PC version is the 8th Gen console version this year - WWE 2K25 Edition

[Zeokage]

Originally posted by 2K:

What are the differences between the 8th and 9th Gen versions?

• The Island is only on PS5/XBS

This is the thread to discuss the next-gen version of the game sticking to 9th Gen consoles this year and not coming to PC.

Here's a personal opinion on this that a member of 2K staff provided in the past for NBA 2K as the same thing happened with that franchise:

Wanted to address the PC discussion and give some insight from a business perspective on why it takes time for sports games to make the transition on PC's vs. console. I can assure you, this isn't 'laziness', in fact, this has been the case nearly every single generation - it normally takes a few years to see this change occur. Here's a big reason why:

As much as hardcore gamers buy new consoles or super high-powered PC's, most players do not own the biggest/brightest tech out there. When looking at what gen to put on PC, you have to look at the player base, and what capabilities their hardware has from a minimum spec perspective.

So let's say to run the new gen you need a much higher spec'ed PC, you may cut off 30-40% of the PC market, who is able to play the game at min-spec on older gen. Usually after new consoles come out, there's a big uptick in players improving PC's more casually, and games that have yearly iterations base decisions like this on the percentage of players on PC who meet the min spec threshold.

I know most in here are hardcore players, as are most of us, so this can be frustrating, but PC is vastly different than console, where everyone is on the same machine. Therefore, you have to base decisions on where the most amount of players can play. That's the business side of it.

Note that this is not an official statement.

[SolidBoss7]

Originally posted by armInIuS:

Originally posted by Zeokage:

I'll need to do more research on render paths, but I don't know if that's the reason for PC not getting The Island mode[...]

Im fully lost at this point.
The original employee statement sounded like yeah we have this island area with free cam movement and all which requires next gen graphic stuff yaddi yaddi pc not gonna get it.

Okay, not cool but ok. I did comment to zeokage that other games solved that using different render paths where they have a fallback for e.g. to normal AO if raytracing is not available. However core takeaway was like pc folks not big enough in this game to satisfy development costs to do so - okay not fine but respecting the business decision.

Go ahead, fridays launch. Graphic looks fantastic on PC. Great, just that 6 year old upscaler thing and missing island part.. not great but can live with it.


Play'd a KO match.

Free camera movement on pc. Ah oh wow thats cool. Free cam movement! Cool!
.... wait WHAT?!

So the game acutally has a working lighting ans shading solution for free camera movement. on PC. They just didnt port it to island area because idk ?

The core thing imho opinion is that the island probably uses some kind of newly implemented light raytracing on consoles. And they just didnt care to either port over the rt solution to pc because then at least RTX owners would have enjoyed it, Because there is too less folks with rt hw to justify.

Hm okay, but why then do not port over the AO lighting used in KO matches on PC?
That would have made the island available on PC for all users, not just those with RT. So the "to less folks with next gen hw" doesnt hold up here imho

It's really simple. The player base isn't big enough on pc to port the island over and it be worth the cost to keep the servers up. The entire premise of the Island is just like the Park in NBA 2K. To get users to spend real money on VC to upgrade their character season after season and its sustainable by the season passes they sell additionally each season.

[armInIuS]

Originally posted by SolidBoss7:

see above

Idk the point is that they actually did develop a working lighting and shading solution for free camera movement. Just pick the new backstage area (parking ground) and choose KO.

So at what point in time did they make the decision dev wise ah well lets develop a solution for pc and port it to two backstage maps but not do it for island.

Seriously, why just dont mind the backstage maps and port this stuff to island where it really matters in SP mode content wise. But somehow they decided vice versa.

It looks like they ran out of dev time to port this over to island. but my question is why did they make the decision to port a solution for a backstage map first but not for the big SP content - island. That decision i do not get.

the only two explanations, imho:

1. they ran out of dev time. they just started by testing the pc solution in a backstage map because its way less complex as the island (pure guess from me)

2. they rann out of dev time, did port it over to the backstage map to keep cross play options high and maybe provide the island on pc with a DLC once they had the time to port this over to that area. Now that would be huge middle finger to PC folks imho.

Please 2K if you read this, give it to us later for free or not at all but dont do a paid dlc for content that was provided for the same full game price on cosoles originally.

[Kanten]

Originally posted by SolidBoss7:

Originally posted by armInIuS:

Im fully lost at this point.
The original employee statement sounded like yeah we have this island area with free cam movement and all which requires next gen graphic stuff yaddi yaddi pc not gonna get it.

Okay, not cool but ok. I did comment to zeokage that other games solved that using different render paths where they have a fallback for e.g. to normal AO if raytracing is not available. However core takeaway was like pc folks not big enough in this game to satisfy development costs to do so - okay not fine but respecting the business decision.

Go ahead, fridays launch. Graphic looks fantastic on PC. Great, just that 6 year old upscaler thing and missing island part.. not great but can live with it.


Play'd a KO match.

Free camera movement on pc. Ah oh wow thats cool. Free cam movement! Cool!
.... wait WHAT?!

So the game acutally has a working lighting ans shading solution for free camera movement. on PC. They just didnt port it to island area because idk ?

The core thing imho opinion is that the island probably uses some kind of newly implemented light raytracing on consoles. And they just didnt care to either port over the rt solution to pc because then at least RTX owners would have enjoyed it, Because there is too less folks with rt hw to justify.

