WWE 2K Battlegrounds
WWE 2K Battlegrounds has been officially announced for release this autumn in the wake of WWE 2K21 being cancelled (which you can read about by clicking here).
With no prospect of the usual annual videogame being released, some were wondering what the WWE Games team were going to discuss when they stated that they had some “exciting news” to share. Now, as per the previous rumour spread by Justin Leeper, we will be getting a WWE videogame this year after all, but one which goes in a very different direction from the flagship series.
A statement from the WWE 2K team online read: “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. The game is being developed by Saber Interactive, the studio behind NBA 2K Playgrounds, who have been hard at work on WWE 2K Battlegrounds and are excited to let you smell what they’re cookin’.
“WWE 2K Battlegrounds is scheduled to launch this fall and we look forward to sharing more information about the game in the coming months.”
Those who appreciated the fantasy elements of both WWE 2K19 and particularly WWE 2K20 and the latter’s 2K Originals mode will likely welcome this news with the most positivity, along with those who have played the likes of WWE All-Stars; fans who want a game that is fun and unique rather than being able to re-enact an entire WrestleMania match or to execute a perfect German suplex as per Brock Lesnar.
Those who do not care for this style of game, however, will likely be disappointed. We already knew that 2K21 wasn’t happening, but the hint of an alternative title led some to believe that we’d be getting some sort of suitable replacement. WWE 2K Battlegrounds will certainly fill a void left by the absence of 2K21, but it will have a shorter lifespan and less replayability, making this feel a bit secondary.
Still, at least we’re getting some sort of WWE videogame this year. It would have felt very strange to not have any options whatsoever as we approach the end of the current console generation. Although WWE 2K22 is unlikely to mark the franchise’s debut on next-gen platforms, at least we know that 2K20 won’t be a damp squib of a way for wrestling games to go out during a turbulent period for the series.
On the subject of the main series, the aforementioned statement noted: “We’ve heard and appreciate your feedback, and continue to listen to you closely. Since launch, we’ve released five title updates, addressing hundreds of reported concerns, and have released four WWE 2K20 Originals DLC expansions to build on and improve the experience. We’ve also heard your requests to keep the WWE 2K19 servers running; they will remain active for the time being.
“All of that being said, we hear you and we know you want more from the franchise, so here’s what we’re going to do: 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.
“We’ve recruited Patrick Gilmore to serve as our new Executive Producer and lead these efforts at Visual Concepts. Patrick has over 25 years of experience in video games, reaching all the way back to Disney’s Aladdin on Sega Genesis, and including franchises like Killer Instinct, Medal of Honor, and, most recently, Amazon’s New World. He will be overseeing WWE 2K development, and you’ll be hearing more from him and the team in the months to come.
“We hope you find this news as exciting as we do. We are confident it will lead to better games in the future.”
Sounds promising enough, but then, the WWE-2K team has a history of dressing things up in a fancy way, only to under-deliver when crunch time arrives. If nothing else, this seems to be a roundabout way of acknowledging that 2K20 was simply not good enough, and this additional year of development will hopefully ensure that when WWE 2K22 does arrive (likely in October 2021), the game will correct many of the long-standing issues with the series as well as innovating like never before and re-introducing features. Here’s hoping that WWE 2K22 is not a let-down, though it must be said that there will be additional pressure to truly get that particular game right; they have 18 months to achieve that goal. We’ll provide a feature in the coming days on what steps could be taken to ensure that WWE 2K22 succeeds.
In the meantime, though, we have WWE 2K Battlegrounds to look forward to. The presumed reduced depth of this title compared to the main title, along with the opportunity to think outside the box like never before and to intentionally go wild with the likes of moves, attires, stories, weapons and arenas will hopefully result in a game that is, at the very least, fun to play and worthy of one’s time. It may not be the annual WWE game that we would normally expect, but it might still be worth checking out, and it could satisfy the development team’s apparent desire for fantasy-based content, allowing the main series to focus on the more traditional aspects of sports entertainment once again in the future.
Will WWE 2K Battlegrounds be a champion or a jobber? We’ll have to wait and see.
