
It's safe to say the Nintendo Switch port of WWE 2K18 didn't have the best of starts when it launched at the end of 2017 - just check out our review for more grisly details - but can its latest post-release patch get the wrestling machine back on its feet?
The patch, due for release on Thursday, will be the third one for Switch and while the second saw some marginal improvements to in-game performance, WWE 2K18's woeful slowdown was still a significant issue. The patch is now live on PC, PS4 and XO and its arrival on Switch will, according to publisher 2K, bring it in-line with these other versions. Whether that means it will actually be playable is another matter, but we'll be updating our WWE 2K18 review next week so look out for the official Nintendo Life verdict.
Would an improved version of WWE 2K18 be enough to coax you back, or do you think the sports sim port is beyond repair? We'd love to hear your thoughts...
[source forums.2k.com]
Comments 50
Better late then never says Doom!
Unfair comparison I know....
welp, better late than never.

This patch could determine whether or not I’ll get the game on Switch, I haven’t bought it yet for any system.
Broken game + 24GB mandatory download + lofty patches... (how many more gigs is that, I wonder)
Gee, where do I sign up for this amazing offer?
My brother has put 25+ hours into the current iteration on his switch. They love the game. If this patch fixes performance I may also pick it up.
If they fix it I might pick it up, especially since it's been on sale a lot recently.
You'll write very little of substance of patches due later this week, but you'll spend ages waiting for a press-release before reporting on current releases and MyNintendo discounts?
With a patch that fixes the issues this may well be worth the bargain bin prices of it currently
Is it too little, too late? The damage is done and its reputation has been tarnished. If you're a hardcore fan, you might be more forgiving and willing to give it a try.
I've bought the game but hasn't been able to play it
Real shame because the game looks fun, let's hope the patch fixes it.
I hope 2K understands that their shoddy work is COMPLETELY responsible for the poor sales. I love wrestling games and have invested many days in No Mercy, Fire Pro, and Day of Reckoning.
If 2K later claims "poor sales were the result of low levels of interest from Nintendo's userbase" I'll be very upset.
The last one of these games I ever played with WWE 2K14 on the PS3. It was loads of fun. I have 2K16 on my Xbox One, but never played it since it was a free with Gold deal.
I may wait until 2K19 or the next full version before hopping on board with it again. Here's to hoping Fire Pro Wrestling makes it way to the Switch this year.
@Muddy_4_Ever I think they're getting a pretty good response from the Switch base. NBA 2K18 did pretty well on the Switch, enough to warrant another installment, so I would imagine WWE will come in tow.
You mentioned No Mercy and Day of Reckoning, they were developed by Yukes, who still develops the 2K games. I think 2K ought to give them a boot, these games haven't been must have since Raw vs. Smackdown. I like 2K14, but it didn't have the feel of RvS 2006 and Smackdown: Here Comes the Pain. This series has been a fish flopping on the floor long before it graced Nintendo again.
Let me guess, 20GB patch?
Re-release the entire, fixed game on a cartridge (no mandatory giant download) and I'll consider getting it for my nephew's birthday... for $40 or less.
Will only believe it it when I see it. As much as I can appreciate the amount of content the game offers and the barrels of laughs you can get out of it with some like minded friends putting a product in such a poor state on the shelves hurts everyone in the industry.
Haha! They dont even have it working well on the PS4 version.
Every woman gets called 'he', the 'representing the acolytes " is still there after all these years, and it stutters "the the' during the opening rumble sequence.
Let alone how messed up career mode is.
Hard pass
Welp, at least it'll be a fiver in no time, fixed or not....
@Locomo7ion What exactly is wrong with Doom? I've played through about half the campaign now without performance ever getting in the way of my enjoyment, it seems like a good port to me considering the hardware it's on.
Patch the thing up and we'll see about a purchase.
@link3710 @Spoony_Tech
I've put like 70hrs into Doom, and it's an awesome port ! The slowdown is very occasionnal and never really put me off. The only thing I couldn't make excuses for is the sound bug. Idk why they didn't patch that yet.
It’s one thing to patch a game to add bonus content or remove unforeseen minor glitches, but sending a disaster like WWE2K18 to market couple months ago and patching it into playability now is entirely unacceptable.
I would hope it is playable. To go from Doom and Skyrim to this...
WWE 2K19 should be the patch.
The performance right now isn't awful I'm not getting slowdown with anything less than 5 on the screen at once that said there's never been an excuse for some of the issues imo they should have downgraded graphics and focused on it being playable on launch day
Well they had 3 tries to fix it, I say third times the charm. Hopefully the charm doesn't ware out.
@MsJubilee Doom's sound cutting out isn't a big deal to me because reloading from a checkpoint fixes it...what does bother me is the random sound bug where all the audio suddenly gets replaced with a loud buzzing sound for about 2 seconds. It almost always scares the heck out of me, especially when I'm using headphones!
My mate bought this for his son and I gotta say, he loves the game. Far and away his most played game on Switch.
@progx But happily! There's a new Fire Pro game that is pretty much better than anything we'll see from 2K for the forseeable future. It's a PC release, but super low specs (and it it's cheap):
http://store.steampowered.com/app/564230/Fire_Pro_Wrestling_World/
Was really looking forward to this game... Hadn't played a wrestling title since N64 and while I don't know anything about the "sport" past about 1993, I still remember how fun the games were.
