Report: WWE, 2K Games Relationship "Strained"
The two sides have reportedly been at odds
On the heels of WWE and 2K Games announcing a several month delay for WWE 2K22, Sports Gamers Online has posted a story indicating serious contention between the wrestling company and the game developer.
One issue was the release of the upcoming game. Per the report, WWE wanted 2K22 to be released in its usual autumn time frame, whereas 2K Games pushed for a delay.
On Saturday, it was formally announced that WWE 2K22 would be released in March 2022.
One reason for the delay concerns the sheer number of games that have come out over the past year, while another has to do with the apparently-outdated roster for 2K22. The last point is due to the high volume of roster releases over the past several months, with one source calling it, "the most outdated roster a game has seen”.
The SGO report goes on to say that WWE has reportedly been, "more difficult to deal with during this development cycle," with demands for a higher-quality product, due to the poor reception (and many refunds) associated with the maligned WWE 2K20 two years ago.
SGO claims that WWE has gone so far as to threaten Take Two Interactive (2K's parent company) with the possibility of switching to another developer.
One source said, "It was like threats to cancel cable. Threats would come out of them claiming to have interest from one company here or there. I don’t know how credible that was though, or just idle threats."
Written by Justin Henry
In addition to writing lists and commentaries for Cultaholic, Justin is also a features writer and interviewer for Fighting Spirit Magazine, and is co-author of the WWE-related book Titan Screwed: Lost Smiles, Stunners, and Screwjobs.