2K Reveals WWE 2K Battlegrounds, A Brand New Arcade-Style Game

But can you play as that Gordon Ramsey lookalike that got eaten by a badger?

Those models look... awkward, to put it nicely.

That's what Wrestling fans want! Not...

Hopefully AEW will soon deliver a great wrestling game

@Tisteg80 I would play a wrestling games with absolute no names as long as it had a good CAW and No Mercy style everything.

Hell I'd even take the No Mercy sluggish framerate over the junk we get these days.

This looks like trash!!

How do 2K get away with this? Does anyone from the WWE even approve this work?

NBA playgrounds 1 & 2 were both excellent clocked up over 100 hours on 2. This could be great. Hope roster has enough legends content. Either way yes please. was hoping for legends of wrestlemania 2.... and this is more all stars 2 but it’ll do... should get a switch release as Saber released playgrounds on both.

Will probably come to Switch too as 2K is a big Switch supporter.

@SpacedDuck What kind of style are you looking for? Realistic, Anime, Cartoony but good proportions?

look at the bright side of all this!

WWE coming to the switch!

Switch 2k18 on Switch is a better game than WWE 2k20 on any system.

With Retromania coming out soon hopefully Fire Pro will come to Switch.

this Battlegrounds doesn't look bad.

I like the look of the over-the-top action, it reminds me of WWF The Arcade Game from back in the day. I just wish the characters didn't look like that...

If this has a create a char w/ buildup/leveling system like Def Jam, I’m totally down for this!

Nope. Given the lack of effort they have put into the past releases on Switch, I’m done with them. I’ll still with 3 Count Bout on Neo Geo.

@w00dm4n Gimme fire pro switch and I’m set for life.

The trailer hasn't impressed me, I prefer the simulation style wrestling game anyway but this looks a cheap version of All Stars.

I'm still hoping for a Fire Pro Wrestling game on Switch!

Man, this sucks.

So, when is Nintendo going to release a Smash Bros style spinoff, Super Suplex Bros? Start with the AKI engine from the N64 game. Characters have movesets and actions based on former wrestlers. Ex. Tingle/Birdo is based on Goldust,etc. Take my money.

@w00dm4n retromania looks awesome

I never cared much for the simulation-style wrestling games. The characters in this look a little too cartoonish, but if the gameplay is good, I might check this out.

Charlotte's model looks so squat. I wish she was made a bit taller.

The style just looks strange/creepy and I can’t put my finger on why. But hey, if this is on Switch, it should perform better that WWE 2K18, giving it the prestigious honour of the most technically stable game on the platform based on the wrestling organisation, so there’s that, I suppose.

Im craving some good wrestling on switch. I liked wwe allstars arcad(ie) type wrestling game back on the 360. Hoping it has wrestlers of yesteryear and not just newer ones. Since playgrounds has old players, im Sure this'll do the same. Gimme some ultimate warrior, superfly and macho man, and I'll be happy. Of course, it would need to be on switch though 😉

No need for more WWE games anyway since the real action is over at AEW.

WWE All Stars is amazing. This looks like it's going for that style, but, visually at least, they overshot. That being said, if the reviews are solid, I'll put it on the list.

@w00dm4n I didn't know about Retromania until I read your comment. Just watched some gameplay, it looks brilliant. I've never been a fan of wrestling but I used to love Wrestlefest in the arcade,the game Retromania is clearly based on.

Her face will haunt me for the rest of my days

I hope Spike Chunsoft ports Fire Pro Wrestling World to switch with all the content that the PS4 release has. If they ever make a physical release for the switch with all DLC on a cartridge, that will be a day one purchase without hesitation.🙂

Could be good, could be terrible. We'll see....

@Fearful-Octopus absolutely. The WWE games have been horrendous, bug-ridden messes since the Xbox 360 era.

@VoodooTrumpet Very true.

Looks like All-Stars which was cool.

👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎

Please someone take the rights away from 2K!!! Seriously 😒

Hey #2K go play WWF No Mercy and take notes!

Sounds fun to me, but like a couple others have said, I’ll just keep waiting for an AEW game.