Hm okay, but why then do not port over the AO lighting used in KO matches on PC?
That would have made the island available on PC for all users, not just those with RT. So the "to less folks with next gen hw" doesnt hold up here imho

It's really simple. The player base isn't big enough on pc to port the island over and it be worth the cost to keep the servers up. The entire premise of the Island is just like the Park in NBA 2K. To get users to spend real money on VC to upgrade their character season after season and its sustainable by the season passes they sell additionally each season.

It's the same servers.

[Dax_B]

Originally posted by SolidBoss7:

It's really simple. The player base isn't big enough on pc to port the island over and it be worth the cost to keep the servers up. The entire premise of the Island is just like the Park in NBA 2K. To get users to spend real money on VC to upgrade their character season after season and its sustainable by the season passes they sell additionally each season.

That makes no sense. How does crossplay even work if we are all on separate platform servers?

[Kruegerrunt]

this is the next gen version but without the island and only able to use pass gen community creation. THE ISLAND PRE ORDER BONUS ITEMS ARE IN THE GAME YOU CANT USE THEM BECAUSE YOU NEED TO PLAY THE ISLAND MODE TO CLAIM THEM!

[Erbil]

nice

[Jjustice]

How long before yall do next gen on PC?
How many damn games?
This is just so disgusting.

[Leaf]

So, is the island on the Steam version or not? My game is still downloading. Not that the feature is one I care about.

[SolidBoss7]

Originally posted by Jjustice:

How long before yall do next gen on PC?
How many damn games?
This is just so disgusting.

WWE has been next gen on PC since 2k22 or 2k23, whenever they got the engine upgrade, and its had feature parity with the current gen consoles this entire time until now, where the Island is missing. All other gameplay features are the same as current gen. Also, as I've mentioned somewhere else, the island truly is an obvious cash grab for people who like to spend real money on fake clothing etc. If you expected the island then the pc version is not for you. I would however like to see cross play with current gen console.

[Kruegerrunt]

Originally posted by Leaf:

So, is the island on the Steam version or not? My game is still downloading. Not that the feature is one I care about.

The island is not on steam but the pre order bonus for the island still show up in create a wrestler if you get the deadman or bloodline edition. The issue is that you cant use them becuases you get them by going into the island mode. but since there is no island mode those items are unattainable. So you get to see them but not use them.

[Crustacean]

Originally posted by nike23:

Originally posted by SolidBoss7:

The only thing missing from this version of the game is the island. All other gameplay mechanics and features are intact and the same as current gen consoles.

Not true you are locked to LAST GEN FEATURES and mechanics including a much smaller user base and CAW pool. Whatever the xb1 and ps4 have is what you will get. They dont make a last gen, next gen, pc gen, its either last gen and current gen...considering you can only cross play and have access to last gen CAW that means this is a last gen title on PC!!!

no, the only missing feature is the island. thats literally it.
not being able to download ps5 CAWS is not a game engine limitation and is not a qualifier for "last gen"
smaller user base isnt a "feature" either.
the only FEATURE difference is the island.

[Kanten]

Originally posted by Kruegerrunt:

Originally posted by Leaf:

So, is the island on the Steam version or not? My game is still downloading. Not that the feature is one I care about.

The island is not on steam but the pre order bonus for the island still show up in create a wrestler if you get the deadman or bloodline edition. The issue is that you cant use them becuases you get them by going into the island mode. but since there is no island mode those items are unattainable. So you get to see them but not use them.

2K also has The Island being advertised in the trailers on the Steam store page so, yeah, kind of mishandled all around.

[nike23]

Originally posted by Crustacean:

Originally posted by nike23:

Not true you are locked to LAST GEN FEATURES and mechanics including a much smaller user base and CAW pool. Whatever the xb1 and ps4 have is what you will get. They dont make a last gen, next gen, pc gen, its either last gen and current gen...considering you can only cross play and have access to last gen CAW that means this is a last gen title on PC!!!

no, the only missing feature is the island. thats literally it.
not being able to download ps5 CAWS is not a game engine limitation and is not a qualifier for "last gen"
smaller user base isnt a "feature" either.
the only FEATURE difference is the island.

Word it how you want, its last gen if you can only access last gen FEATURES of online and CC's those are features of the game and is a huge cut in player base. Plain cut and dry simple....which version of the game can you play with and are compatable with? LAST GEN very simple.

[DestroShade]

Originally posted by SolidBoss7:

Originally posted by Jjustice:

How long before yall do next gen on PC?
How many damn games?
This is just so disgusting.

WWE has been next gen on PC since 2k22 or 2k23, whenever they got the engine upgrade, and its had feature parity with the current gen consoles this entire time until now, where the Island is missing. All other gameplay features are the same as current gen. Also, as I've mentioned somewhere else, the island truly is an obvious cash grab for people who like to spend real money on fake clothing etc. If you expected the island then the pc version is not for you. I would however like to see cross play with current gen console.

the island is not just a cash grab they locked stuff behind playing it making it more then a cash grab

[RobotMan #08]

Originally posted by DestroShade:

Originally posted by SolidBoss7:

WWE has been next gen on PC since 2k22 or 2k23, whenever they got the engine upgrade, and its had feature parity with the current gen consoles this entire time until now, where the Island is missing. All other gameplay features are the same as current gen. Also, as I've mentioned somewhere else, the island truly is an obvious cash grab for people who like to spend real money on fake clothing etc. If you expected the island then the pc version is not for you. I would however like to see cross play with current gen console.

the island is not just a cash grab they locked stuff behind playing it making it more then a cash grab

Last I heard was you can't even edit the colors of the parts and items that are available on the Island. Doesn't seem like a lot of thought went into the mode.