CHIKARA Action Arcade Wrestling sprang to life after two well-regarded arcade-centric wrestling games on the Xbox 360’s XBLA platform. We covered the game extensively because it was the first time an independent wrestling company was going to get its own wrestling game and came before things like New Japan Pro Wrestling and STARDOM being added into Fire Pro Wrestling World, and long before RetroMania Wrestling brought in the NWA. However, with the end of CHIKARA comes the tough decision on what to do next. The game was better-reviewed than the prior two entries and its Wrestle Factory suite allowed for better customization than many expected.

Today it was announced that the devs will work to rebrand the game in the future. The end of CHIKARA made it seem like the game’s days on Steam were numbered, and that appears more clear today – so if you want it, grab it in the Steam sale for $7.50. As it is now, the game is an interesting time capsule with some of CHIKARA’s best acts historically included and we’ll see what the future holds for Action Arcade Wrestling. The first two games lacked any branding – but there are tons of indie companies out there that could benefit from being a part of a game that may be up to take the place of CHIKARA. it will be a long process though as so much of the game’s identity, down the creation suite being named after the group’s training grounds, is tied into CHIKARA.