As was rumored during the breakup and selloff of THQ, Take-Two Interactive, the parent company of 2K Sports, will take over the license to make WWE video games. Documents filed today in court say Take-Two, THQ and Yuke’s, the Japanese company which developed the wrestling games for THQ, have come to an agreement settling all claims.
https://kotaku.com/rumor-2k-sports-acquiring-wwe-license-in-thq-aftermath-30759799
Though it is vague as to what role Yuke’s may play going forward, Bloomberg News reports that Take-Two will hire THQ employees to work on wrestling games, and that any prior contracts involving THQ, Yuke’s and the WWE are now terminated. The filings said THQ had owned a 14 percent stake in Yuke’s, and that had this agreement not been reached, claims by Yuke’s and the WWE against the bankrupt THQ could have been more than $60 million.
Yuke’s had developed THQ’s wrestling simulation series since 2000. It’s receiving $4.5 million to buy out THQ’s stake in the company, which was otherwise worth $20 million. The WWE was owed $45 million on a contract running through 2017; it is being paid $650,000 for any WWE games sold since THQ entered bankruptcy protection in December. The terms of its new deal with Take-Two are unknown.
Update: Comments by Take-Two to Polygon suggest that Yuke’s is being retained to develop future WWE games, but it’s still unclear if one will be published this year.
Take-Two to Take Over Development of WWE Games From THQ [Bloomberg]
