Last week it was reported that WWE 2K21 had been cancelled. The series has seen an annual release schedule since its inception in 2013, but during a investors call, WWE’s Interim Chief Financial Officer Frank Riddick stated that “There’s not going to be a launch of a game this year”.
Shortly after this revelation, the WWE 2K20 Twitter account stated that they would address the future of the series as well as reveal “some exciting news”.
https://twitter.com/WWEgames/status/1253508697298309120?s=20
As promised, this morning 2K announced a new WWE game that will be releasing this year in lieu of their usual game, WWE Battlegrounds.
A pretty huge departure from the simulator-heavy 2K games, Battlegrounds is a far more arcade-like beat-em-up, with a cartoony art style (complete with some…interesting character models). 2K released a teaser trailer (below) as well as a brief summary of what to expect from this new game:
We’re thrilled to introduce you to WWE 2K Battlegrounds, a completely new WWE gaming experience that will feature arcade-style action and over-the-top Superstar designs, environments and moves. We’re focusing on social pick-up-and-play fun, but with plenty of depth for those who want to get way into it.
Whether you’re a casual gamer just learning the ropes or a passionate fan ready for all the action, WWE 2K Battlegrounds provides another way to enjoy WWE video game action.
It hasn’t been announced what consoles the game will release on, but WWE Battlegrounds is scheduled to launch Spring 2020.
As for the status of the mainline 2K series, it looks as though the overall quality of last year’s entry (which was abysmal) was the main driving force behind this year’s game getting the axe.
We’ve heard and appreciate your feedback, and continue to listen to you closely.
…we are applying what we’ve learned to the next WWE 2K simulation game with a renewed focus on quality and fun. As part of that commitment, we are extending the production timeline and will not be releasing a WWE 2K simulation game in 2020 (T2 fiscal year 2021). We want to ensure the development team at Visual Concepts can create a great game that will entertain grizzled WWE 2K veterans, as well as newcomers who want to climb through the ropes and step into the ring for the very first time.
Hopefully, a longer development time will result in a better overall experience, or at the very least a game that isn’t completely busted.
What do you think of Battlegrounds? Are you glad that the WWE 2K games are taking a break? Let us know.
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