Will probably go the way of NBA Playgrounds, not a bad arcade idea but completely ruined by 2K's predatory microtransactions.

Seems like Saber Interactive is one helluva busy studio...

Anyways, the WWE 2K franchise should stop being annualized forever because it's clear that a one-year development period for each entry has hurt the franchise over the years. It would be pretty embarassing if WWE 2K22 was a decent game but every entry afterwards went right back to being bad because Visual Concepts returned to an annual release cycle.

Those are some bizarre character models...

That trailer blows. 2k should just drop the WWE license. The WWE has become a horrible product.

Nintendo platforms, namely gamecube, game boy advance, and N64 had fantastic wrestling games back in the day. The gap in the Switch library is insulting. Where is Spike with Fire Pro Wrestling?

Those character models are nightmare fuel.

@OorWullie it’s officially the sequel.... the guy that behind it goes on a wrestling site I use and he has a real passion for it. I’m expecting big things. He LOVES wrestlefest

The current state of wrestling is so horrible and this game is a reflection of that.
Characters are all too “real” and with gimmicks gone the whole pagentry of it makes the whole thing lose its appeal.

Just look at the trailer.... ugh.

Go back to the glory days of the 80s and 90s... which I guess is impossible due to licenses and character ownership...

It’s really too bad.

In terms of visuals, I also hate these realistic ones... I’d prefer going back to the retro nWo vs WCW or NoMercy ones....

This reminds me of WWF WrestleMania: The Arcade Game.
It was insane and really fun. Loved the combos on that game.
This one from 2K might be something good if done correctly.

@Stocksy That's good to know, cheers. I've got high hopes for it now too.

What it looks like reminds me a bit of WWE All Stars, the models look weird but I imagine when you’re actually playing in the game the camera will be a little bit zoomed out and the models don’t look as awkward as they do. From the trailer it looks like females models look more awkward than the males do. I’ll pick it up if it comes out on switch.

Usual Realism at a pretend sport?

What the heck?

Saber Interactive is a great studio, who do fantastic Switch work, but those character models are really unappealing...

I though Charlotte Flair comes across as big headed on the actual programme and now she is big headed on the game

The idea is right but it is one ugly *** game.

Ok ... I am not opposed to an arcade WWE wrestling game but if this was what they chose to show us as an example of what it's all about then it is not looking good.

Please just give us a proper management game with rival promotions, talent relations, booking decisions etc. set it in the attitude era (so WWE do not have to invent rival promotions) and have us run WWE, WCW, ECW or even one of the indies WWE now owns). you can still include modern wrestlers along with legends.

Hell why not also involve the "2nd party" indie companies like Progress and Evolve.

Yeah it's not touching the levels of the greatest arcade wrestling game ever which is Giant Gram 2000: All Japan Pro-Wrestling 3

They're actually deciding to not release 2k21? Huh, maybe 2k22 might actually be decent with the extra time. Maybe.

@WiiHawk nah the real action is at New Japan and Pro-Wrestling Noah.

Wow this looks fugly. I get that week games have taken on special arcade moves but the art style is a step down. Maybe this is what they need to get the game to run on all platforms but it doesn't make me want to play.

Holy cow! I mean, I'm not into WWF (or whatever it's called these days) but I can't wait for Retromania. This, on the other hand, looks awful! What on Earth are they thinking? I will be honest, it's got Switch written all over it, but why did they feel they had to go with that style!?! Jeez, it better be fun to play, else it's got nothing.

Looks like WWE All Stars and that was great, so I'm optimistic.

WWE all stars had a great stylized artstyle. Everyone was massive and exaggerated proportions so they all looked like hulks.

This just looks weird. Like they all look like tiny midgets with weird proportions.

WWE all stars 2 would have been amazing. This is.... Ewww.

A train wreck of a different way is coming.

That’s looks pretty fun. Hopefully the gameplay has a much punch as the presentation. I’ll have to keep my eye on this.

Why do all these developers seem oblivious to WWE No Mercy? A modern version of the combat system used in it will make the best wrestling game ever.

@SpacedDuck - Port No Mercy, update roster, sell millions.

