WWE 2K BATTLEGROUNDS

WWE 2K Battlegrounds is an interesting distraction that wants to appeal to everyone, but will have trouble keeping a headlock on anyone for too long.

55%Game Brain Score

gameplay, story

monetization, grinding

53% User Score Based on 673 reviews

Critic Score 57%Based on 28 reviews

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About

WWE 2K BATTLEGROUNDS is a single player and multiplayer arcade sport game. It was developed by Saber Interactive and was released on September 17, 2020. It received neutral reviews from both critics and players.

WWE 2K Battlegrounds is an arcade-style wrestling game featuring overstuffed characters and exaggerated moves. It offers a variety of match types, arenas, and a character creator. The game features a roster of WWE superstars and legends, but some popular figures are missing. It's a fun and casual alternative to the more simulation-based WWE 2K games.

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53%

Audience ScoreBased on 673 reviews

gameplay26 positive mentions

monetization19 negative mentions

The game offers a fun, arcade-style wrestling experience that is easy to pick up and play, making it enjoyable for casual gamers.
The character roster is extensive, featuring both current superstars and legends, which adds variety to gameplay.
The comic book-style storytelling in the campaign mode provides a unique and entertaining narrative experience.

Many characters and customization options are locked behind a paywall or require extensive grinding, which can be frustrating for players.
The gameplay can become repetitive quickly due to limited move sets and similar mechanics across different characters.
The online multiplayer experience is often plagued by connectivity issues and a lack of players, making it difficult to find matches.

