Video gaming and WWE have a long and storied history. The very first licensed game based on the then-WWF – MicroLeague Wrestling – came out in 1987 on the Commodore 64. Oddly enough, it was a turn-based strategy title, and quite different from the all-action games that came later.
Licensed games have not done well recently, though. The reception to WWE 2k20 was so negative that it forced a two-year development hiatus on the long-running series. With all the foresight Microsoft uses when naming its operating systems, the WWE 2k franchise will now make the leap from 2k20 to 2k22.
But what else could they do? The seventh instalment in the WWE 2k series – and the 21st licensed title overall – was panned for carrying over bugs from its predecessor and somehow making the experience even worse. IGN gave it 4/10, decrying the use of loot boxes and the decision to lock new modes behind a paywall.
Licensing
The problem developers face is that major franchise licensees tend to own their respective markets, so the number of other wrestling games out there can be counted on one hand. After all, without access to the official names and trademarks, it’s hard to sell any sports game to investors and customers. Plenty have tried though.
Indie developers, in particular, have popularised text-based games over the past few years. The early-access title Pro Wrestling Sim has found an audience on Steam, while browser “booking game” Journey of Wrestling has more than 5000 scenarios for the player to furnish their wrestler’s careers with.
Simpler experiences, like slots, have also borrowed heavily from wrestling. Virgin Games, a casino that BonusFinder US ranked in a review of the top US casinos, carries the Lucha Rumble slot. This 5-reel game features iconography from Mexican wrestling, such as the mascara or mask.
Despite all that, WWE (the brand itself) has only made a modest investment in gaming beyond licencing. At the end of April 2021, wrestler Xavier Woods joined the TV network G4 as the host of a video game competition, while, in 2020, a handful of superstars participated in the WWE Superstar Gaming Series.
eSports
WWE 2K is also conspicuously absent from the eSports circuit, despite featuring a similar format (e.g. 1v1) to competitive games like Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat. As a vast market supported by huge sponsors, WWE ought to be pushing into this industry as it attracts the same demographic as Vince McMahon’s sports goliath.
The company did trademark the phrase ‘Superstar Gaming League’ in 2019, leading to rumours that the WWE was about to move into eSports but nothing has materialised yet. The Superstar Gaming Series, mentioned above, may be the culmination of that particular bit of business, though. It’s broadcast on TV rather than the traditional Twitch, however.
It’s feasible that the WWE doesn’t want another entertainment, broadcast and competition medium to overshadow its own, which is why its forays into gaming are limited to its own networks. The eSports market is there for the taking, though.
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