Wrestler cameos in non-wrestling video games are surprisingly not that rare. A plethora of notable gaming titles feature the work or appearance of a professional wrestler.
Whether it’s the late Shad Gaspard doing motion capture for God of War, “Rowdy” Roddy Piper in Saints Row, or top NJPW stars appearing in Yakuza 6, it seems that wrestlers have found a reliable side-gig in the world of video games.
Now Ronda Rousey, the current WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion, is the latest wrestler to appear in a video game.
Ronda Rousey In Advert For RAID: Shadow Legends
Video game developer Plarium has announced that Ronda Rousey will be a “Playable Legendary Champion” in RAID: Shadow Legends. Watch the advert for the reveal here.
Rousey’s character will be available to all players for free with a slight catch: they’ll have to log into the game for seven days in a row. This freebie will last until February 28th, and after then, Ronda Rousey will only be available through special in-game events.
Ronda Rousey recently commented on her inclusion in RAID: Shadow Legends.
“As someone who loves games with strong female leads, it’s exciting to actually become one,”
“I look forward to sharing my champion with the RAID fans on my channel and helping them level up their game using her unique skill sets.”
Ronen Gross, who serves as Plarium’s Vice President of Business Development, said the following about Ronda Rousey’s inclusion in the game.
“We are thrilled to have one of the world’s most renowned athletes join the ranks of RAID’s Banner Lord Champions, a title she is already quite familiar with in her career,”
“Her love of gaming and natural gifts in mixed martial arts, judo, and wrestling made this partnership a perfect fit. As expected, her Ronda Champion will mete out punishment with fiery gauntlet fists, similar to her real-life counterpart, and will be a valuable addition to any team.”
Believe it or not, this isn’t even Ronda Rousey’s first appearance in a video game. In 2019, she provided her voice to the character “Sonya Blade” in Mortal Kombat 11. For her match against Ruby Riott at Elimination Chamber 2019, Rousey dressed up as Sonya Blade to promote the game’s release.