90s video game publisher Acclaim returns from the grave thanks to a pro wrestler

Acclaim was responsible for Turok back in the day (Acclaim)

The original company behind Turok and Burnout has been resurrected under new leadership, with plans to revive its old IPs… despite selling them off 21 years ago.

Younger gamers have likely never heard of Acclaim. Once a prominent video game company of the 80s and 90s, it was responsible for publishing copious amounts of licensed games based on all manner of properties, from The Simpsons and Beetlejuice to Batman and Terminator 2.

It did have some franchises that were more its own, such as Turok: Dinosaur Hunter (which was based on a comic but an obscure one) and the Burnout franchise, but financial difficulties led to Acclaim filing for bankruptcy, shutting down in 2004, and selling off all its assets.

21 years later though, and Acclaim has been resurrected under new leadership and with a new goal of revitalising its old franchises and supporting indie studios.

This new Acclaim is being spearheaded by one Alex Josef, the founder and former CEO of Graffiti Games, itself a publisher of various indie titles, such as the delightfully titled Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion and its sequel Turnip Boy Robs A Bank.

Its leadership is said to be comprised of ‘licensing icons, professional athletes, living music legends, and seasoned veterans who have defined the intersection of video games and pop culture,’ with an advisory board of ‘esteemed industry leaders’ set up to help in Acclaim’s plans for reviving old properties.

This includes, for some reason, professional wrestler Jeff Jarrett, having previously had involvement with Acclaim’s WWF video games during the days of the SNES and Sega Mega Drive.

‘I’m thrilled to now be a partner in the revival of Acclaim, an iconic publisher known for releasing some of the most legendary games of the 80s and 90s,’ said Jarrett.

‘From my early involvement with the publisher’s hit 16-bit WWF titles to my experience helping shape the TNA Wrestling series, which spawned the first video game wrestler to become a full-time roster member in the Squared Circle, I’ve seen firsthand the type of impact great games can have on players and fans.

‘Resurrecting Acclaim is an opportunity to impart the same degree of passion and love to a new generation, and I’m excited to be involved.’

A new Turok game was announced at last year’s The Game Awards and Acclaim isn’t involved (Saber Interactive)

Considering Acclaim sold all its properties, we have to question what it currently owns that it can capitalise on for a nostalgic revival. We’re not sure who owns Turok nowadays, although a new entry from developer and publisher Saber Interactive, called Turok Origins is already supposed to be on its way.

Burnout, meanwhile, is currently gathering dust at EA, having not had a new entry since the 2018 remaster of Burnout Paradise. The same thing goes for basketball series NBA Jam, which EA also bought and has sat on since 2011.

Acclaim certainly can’t do anything with Mortal Kombat. The company had assisted Midway in bringing the first three games to consoles, but now the IP is firmly under the control of Warner Bros.

While Acclaim has given no examples of what games it hopes to revive, Josef has confirmed that the company has ‘already signed some incredible indie titles, which we’ll be revealing soon.’

A new Burnout would be neat, but we doubt EA is willing to pony the licence up (EA)

Email [email protected], leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter, and sign-up to our newsletter.

To submit Inbox letters and Reader’s Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here.

For more stories like this, check our Gaming page.

ArrowMORE: Turok remaster review – retro dinosaur hunter

ArrowMORE: Turok: Escape From Lost Valley review – he is not Turok

ArrowMORE: A classic 90s Amiga video game has got an unexpected reboot on Steam