gameplay
93 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
58%
14%
The gameplay of WWE 2K Battlegrounds is characterized by its arcade-style mechanics, which are easy to learn and provide a fun, chaotic experience, especially in local multiplayer settings. However, many reviewers criticize the gameplay for being shallow and repetitive, with limited move variety and a grindy progression system that detracts from long-term enjoyment. While the game offers colorful characters and customization options, the overall mechanics feel simplified and can lead to a lack of depth, making it difficult to justify its value.
- “Fun arcade-style gameplay, easy to learn controls, and cartoon graphics.”
- “WWE 2K Battlegrounds is a welcome spin-off for the franchise, giving it the extravagant, over-the-top, enjoyable gameplay that captures and magnifies WWE’s best aspects.”
- “There’s a fun arcade fighting experience to be had, especially when it comes to local multiplayer where the shallow nature of the gameplay is less obvious.”
- “The gameplay is considerably dumbed down, the visual style is ugly and it is heavily monetized; would not recommend it.”
- “Gameplay is monotonous; all characters in a class feel the same aside from finishers, story mode is mediocre, and PC controls are absolutely awful.”
- “With baffling modes and gameplay that doesn't ever need to extend past single button bashing, it really highlights how 2K have gone for the cash grab and decided a mobile game may reach a wider audience on consoles.”
story
83 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
62%
13%
The game's story is presented in a comic book style, which some players find charming, while others criticize it for being linear and lacking depth. The narrative revolves around a simplistic plot involving wrestling recruitment, with mixed reviews on its humor and engagement level. Overall, while the comic presentation is appreciated by some, many players feel the story is repetitive, grindy, and fails to resonate with the actual WWE environment.
- “The campaign story is very comical, yet it's well-crafted.”
- “The story plays out like a comic book.”
- “Although the story was cheesy at times, I felt that it was still pretty enjoyable.”
- “To add insult to injury, the so-called story mode is a complete joke - it's painfully linear.”
- “The story mode is boring.”
- “The menus, the graphics, the mechanics, the lazy story pushed forward by awful comic book pages, it literally feels like EA made a lazy freemium Android game, then actually had the balls to try to sell it for $40.”
graphics
58 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
67%
5%
The graphics of the game are characterized by a cartoonish art style with exaggerated character models and vibrant colors, which some players find charming and fun, while others consider it overly simplistic or unattractive. While the visuals capture an arcade aesthetic and appeal to a younger audience, opinions vary widely, with some reviewers expressing disappointment in the graphics quality compared to expectations for a 2020 release. Overall, the graphics are seen as a mixed bag, offering a playful vibe but lacking depth and polish.
- “Visually, the battlegrounds nail the arcade aesthetic—bold colors, ridiculous effects, and larger-than-life animations.”
- “Getting into the ring with the biggest stars has an undeniable appeal, which is made even more bearable by the charm of the cartoon-like graphics and the playfully presented violence.”
- “If you love arcady/cartoony graphics and enjoy great gameplay, then stop reading reviews and buy this game.”
- “The graphics are too cartoony (personal preference) and the movesets for all wrestlers are too similar.”
- “Looks like a cheap mobile game, I was expecting this to be a sequel to the WWE All-Stars game but it is so basic, the graphics are something you'd expect from 2012 and cheaply made and rushed.”
- “I'm generally pretty forgiving when it comes to graphics and art design but it all looked very generic.”
monetization
56 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
5%
61%
34%
The monetization model in this game has been widely criticized for being predatory, with a significant amount of content locked behind microtransactions and a grind-heavy progression system. Players report that many characters and customization options require either extensive grinding or real-money purchases, leading to perceptions of the game as a cash grab. Overall, the intrusive microtransactions detract from the gameplay experience, making it feel more like a money-making scheme than a well-crafted title.
- “The game is a lot of fun, a bit repetitive with the moves but fun. Online was enjoyable, the story mode is okay, and the character build is good. However, many players and extra skins are locked behind microtransactions, so you are kind of forced into spending more money than the already £34.99 or £44.99 for the deluxe edition.”
- “Despite the core gameplay being quite solid, a lot of the content is locked behind microtransactions and grinding away at matches.”
- “Yes, but in its entirety, despite microtransactions, the game is super fun with friends and it's just wacky enough that you don't really notice the basic movesets and other minor flaws regarding AI.”
- “But it's very obvious that players were encouraged to buy in-game currency to unlock wrestlers or cosmetics, many of which are otherwise locked behind monotonous campaign grinding to obtain those 'blue bucks.' You can plainly see this game was conceived as a cash grab: the in-game shop’s description still says 'purchase animations and clothes for your wrestlers' although the cash shop is empty now beyond just purchasing 'blue bucks' with real money.”
- “Almost all characters and customization options are locked behind microtransactions, even if you buy the deluxe version.”
- “This feels like it was a cash grab, it's got no love put into it. Honestly, this should have been a free-to-play game; it's much worse than WWE 2K20.”
grinding
33 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
3%
3%
94%
The game features a heavily grindy progression system that locks a significant amount of content, including wrestlers and customization options, behind tedious gameplay or microtransactions. While some players find the grind manageable, many express frustration over the time required to unlock everything, leading to a perception of the game as a cash grab. Overall, the grind detracts from the fun and replay value, making it a barrier for those seeking a more enjoyable experience.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “A cash shop still offers exchanges of real money for in-game currency (blue bucks) to expedite unlocks to skip how grindy the game is.”
