2K Games has been pumping out one money-making turd after another in recent years, cashing in on fandoms who are either too stupid or too diehard to let a bad thing go, especially with their NBA 2K series and the bug-plagued annual outings of WWE 2K games. Well, if some reports are to be believed, there will be no new WWE 2K21 game this year for home consoles and PC, because it’s been cancelled. However, there will reportedly be another game released in its place to compensate for the potential revenue losses.
CBR.com is reporting that former WWE 2K creative writer Justin Leeper has posted a video indicating that sources close to the development of the game have indicated that the development on WWE 2K21 has been halted and a new game is in the works instead.
In the video he explains that typically during Wrestlemania weekend there’s an announcement or teaser for the newest WWE 2K game, but that didn’t happen this year.
According to Leeper, typically Visual Concepts (and Yukes, before they departed from under 2K’s wings) would begin motion capture work with WWE stars for new or updated moves making an appearance in the upcoming game. However, due to the coronavirus there has been a shut down on many business operations and an implementation of social distancing.
WWE in particular has been vigilant in testing due to still broadcasting during the quarantine. However, one of the superstars did end up testing positive and this caused superstar Roman Reigns to step away from the business for now due to his low immune system due to having leukemia.
The issue was discussed by the YouTube outlet Wrestlemania.
According to Leeper and other reports, 2K Games and Visual Concepts had to forgo the motion capture process for WWE 2K21 due to the quarantine, and so without updated or new mo-capped moves it’s reported that they’re moving in a different non-sim direction.
It’s quite possible that they use what assets they have to create a more arcade-style game to launch in the fall, as discussed in a report by WrestleTalk, which talks about both the impact that coronavirus has had on the WWE, a superstar having to step down, and how this has impacted 2K Games’ plans. He specifically covers the WWE 2K21 rumors at the 7:29 mark.
It’s hinted at that the new game might end up being some kind of a mobile off-shoot, which wouldn’t be surprising at this point.
A more logical option would be to create a 3D side-scrolling beat-’em-up game featuring the assets from the WWE 2K series with a cel-shaded filter applied to make it look slightly different. Have a Heel and Face dual campaign mode where a handful of playable superstars from the Face side or the Heel side are tasked with battling through other superstars in order to reach the Firefly Funhouse and stop some evil plot from The Fiend.
They could even keep a lot of the same mechanics from the WWE 2K game, but just make it where you travel through various environments such as arenas, city streets, parking lots, and the woods leading toward the Firefly Funhouse located out in the woods somewhere. It basically builds itself.
I doubt 2K would go that route, though, and the likelihood is that there’s going to be some cheap, gacha-style mobile outing that will be released in place of WWE 2K21 this fall.
Oh well.
(Thanks for the news tips Racially Ambiguous Lex Luthor and msd)