The art style looks terrible, reminds me of knockoff mobile games that are advertised on facebook.

At this point, WWE needs to pull their license and give it to someone who actually cares about the product.

Or maybe AEW will start making games with their brand.

Really hope AEW keeps rising and giving serious competition to WWE.
The success of the Attitude Era, including the games, was due to the competition between WW(F)E, WCW and also ECW for viewers, being in touch with what captured the imagination of mass audiences at the time, not just wrestling fans.

The only way WWE or AEW will ever capture that kind of success again is if they understand it's all about the WRITING, storylines and SPECTACLE.
As it is, 9 out of 10 kids and teens would watch a current wrestling match, shrug, and think "That's cool, I guess" and go back to playing Super Smash Bros.

@liveswired Yeah that was the last wrestling game I really loved. They got wrestling perfect with that, the Def Jam games were also great.

Give me a THQ N64 style wrestling game and I'd be as happy as could be

They look like plastic or wax, little people. Very creepy imo.

@Impaler-D

"The success of the Attitude Era, including the games, was due to the competition between WW(F)E, WCW and also ECW for viewers"

Don't forget the TALENT was also important.

Stone Cold, DX, Rock, nWo, etc are what pulled in the viewers, and there is nobody working for either company with that kind of mainstream appeal.

As much as I loved wrestling back in the 90's, that ain't ever coming back, and the "competition" from All Petite Wrestling isn't enough to get WWE to improve their product. The glory days are long gone.

why cant they remaster the ones from nintendo 64 system they were the bomb.

Surprised no one here has mentioned the lack of facial animation, that and the odd proportions make them look like marionettes.

Maybe 2k will make them real wrestlers, once the game releases!

we'll never see a remastered version of older WWE games

i doubt they have the source code for these games if the newest one was a disaster after 20 years of making the same Smackdown game.

Retromania is going to be awesome.
Mat Mania/ Exciting Hour was a solid buy too
Chiki-Chiki Boxy Pro Wrestling was great too

The Gameplay for the old Gamecube WWE games were great. They took off after Wrestlemania XiX with Day Of Reckoning 1 & 2 actually gave us a continuing story.

I liked All Stars but those Cage and ladder Matches were rough

@DinnerAndWine
That talent didn't come out of nowhere though.
It was the environment of the time that fostered and encouraged their creativity and the writers putting the talent over with storylines and angles that captured the audience.

Look at all the talent you mentioned when they first started with WWF/WCW and how they evolved into the Attitude Era, or how the nWo guys put a fresh spin on their careers with that angle, it's like night and day.

There's tons of wrestlers these days who have the moves on the mat to put themselves over, but they have the charisma and character of a boiled potato.
That comes down to the writing and lack of creativity, it's beyond stagnant and they seem to have no idea how to tap into the zeitgeist of today's audiences.

The women models in particular look bad. The male models are in pretty acceptable shape, as Cena and The Rock have their defined traits emphasized well. Charlotte & Becky meanwhile are less than stunning. Maybe its an issue with not devs deciding not to emphasize sexual traits as much, even though that is somewhat of Charlotte Flair's gimmick. How are they going to handle smaller/thinner people like Finn Balor or Alexa Bliss? They got alot of work to do to nail these right, as body shape is something that a bit of inaccuracy can be passed in a 2K Playgrounds, but the WWE roster relies heavily on their physical image, so it needs to walk that fine line between being accurate and being a caricature.

On the brightside, the gameplay looks good. I would prefer a more simplified moveset in a WWE game as I could never get into controlling in the WWE games of past. Also hoping we can get 8 Player Multiplayer for some real insanity.

Battlegrounds look like a poor man's WWE All-Stars. Here's your chance AEW deliver us the goods.

The game doesn't look too bad but it still needs to show more for me to be excited for it. May wait for the AEW game first to see how they did before I decided on this though, 2K has been on a downward spiral as of late since Yuke's left so I'm not letting them out of the hook just yet.

Wish all stars would come back.

If its anything like NBA playgrounds its gonna be a strong avoid. I'll stick to buying wrestling games on Xbox I guess.