I'm looking forward to what NintendoLife has to say about this update. If positive, I'll be in.
Even if I still enjoyed wrestling, which I haven't in about 20 years, i won't support 2K. There's no excuse for the busted ass crap they release, even if some of it does get fixed down the line.
@link3710 The sound cuts out on [Doom], occasionally but not constantly, after a big, loud "boom-snap" noise. Kind of a big deal if you're in the middle of a huge battle and relying on all your senses to survive - plus it actually hurts your ears when that boom snap happens. The rest of the game plays great, only had really really really bad slowdown in one section that was a short "non-battle" anyway (get sucked into a portal before completing).
But for me, the one biggest annoyance is, if you're not connected to wifi, and don't already have the game running in the background...the time from "start" to "warning no online connection detected, returning you to main menu" can be so long you think something is actually wrong with the card or the system. That's before you've even selected a mode...basically it "chokes" sometimes when it starts up and gets confused by "why no wifi, isn't this on a pc or console?", and a bunch of minutes to reorient itself. But it was my favorite gaming experience last year, so either Panic Button did a great job or the solidness of the actual game shown through a merely adequate port. Also think they could have maybe ran some filter to sharpen the graphics a little.
@MartyFlanMJFan How old is he though?
@Dang69 good point, he's only young and a big wrestling fan so I imagine he's getting more out of it than most.
@Captain_Gonru : I disagree. I think it's going to blow up in Nintendo's (and third parties) faces sooner or later. MicroSD card storage is (relatively) expensive and limited, and a 17GB download here and 24GB download there isn't just a minute fraction of the total capacity of an average MicroSD card. We're talking about half or a third of the total capacity of the average MicroSD card. Sure, there are larger cards, but they aren't available at retail and the average consumer will eventually be fed up with this practice (assuming that they have little to no problem with it now).
On top of the already high price of WWE, for example, customers are looking at coughing up an extra AU$15-$40 (depending on the cost of the microSD card) worth of MicroSD storage.
I have aleady spoken at length about how the miserliness of developers is going to backfire in a way that will leave Nintendo red-faced, especially if the Switch library balloons in the coming years, but I think you understand what I'm getting at.
@sillygostly that's only if physical releases are the primary purchasing mechanism. Personally I'd rather bring a handful of carts with me than buy a 200G SD card, but I feel like I could be in the minority.
Massive WWE fan here. Was going to wait for the Switch Version, but couldn't resist and got it on PC instead. Glad I did tbh! Hoping the switch will get a perfect WWE game soon, the N64 ones are so good
I remember you writing an article about the first update but never heard anything about the second one. Any improvements at all?
As someone that enjoys video games about move based make believe I hope this patch makes the game somewhat playable seeing I haven’t touched it since launch.
I bought it for the Xbox One X since I heard (and saw video) of how bad that version is. The X's version STILL has slowdown. I don't get it! HOW?! I think I'm done with WWE games. WWE 2K17 was WAAAY netter imo. How do you go backwards with a new game? Sigh... so frustrating😥😤
I have no interest beyond hearing if 2K can actually fix one of their messes.
I heard the patch is live now, anyone have any info?
For God's sake they could port Bioshock , but noooo, they have to go with NBA and and WWE :/
Meh... give me UFC or Boxing, a real fighting game.
@Gregnetic I’ve only played around with 1 on 1 matches and it’s better it plays smoother.I did a match with Finn vs AJ and their entrances have been sped up a bit while Finn’s is still mistimed until he gets to the turnbuckles.I’ll try some other match types later and report back my findings with the journalistic credibility you’ve come to expect from MeatSauce.
There is already reviews on youtube for the new patch.. minor improvements only... nothing good. still a crap game
Assuming this update brings the game up to scratch, I think this is one I'll pick up a few months down the line when it's on offer. Haven't been a fan of wrestling games for years - the last ones I remember liking were Wrestlemania and No Mercy on the N64, the Smackdown games on playstation were shocking in my opinion and I've not touched any of the modern iterations.
I'm not against giving these ones a go, but releasing a shoddy port on Switch isn't the way to bring me back to these games. Anyway, suffice to say if the patch doesn't fix things then they'll not get my money next year either.
I can confirm it’s made little-to-no difference! The game is still slow, the entrances are still botched and I’m more than a little annoyed at the state of play here.
For real giggles, play 1 vs 1 as 1998 Shawn Michaels vs Undertaker and go about doing the housework because it’ll still be nowhere near time to face off in the squared circle when you return to the Switch.
Risible.
@Captain_Gonru doesn't seem that stupid. Unfortunate for the consumer maybe. The success of the Switch indicates some people are willing to/don't care enough to not do it Nintendo's way.
IF the patch fixes the issues, I'll buy. If not, no ticky, no washy.
No patch showing up just yet.
But with this patch announced and a nice sale (50% off) I made the jump and bought it.
Basic 1 on 1 game looks ok, but the slowdowns need to be fixed.
Let's hope the update is the big bug fix.
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