- “Earning in-game currency is only achievable by grinding through endless challenges and an increasingly frustrating leveling system.”
- “So much of this wrestling experience is copy and paste, from the animations, to the move-sets, to the painfully slow method of unlocking the roster and even the lack of polish that sometimes brings frame rates down to a grinding halt.”
humor
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
93%
7%
The humor in the game is widely appreciated, with players enjoying its funny fight mechanics, creative move-sets, and entertaining animations, particularly in multiplayer settings. Many find the wrestling antics and character interactions amusing, although some critiques mention a lack of variation in soundtrack and certain gameplay elements. Overall, the game is described as a lighthearted and fun experience, especially when played with friends.
- “The combination of punchy sound design (pun intended), super creative move sets, mesmerizing animations, and ever-hilarious stun-locks transitioning into suplex city is exactly what I need to truly have fun in a wrestling video game.”
- “Kinda a funny version of an iconic genre.”
- “Not much variation in soundtrack, but it is funny to watch the entrances and see them copy the wrestlers' mannerisms.”
- “Not funny at all.”
music
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
58%
21%
The music in the game has been criticized for being generic and repetitive, particularly the main menu track, which many find annoying. While some users appreciate the inclusion of popular WWE theme songs, the overall soundtrack is described as lacking variation and often cringe-inducing, primarily featuring a style associated with WWE. However, players do have the option to turn off the music in settings if desired.
- “The sound is phenomenal, and the inclusion of many of our favorite WWE theme songs in the game adds a nostalgic touch.”
- “I like rock, but the music in this game has that unique style we all associate with WWE, even if it's hard to pinpoint.”
- “The satisfying personal moveset and intro music for every wrestler is a great feature that enhances the overall experience.”
- “The music is generic, but it keeps the energy up.”
- “Repetitive main menu music, omg it's driving me crazy!”
- “Music is cringe-inducing, as it's mostly radio butt rock that is normally associated with the brand, which came as no surprise.”
stability
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
91%
The game's stability is notably compromised by a significant number of glitches and bugs, with players reporting issues that can disrupt gameplay, particularly in online modes. While some find the glitches add a layer of fun reminiscent of previous titles, many others describe the experience as frustrating and unstable, with frequent crashes and lag. Overall, the game shows improvement over its predecessor, but stability remains a concern for many users.
- “As a WWE fan, I enjoy this game. It's very fun, has no glitches, and the multiplayer works amazingly. It's an improvement over 2K20 and a game that is worth $40.”
- “The game runs smoothly without any crashes, making for a seamless gaming experience.”
- “I appreciate how stable the online matches are; I haven't encountered any lag or disconnections.”
- “A little buggy but still enjoyable.”
- “The royal rumble and battleground glitches are horrible, feels like WWE 2K20 all over again.”
- “This game is really insane and fun, but there are some bugs in the game like whenever I play as Jeff Hardy, it always glitches me out of any online matches when I do any of his special moves like 'Whisper in the Wind', and sometimes the game crashes when I make Jeff do 'Whisper in the Wind'.”
replayability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
20%
60%
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players appreciate the potential for replay value despite grindiness, others find the story mode lacking and feel that the game does not offer enough content to encourage repeated play.
- “The game provides plenty of replay value, so players will always have reasons to come back, even though it might be too grindy for most people.”
- “The story mode is less than worthwhile and there is little replay value.”
- “The game is responsive, more playable than 2K20, but it definitely lacks a lot of content and things that make it a WWE game.”
- “Provide plenty of replay value so players will always have reasons to come back, even though it might be too grindy for most people.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, users report a positive experience with optimization, noting that they did not encounter any performance issues while playing the game.
- “I didn't experience any performance problems.”
- “The optimization is top-notch, allowing for smooth gameplay.”
- “The game runs flawlessly on my system, thanks to excellent optimization.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Character development in the game is criticized for its lack of depth and variety, leading to a repetitive and unengaging campaign experience. Additionally, the character designs are deemed chaotic, and the presence of monetization issues detracts from the overall enjoyment.
- “The character designs are a mess, making it hard to connect with any of the characters.”
- “The lack of variety in character development limits the game's longevity and replay value.”
- “The campaign feels repetitive and silly, which detracts from any meaningful character growth.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional response to the game is overwhelmingly negative, with one user expressing strong disappointment and a desire to avoid it in the future.

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57%Critics’ scoreBased on 28 critic reviews

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8h Median play time

8h Average play time

2-14h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 3 analyzed playthroughs

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WWE 2K BATTLEGROUNDS is a arcade sport game.

WWE 2K BATTLEGROUNDS is available on Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, PC, PlayStation 5 and others.

On average players spend around 8 hours playing WWE 2K BATTLEGROUNDS.

WWE 2K BATTLEGROUNDS was released on September 17, 2020.

WWE 2K BATTLEGROUNDS was developed by Saber Interactive.

WWE 2K BATTLEGROUNDS has received neutral reviews from both players and critics. Most players liked this game for its gameplay but disliked it for its monetization.

WWE 2K BATTLEGROUNDS is a single player game with multiplayer and local co-op support.

Similar games include WWE 2K24, WWE 2K23, WWE 2K19, Street Fighter V, WWE 2K18 and others.

WWE 2K BATTLEGROUNDS

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