WWE 2K21 has reportedly been cancelled

 
It has been reported that publisher 2K Games will not be releasing a new game in their annual wrestling franchise this year.

In a recent video made by Justin Leeper, a man who previously wrote narrative for games in the series, revealed that reliable sources have told him that WWE 2K21 will not be happening. In the video he explains that he believes that there will be no new WWE 2K game this year, as he has been advised by his own sources.

To add credence to his claims, Leeper has pointed out that this year’s WrestleMania event brought no news about this year’s WWE 2K game with it. Usually there’s an announcement or a trailer at some point during the event. This year however, there was nothing.

Leeper has previously shared information with outlets such as Ringside News regarding the games. Most recently, he described the reasons why WWE 2K20 suffered so many issues both visually, and behind the scenes in the code that makes the game work.

In his video, Leeper explains that the issues affecting WWE 2K20 would have gone on to affect this year’s release. He adds that this is part of the reason that the game is being scrapped, but he also believes that the franchise will benefit from a year’s break in development.

While he doesn’t come right out and say it, Leeper does indicate that WWE 2K20 suffered due to the split between 2K Games and the franchise’s long-term developer, Yuke’s. He thinks that the new developer, Visual Concepts, needs more time to get to grips with the franchise, and a year’s break will allow them to do just that.

Leeper was also keen to add that the coronavirus (COVID-19) is going to have disrupted work on the game. Whether that’s because working from home isn’t an option for the developer, or because certain assets can’t be obtained due to lockdowns around the world, it will definitely be a factor in the decision to cancel the game.

While Leeper claims that WWE 2K21 isn’t happening this year, he says that there will be an alternative, palate cleanser, game in the WWE 2K brand. He didn’t say too much, because he thought that he’d probably already angered enough 2K Games people with the information shared so far.

The final bit of information Leeper gave was that WWE 2K22 will not launch for next-generation consoles. Instead, it will come to Xbox One and PlayStation 4, with PC being a maybe at best.