2K quietly delists four WWE games
Knocked out.
Four WWE 2K games have been quietly removed from sale on Steam, video game sports fans have noticed.
WWE 2K17, 2K18, 2K19 and 2K20 are all now missing from the Steam store on PC, and from both the PlayStation and Microsoft stores on consoles.
The move - which Steam-tracker suggests took place just over a week ago - leaves only the franchise's more recent WWE 2K Battlegrounds and WWE 2K22 on sale (thanks, PC Gamer).
2K has delisted various other, older sports titles in the past, though has typically warned when this would occur.
This time around, 2K simply said it would be switching off the game's online servers for affected games, rather than pulling them from sale entirely.
"On 30th June, 2022 it will be time for the WWE 2K20 servers to take their retirement and stop online services," 2K warned in a brief customer support post, two months ago.
"This includes all online functions, such as online matches and Community Creations. You will no longer be able to access any online game mode after this point, however if you already own the game you will be able to continue to play offline modes."
Eurogamer has contacted 2K for more.
Several of these games remain noteworthy for marking the shift in the series' developer, which took place after WWE 2K19. That entry was the last to be developed by series stalwart Yuke's before it was replaced.
Memorably, WWE 2K20 was made by support studio Visual Concepts, and released in such a widely-ridiculed state that the annual franchise had to skip a year in order to recover. Its return, with WWE 2K22, received warmer reviews.
Yuke's, meanwhile, has announced its own comeback. The Japanese team is now developing a game for WWE's rival, titled AEW Fight Forever.