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.

[rsl101]

Originally posted by Gretschory:

Originally posted by Zeokage:

They can only tell you about what is already known publicly and the majority of that will be here...
https://support.2k.com/hc/en-us/sections/37125075757843-WWE-2K25

There is a difference in "can only" and "will only".

You really think they cannot answer these questions or the just do not want to, to not hurt presales?
Questions I asked:
1. Is the island mode missing from the PC/Steam version? If so why?
2. Are there any other features that are considered "Next Gen" missing in the PC/Steam version? If so why?
3. Why release another Deadman edition?

I have been dealing with their support since 2k14 on Xbox. The answers are never good or satisfying or actually answering anything.
Also checking my correspondance of over 10 years with them, I realized that most of the bugs where present in every game. So yeah... it is a cash grab nothing else. I actually can afford to put money like this down the drain but most fans of WWE probably have to think twice to buy a 130 $ half baked edition with missing features. This is not about what they can do, this is about what they are willing to tell you.

Do you really think they will give you an answer why its not on pc without any official word from 2k to the public. Sounds like you're just looking for a fight and trying to ruin someones day at the support desk

[BigSpecialK]

If we're getting a downgraded version, it makes it a very easy jumping off point for the series.

[Dm7IsHere]

I'm just hoping they continue giving away the the previous game with the current game.
WWE 2K26, here I come.

[Dax_B]

If the Xbox Series S can handle the technical marvel "island" then we can definitely take off "technical specs" as the reason for why it's not on PC.

[Gretschory]

Originally posted by Dax_B:

If the Xbox Series S can handle the technical marvel "island" then we can definitely take off "technical specs" as the reason for why it's not on PC.

That is what I think, too. But we seemingly have to wait, if we get any answer.

[Kyrock]

If Island isn't on PC then I might as well get it on Console then lol

[Kanten]

Originally posted by Zeokage:

There is no official reason from 2K or the developers. That's just one of the theories.

And that just serves as an indictment of 2K and the developers.

[stav8]

Originally posted by Kyrock:

If Island isn't on PC then I might as well get it on Console then lol

I can do that, the only issue i have with that is I can't play it when i want to due to the console being on the main TV in the house

[DavidWG]

Why would anyone want this anyway?

It's your typical gamification / feudalism prepper mode: Impress "Guy XY", get stuff in return, show stuff online and feel like a proud slave aka employee for your local landlord, by doying everthing what he wants you to do.

Gotta go now. "Max is not happy" says EA WRC.

[Zeokage]

It turns out there has been an answer given from the German 2K PR team saying it is an official statement from the developers.

Due to hardware limitations presented by Gen 8 consoles and many players' PCs, we decided to focus on developing The Island experience for Gen 9 consoles, which also limits cross-gen sharing of Community Creations. We intend to explore the possibility of opening up the immersive world of The Island to PC players in future iterations of WWE 2K.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5XXRmLCW0E - Video source
https://x.com/TPWSpodcast/status/1885710722224853350 - Later clarification

[stav8]

Originally posted by Zeokage:

It turns out there has been an answer given from the German 2K PR team saying it is an official statement from the developers.

Due to hardware limitations presented by Gen 8 consoles and many players' PCs, we decided to focus on developing The Island experience for Gen 9 consoles, which also limits cross-gen sharing of Community Creations. We intend to explore the possibility of opening up the immersive world of The Island to PC players in future iterations of WWE 2K.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5XXRmLCW0E - Video source
https://x.com/TPWSpodcast/status/1885710722224853350 - Later clarification

So basically from my understanding is 2K don't want money or sales this year 👍

[ExTaZzY]

Originally posted by stav8:

Originally posted by Zeokage:

It turns out there has been an answer given from the German 2K PR team saying it is an official statement from the developers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5XXRmLCW0E - Video source
https://x.com/TPWSpodcast/status/1885710722224853350 - Later clarification

So basically from my understanding is 2K don't want money or sales this year 👍

Don't worry, the 5 people with bad PCs will gladly purchase, especially if they played 2K24

[Gretschory]

This now makes no sense.
The majority of steam users is way past the stats of a 8th generation console (Steam Hardware survey January 2025). As I stated before: Leave the island for consoles but do not make the steam version last gen.

[Zeokage]

Originally posted by Gretschory:

This now makes no sense.
The majority of steam users is way past the stats of a 8th generation console (Steam Hardware survey January 2025). As I stated before: Leave the island for consoles but do not make the steam version last gen.

My guess is that they made the decision at least a year ago, and they may need a higher percentage of people with specs closer to the 9th Gen consoles to make the jump. Also, any Steam Survey won't be specifically on the playerbase for the WWE 2K franchise.

[Kanten]

Hardware limitations my foot. Any hardware "limited" by 2K25 probably hasn't been able to run the last 3-4 entries in the series, period. Also, those systems are likely on operating systems that have been discontinued for a decade or more now, not even Windows 10 which is hitting end-of-life in less than a year. Windows 7 was discontinued from support in TWENTY TWENTY, and these are the systems that us customers need to be sabotaged for the sake of?

Follow the professional pattern and end-of-life practices in the hardware and software industries, not the random "brain feel" of an MBA that would get lost using a keyboard if he didn't have an assistant typing for him.

Absolute unprofessional bullcrap from 2K as expected.

It's clear 2K has never even *looked* at the Steam hardware survey or they would look like total idiots right now (they still do).

Put your money where your mouth is and release the game on PS3 then since not everybody has a PS4, y'know.

Originally posted by Zeokage:

Originally posted by Gretschory:

This now makes no sense.
The majority of steam users is way past the stats of a 8th generation console (Steam Hardware survey January 2025). As I stated before: Leave the island for consoles but do not make the steam version last gen.

My guess is that they made the decision at least a year ago, and they may need a higher percentage of people with specs closer to the 9th Gen consoles to make the jump. Also, any Steam Survey won't be specifically on the playerbase for the WWE 2K franchise.

Yeah, it'll only be "specifically on the playerbase" of people that use Steam, literally your customers.

Show us the carefully-conducted "WWE 2K Franchise Hardware Survey" that we're deferring to instead of empirical, publicly-available data.

The real reason is that 2K is LAZY and has no respect for paying customers. It's far easier to just lay an absolute egg of a port from outdated hardware than it is to properly optimize. Koei-Tecmo did this for YEARS and they were (rightfully) ripped to shreds for it.

Rather than going "here's an answer from a dev, let's celebrate", you should be passing it back up the chain that the customers are firmly AGAINST this crap.