Legendary publisher from 1990s returns. „We’ll support indie developers and reignite classic franchises,” Acclaim executives say

Back in the ’90s, many seasoned gamers might recall Acclaim Entertainment, a company that thrived during that time. However, the following decade was not kind to it, leading to its bankruptcy in 2004. Now, after a 21-year hiatus, they’ve announced their return to the gaming scene.

  1. New Acclaim intends to collaborate with independent developers. Many of these projects aim to revive the classic brands of this company. It closely mirrors the path chosen by another recently “revived” publisher, MicroProse, which is involved in both releasing entirely new titles and reviving some old series in collaboration with indie developers.
  2. Interestingly, Jeff Jarrett, a renowned American wrestling athlete and co-founder of the company Global Force Entertainment, plays a key role in Acclaim’s return. This is a very good combination because Acclaim was known, among other things, for games of this theme, starting with WWF WrestleMania, released in 1989 for the 8-bit NES console.

WWF WrestleMania was the first wrestling game by Acclaim.

Jarrett commented on this as follows:

Over the past three decades, it’s been a tremendous honor for me to participate in both the wrestling and gaming worlds. I’m ecstatic about my new role in the revival of Acclaim! From my initial work on their popular 16-bit WWF games to my contributions shaping the TNA Wrestling series, where the first video game wrestler became a full-time roster member – the Squared Circle – I’ve witnessed firsthand the power of exceptional games on players and fans. Reviving Acclaim presents me with an incredible opportunity to share that same passion and enthusiasm with a new generation, and I can’t wait to be part of it!

It appears quite plausible that some wrestling games might emerge among the forthcoming titles from the revitalized Acclaim. Since their major brands like Mortal Kombat, Turok, and Shadow Man are now owned by other publishers, we’re eager to discover what the initial releases will be from the reborn Acclaim.

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2025-03-05 17:33