Fire Pro Wrestling World gets PS4 release window, NJPW roster

2017 saw another long-dormant franchise come back to critical acclaim in the form of Fire Pro Wrestling World (review) on Steam.

The grappling title, which recently left Steam Early Access, was also confirmed to come to PS4 at the time of its reveal. Now, developer Spike Chunsoft has announced that the game will be coming to PS4 “this summer”.

It’s not the only Fire Pro news, as the developer has announced a collaboration with New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) to bring its roster to the game. It marks a big moment for the franchise, as it’s traditionally used generic characters or characters based on real grapplers (but with tweaked names/attire to avoid copyright issues).

The collaboration will also see a story mode implemented, tasking players with starting out at the bottom and working their way to the top of the card.

The franchise is well known for its 2D visuals and extensive customisation. In fact, Fire Pro Wrestling World boasts over 20 000 fan-created characters and items.

We enjoyed the early access version of the game, we noted in our review. However, we decried the lack of a proper story/career mode and the need for more polish (understandable, given the game’s early access nature). The aforementioned story mode will fill one gap obviously. But the developers have polished the title with a series of patches over the course of the year, introducing new moves as well.