has not appeared in a WWE-licensed video game since 1999’s WWF Attitude, which was released a few short months after his death and featured a dedication to him when the game booted up. Owen was included in Acclaim’s Legends of Wrestling and its 2004 follow-up Showdown: Legends of Wrestling, but the late legend has yet to appear in any wrestling game since.
According to Video Games Chronicle, this will change in AEW’s upcoming wrestling game, as the company has made a promotional deal with the Owen Hart Foundation – a non-profit charity started by Owen’s family a year after his passing. This will allow AEW to release a line of merchandise devoted to Owen, as well as feature him as a playable character in the upcoming AEW game and hold a special in-ring tournament in his honor.
AEW announced that it would be working on its answer to 2K’s WWE games last November. For its project, the professional wrestling promotion recruited former WWE game developer Yuke’s Co., as well as famed WWF No Mercy and Def Jam Vendetta director Hideyuki Iwashita. More details have slowly emerged in the months since, with a recent AEW gameplay video showing off the new game’s fast-paced, arcade-style action that harkens to the older WWE titles of the N64 and original PlayStation era. AEW’s game will also feature a full story campaign, online multiplayer, and in-depth character customization options.
Owen Heart was beloved by his co-workers in the WWF and wrestling fans alike, and his death is largely seen as one of wrestling’s greatest tragedies. Hence, his inclusion in AEW’s upcoming video game is a heartwarming way of preserving his legacy, especially since the in-game appearance was given a full blessing by his family and friends. Players will get to step into the ring as the late Owen Heart when AEW’s maiden voyage into the world of triple-A console gaming hopefully launches sometime next year.
