Could Acclaim Save Rumbleverse?
- sonnecrv
- 2 hours ago
- 3 min read
If you've been playing video games for a while now (decades), you might remember a company called:
They published some big hits from the 90's and into the early 2000s, providing a few staples of N64 and PS2 collections around the world.
Turok
Burnout
NBA Jam
They're also no strangers to working in the world of Wrestling, having made 2 ECW games (although this did not end well for them when ECW went out of business), and then 3 Legends of Wrestling games.
Unfortunately, in 2004, they filed for bankruptcy protections and shortly after, were forced to sell off their assets and close down due to low sales...
BUT, now they are back! A group of executives purchased the Acclaim trademark and plan to relaunch the brand as an indie game publisher. One of those executives happens to be Jeff Jarrett - a veteran pro wrestler himself that is currently working for All Elite Wrestling. AEW is the second largest wrestling company in the world, and one that is actively looking to produce more wrestling video games!
If only there were an incredible wrestling game that was seeking a publisher right now...
Well, thanks to the Rumbleverse Revival movement, we at the very least know that our favourite grappling game has their attention. The Acclaim discord has been slightly overwhelmed with... well intentioned Rumbleverse fans, to the point that a few of them had to be removed (at least temporarily). That said, several staff members of Acclaim have read and replied to the requests of Rumbleverse community members:
Of course, they cannot outright confirm that Rumbleverse will return currently... but they also aren't exactly denying it either.
Acclaim is having a Showcase event on September 10th, where they will reveal the first set of games they are publishing. You can find a link to it here if you'd like to watch:
During this livestream, there's a small chance that we might hear something about Rumbleverse. Quite tiny if we're being honest, as other comments seem to suggest that Acclaim will be focusing on brand new games, rather than reviving old series to start.
Additionally, for better or for worse, they acknowledged that they played Rumbleverse when it was available, and understand there are many reasons that the game was canceled. On the upside, some of the people there have experience working with Iron Galaxy already from previous jobs, and have a great relationship with them.
Ultimately, it seems that there is interest from the side of Acclaim, but Iron Galaxy owns Rumbleverse and it will be up to them to work out an agreement if we are to see Grapital City again. The chances are low that we see anything during the September 10th live stream, but that doesn't mean there aren't any talks going on in the background still. Perhaps it won't be now, but later is still a possibility.
Whether or not you think Acclaim will announce something Rumbleverse related today, I would still suggest checking out their live stream when it airs. Acclaim has published some incredible games in the past, and chances are they've come back to do it again.
*Please do not harass Acclaim employees or channels to bring back Rumbleverse. They are aware and a reminder on occasion is good, but spamming will do no favour to anyone.