2K Games chokes out another WWE game just 2 years after launch

WWE 2K24 is about to get the Gunther treatment, which is to say that 2K Games is going to mercilessly choke it out: As noted by Delisted Games, the Steam page for the rasslin' game that was released less than two years ago—on March 8, 2024—says it will be removed from sale on February 1, 2026, and will lose all offline functionality on March 31.

That might seem like an awfully short window of existence for a major, mainstream videogame, but believe it or not the server shutdown date is actually an extension: WWE 2K24's online features were originally set to be killed on January 5. It's also a fairly standard period of full functionality for 2K's WWE games. WWE 2K23 servers took a piledriver in January 2025, 2K22 servers ate an RKO in '24, and four pre-2K21 games were put through tables at the same time in 2022.

Players can take some comfort in the fact that offline modes will continue to work as usual, so this isn't a Crew-like situation where the game will be rendered completely unplayable. It still sucks, though, because it's such an obvious, naked effort to push players to shell out for annual releases: If you're having fun playing online with your friends, you're going to have to keep paying for it.

And look, I know, it costs money to keep servers up and running, and at some point a game's player numbers just don't justify that ongoing expense. WWE 2K24 certainly seems to be at that point, with just 188 people playing on Steam right now—not exactly a vital and thriving audience. But that, I think, inevitably leads to another question: With all due respect to WWE fans who are happy to pay for a new game every year, but do we really need a new WWE game every year?

The answer, for now at least, is clearly "yes." And don't expect the pace of release-and-retirement to ease up anytime soon: 2K has already slated the end of service for the 2K25 edition for March 2027.