WWE 2K Is Skipping 2020 [Update: 2K Says More Details Coming Next Week]

If you’re still holding your breath for WWE 2K21 this year, exhale. WWE has announced that 2K Games will not be releasing a new installment of their annual wrestling series in 2020.

During a call with investors, WWE interim chief financial officer Frank Riddick responded to a question about the release of WWE 2K21 by saying “there’s not going to be a launch of a game this year.” No further details were provided, but Kotaku has contacted 2K Games for comment.

Update (04/24/20, 12:42 pm ET): In an email to Kotaku, a 2K rep said the company will be “sharing details on the future of the WWE 2K franchise as well as some exciting news” next Monday at 10 am ET.

It feels like WWE 2K has been on its last legs for some time. The series never quite lived up to the standards established by classic wrestling games like 2000’s WWF No Mercy. Last year’s release, WWE 2K20, saw the series’ longtime developer Yuke’s replaced by Visual Concepts. The end product was an absolute mess, riddled with bugs and missing several features that fans have come to expect from the wrestling simulator.

The news of WWE 2K21’s demise comes hot on the heels of rumors from earlier this month. Justin Leeper, a former developer on the WWE SmackDown! vs. RAW series, alleged in an April 11 video that the next installment of WWE 2K had been canceled behind the scenes.

WWE 2K has been a fixture in the gaming calendar stretching all the way back to 2000's WWF SmackDown! for the PlayStation 2. 2K Games assumed publishing rights after THQ’s dissolution in 2013, and since then has consistently released a new game every year.