According to Sports Gamers Online, fans who are unsure whether to buy WWE 2K22 might have another reason to pause. The development team behind WWE 2K has had a difficult few years. WWE 2K20’s legacy is one of a frustrating mess of glitches. WWE 2K21 did not release.
Visual Concepts released a trailer for the game at the WWE SummerSlam pay per view. It featured the likes Roman Reigns and Finn Balor in action, as well as Rhea Ripley and other characters. Although the trailer is short, it promised that WWE 2K22 would be released in March next year. This is a departure from the November window, when WWE hosts the brand-on-brand warfare known as Survivor Series. The delay could also be due to WWE’s recent release countless wrestlers throughout this year. WWE is now looking to even more top names such as Aleister Black and Ruby Riott. Many of these names are making their way over to AEW, a rival wrestling promotion. A report that WWE asked Visual Concepts and 2K Sports for permission to remove these wrestlers has been published.
Sports Gamers Online’s article highlights tensions between developers, their contractor with WWE. However, neither entity has confirmed the report. The article features unnamed developers who describe the WWE 2K22 workplace in a tense atmosphere, with a lack of staff and funds. The WWE threatened to terminate their licensing agreement with 2K Sports. According to one source, the roster of the game is “the most out-of-date roster that a game has ever seen.” Visual Concepts has been given the task of updating the roster in accordance with WWE, thus the delay. This gives developers the opportunity to replace or remove any of these stars.
Sports Gamers Online reports that the game will likely be missing more WWE 2K Series wrestlers than fan favorite Daniel Bryan. Reports also suggest Bryan would not be included in the game. The most recent report from 2K Sports and Visual Concepts describes a toxic work environment. One worker described it as a place where second-guessing is a constant.
It is still to be seen what impact the many WWE releases will have on WWE 2K22’s roster. Despite the fact that 2K Sports and Visual Concepts took transparent steps to stop another WWE 2K20, these delays could backfire on the WWE, 2K Sports and Visual Concepts. Fans will remember this as a disappointing move given the popularity of many of the superstars.
