WrestleMania season begins with the Royal Rumble pay-per-view and extends into early April with the “Granddaddy of Them All.” Prior to January, the WWE usually finishes up its major promotion of the latest video game from2K Games.WWE 2K20launched in fall 2019 and quickly became one of theworst wrestling video gamesin recent memory, but after taking 2020 off, 2K Games appears to be back in business.
Anyone that playedWWE 2K20, particularly at launch, can attest to its game-breaking details and nearly unplayable nature. Developer 2K Games seems to have realized the error of its ways, as it announced there would not be aWWE 2K21in the year 2020. Instead, a new game was brought out calledWWE Battlegrounds,though that alsodealt with glitches upon launch. A new report suggests another break may not be taking place this year.
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According to PWInsider,as reported by Fightful.com,2K Gamesis working at the Royal Rumble PPV Sunday in St. Petersburg, Florida. Mike Johnson reports the California-based publisher is there conducting face scans and voiceover work for the next edition of a WWE game, presumably releasing in fall 2021. This would make sense given the entire WWE roster should be at the Royal Rumble PPV.
The year-long hiatus by 2K Games may prove to be a good decision following the extreme nature of the negative pressWWE 2K20garnered. It was received so poorly by the community thatMetacritic scores for the 2019 titlesit at 43 for PS4 and 42 for Xbox One. The annual product developed by Yuke’s was well-received in the mid-2000s, but has seemingly stagnated more with recent entries.
WWE likely isn’t sweating the year without a major video game title. NBC’s streaming platformPeacock announced it purchased the WWE Network, a streaming service that debuted in 2014, this week. Being that it is WrestleMania season, many big names are getting announced as well. WWE Hall of Fame wrestler Edge announced his return to the squared circle at the Royal Rumble.
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