Pleeeeease 2k, pleeeeeeeease put this on switch, I need more wrestling games on switch, if not here’s hoping AEW delivers

Ha haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa, this looks horrific! I applaud the idea of a simplified arcade style game, but this looks like none of those. Terrible squat character models that look like a mobile game...almost. All that floaty in the air juggle crap that nobody wants. Flames and outside hazards that nobody wants. Retromania Wrestling thankfully is not far away. If the WWE had made a game in that ilk with a great old and new roster it would of been huge. Developers are often so far out of touch it takes the little guy to give the peole what they want.

@RaunchyHylian retromania wrestling is a month or two away.

What the...but these look like gnomes from World of Warcraft?!

WWE: Dwarf Edition

Looks pretty cool .if its fun to play I'm sure the kids will love it (wrestling is for kids after all)

Switch version confirmed!! Let's just see how this turns out....

You could tell it was coming to Switch from the trailer. Man...

looks cool
will keep eye on it

This looks great. Hope it plays like All Stars. I always thought wrestling lends itself more to arcade-y style, more than "realism". I mean, it is kinda a violent soapy.

@NintendoByNature yeah baby! Bit of big boss man, Texas tornado and Tatanka would be ace. Ditch all this new rubbish and just make a classic wrestling game with the old school crew 👌

Those people look horrifying! You can't unsee this stufff!

Looks between bad and terrible. So skip.

There is a distinct lack of life and animation in the faces, which is pretty integral to pulling off a cartoon style like this.
I'm not into wrestling so the idea of a more cartoony version with stage hazards and air combos and stuff appeals to me, shame the faces let it all down.

looks really strange but I think it will be fun

I wanted a wrestling game on Switch, but not like this. Hopefully AEW pull through with a good game on Switch.

They had me at Rock throwing John Cena at alligator's mouth, and then they've lost me at everything else.
Hard pass

Day one for me. Lovely

Looking at the ESRB rating, you can attack with poles, chairs, exploding barrels and falling cars. There are also matches involving climbing an electrified cage to grab bags of cash and there are also custom characters, taunts and in game purchases in Battlegrounds too...

@RiasGremory if they remastered No Mercy I’d need to take a moment.....

...why is this a thing?

I swear Vince is trying to kill the WWE rather than just give it to his son in law to fix.

State of this. Looks like they got Hornswoggle in as the MoCap model.

The last good (and best ever) WWE game was on the N64, WWE No Mercy.

It's all been a steady downward spiral since that game.

Why they never returned to that formula is a mystery, considering how fans have been begging various companies to do so.

Is this supposed to look like midget wrestling?

@Kidfunkadelic83 Yea buddy! I recently re-subbed to wwe network and forgot how much I enjoyed wrestling from back in the day. Best personalities were from the late 80s/ early 90s. The personas can't be matched today's day and age.

OH NO, that thing is scary.

@tzahn I'm trying to pre-order that right about MEOW! Great idea!

I just can’t imagine any way this will be good. 2K’s games are full of bugs- and when they play right they still aren’t fun. Plus they’ve put no effort into Switch releases. Also put the art style of this vs any wrestling arcade game style ever and compare. These look like garbage- I’d rather see what mk/WrestleMania photo capture style would look like in a modern day- but while I know that most likely wouldn’t happen, I’d like a full console version of that Immortals cellphone game. 2k is just garbage , there’s no way this isn’t gonna play like a weak crap version of Street Fighter.
Give us FirePro, I’ll get that retro one when it comes out- and when 2k loses the license I’ll get a new WWE game

At this point Brawlhalla is a better WWE game than anything 2K make.

Atleast now 2K can claim their terrible wrestler modelling and engine is all art direction and glitches are SFX.

@kobashi100 Love New Japan. I started watching AEW because of those who came over.

Looks like midget wrestling. I'd be down to rent.
I haven't seen some of my friends for years. The phone is not the same.

I liked the THQ wrestling games back on the N64 but most since then have been pretty 'meh'. It doesnt help that the wrestlers themselves are pretty dull nowadays too.