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In April, we first brought you word that 2K was doing away with this year's annual iteration of the woefully broken and busted WWE 2K franchise. This year, the studio has instead opted for a more arcadey approach to the genre with WWE 2K Battlegrounds. While this may not be what fans of the more sim focused series necessarily wanted, it is a good opportunity for the yearly franchise to take a break and re-tool itself for 2021.
Let's face it, for as much as fans may be boo-hoo'ing this decision, I bet they would rather the next release take an extra year of development time than have a repeat of WWE 2K20.
It has been a few months since the initial reveal of Battlegrounds and we really have not heard anything since. That all changes today as 2K busts out one of the longest press releases I have seen in quite some time. We have details on the pricing, game modes, platforms, and wrestlers that will grace the titular "battleground" arenas.
First off, let's go over the pricing and SKUs. There will be a Standard Edition priced $39.99 (USD). There will be a Digital Deluxe Edition priced at $49.99. Those that pre-order the Standard Edition will get the WWE Hall of Famer Edge at launch. The Digital Deluxe Edition includes Edge along with all versions of "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, The Rock, and Ronda Rousey immediately unlocked right from the start. The Digital Deluxe Edition also includes 1,100 bonus Golden Bucks, the in-game currency that can be used to unlock other Superstars along with cosmetic items.
2K was quick to point out that these Golden Bucks can be earned through playing the game. You do not need to purchase those funbux using real world money if you do not want to.
We already heard about some of the wrestling superstars that will be in the game, but what about the rest of the over 70 person roster?
A roster of today’s biggest WWE Superstars, including Roman Reigns®, Drew McIntyre®, Charlotte Flair®, Becky Lynch®, Asuka®, Daniel Bryan®, Kofi Kingston®, Randy Orton® - combined with Legends - including Andre the Giant™, Undertaker®, Mankind®, Shawn Michaels®, Yokozuna™, Sgt. Slaughter™ and many more, offers fan favorites for all generations of the WWE Universe to enjoy, with more unlockable Superstars to come via free updates in the future. Each Superstar utilizes one of five class styles, and each class style has its own combat moves, strengths and weaknesses. Choose from the Powerhouse, Technician, High-Flyer, Brawler and All-Rounder to find the style that works best for you. Arcade-style powerups, such as Flaming Fist, Ice Breath and Earthquake, are accompanied by colorful visual effects, offering extra excitement and an additional dimension of strategy that can quickly change the direction of a match.
WWE 2K Battlegrounds' titular "battlegrounds" will reportedly play a major role in the action. These arenas will include interactive elements that you can use to gain an advantage during a battle. Some will include melee weapons that can be used to beat up your opponents. Some will include things like helicopters that you can leap off of, or cars that you can hit your opponents with. Hell, maybe you'd prefer just tossing your enemy into the "jaws of a hungry alligator in the swamp."
Players will be able to make their own Superstar. There will be various body types, sizes, facial features, clothing, hair, and fighting styles to choose from. As noted, there will be a lot of cosmetics that can be unlocked as you play the game.
Commentary will be provided by known WWE commentators Mauro Ranallo and Jerry "The King" Lawler.
WWE 2K Battlegrounds will be released on September 18, 2020 for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Stadia, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam.
Developed by Saber Interactive, WWE 2K Battlegrounds offers explosive excitement in an approachable experience for everyone from passionate WWE fans to casual players, with several ways to play:
- Exhibition: Take part in Exhibition matches at home or on-the-go, anytime and anywhere, in local and online multiplayer action for up to four players;
- Campaign: Join the adventures of seven new WWE hopefuls - created exclusively for WWE 2K Battlegrounds - in Campaign mode and compete for the chance to earn a WWE contract. Along the way, you’ll unlock new arenas, inspired by locations such as the Everglades, a military-style Bootcamp, Mexico, New York and Scotland, while receiving guidance from legendary personalities including “Stone Cold†Steve Austin® and Paul Heyman™;
- King of the Battleground: Take on all comers in the King of the Battleground, an online, last-man-standing mode where four players start in the ring while four more wait outside to enter, challenging you to run the gauntlet and defeat them all;
- Online: Test your toughness in online tournaments and Exhibition matches.
