WWE 2K22 executive producer announces he is moving on from the company
WWE 2K22 Executive Producer Patrick Gilmore has announced that he will be leaving 2K games.
Having been brought in to lead the series after the disaster that was 2K20, Gilmore led the struggling franchise to commercial and critical success. Vince McMahon's company even made a point of highlighting the success of 2K22 in their conference calls.
Gilmore is a 27 year veteran in the gaming industry, having previously worked on popular games like Disney's Aladdin, Super Mario Bros. 3, and the Medal of Honor series. He announced his departure from the company and the series on Twitter.
"Soon, I begin a new adventure. Working on WWE2K has been spectacular and fulfilling, thanks to the incredible dev team, supportive leaders at Visual Concepts and 2K, and especially the amazing and passionate 2K22 community. Thank you all! Now, my watch has ended." tweeted Patrick Gilmore
Soon, I begin a new adventure. Working on WWE2K has been spectacular and fulfilling, thanks to the incredible #WWE2Kdev team, supportive leaders at Visual Concepts and 2K, and especially the amazing and passionate #WWE2K22 community. Thank you all! Now, my watch has ended. https://t.co/GcRebJQ5kp
It has also been reported that Bryan Williams, senior designer at Yuke's, who is working on AEW's console game Fight Forever, has left to return to 2K games. He is expected to be involved in the development of the upcoming game in the series, 2K23.
WWE reportedly negotiating with another company to produce its annual games, and its none other than EA.
After the disastrous response to their last few video games, Fightful Select reports #WWE’s met with EA Sports about their next licensing deal. #WWE2K22 is the final release as part of their contract with 2K and Take Two Interactive, and it’s seen as “make or break” for the (1/2)
WWE might be looking towards Electronic Arts (EA) to produce its annual gaming franchise.
It was reported by Fightful Select earlier this year that the company signed a six-year deal with 2K in 2016, which comes to an end in 2022. However, it was stated that the success or failure of 2K22 would determine the future of the two's partnership. Suffice it to say. the game has been a commercial and critical hit. Despite this, rumors of EA's involvement in future games haven't gone away.
EA is quite familiar with annual sports franchises, as it produces the FIFA and Madden games. The company even has experience in combat sports, producing the UFC video games. However, the company has been criticized for its practice of in-game microtransaction over the past decade.
Despite WWE 2K22 (with Rey Mysterio on its cover) being an outright success, the future of the company's video games remains uncertain. It will be interesting to see how the series develops moving forward.