Layoffs have reportedly hit the video game industry once again, as Visual Concepts, the longtime developer of 2K sports titles WWE 2K and NBA 2K, has been hit with an unknown number of layoffs, according to a new report from Insider Gaming. More specifically, the layoffs are said to have hit the teams working on WWE games the hardest.
The layoffs come less than three months after the release of WWE 2K26 on consoles, and just months after the highly anticipated release of Grand Theft Auto 6, a title under the Take-Two umbrella name.
Following this, Mike Straw, a well-known Insider Gaming insider, stated that the Ringside Pass format was a “disaster” that led to finger-pointing among developers.
The Ringside Pass, a new introduction for WWE 2K26, was a controversial feature that ended up being restructured after backlash.
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To state, historically speaking, WWE 2K games have used a Season Pass model, with players gaining access to all the content they paid for when it was released. Similarly, those with the “Deluxe” or “Ultimate” editions are often granted an “Accelerator” upgrade that instantly unlocks any unlockable or grindable content.
However, 2K26 removed this in favor of the Ringside Pass, a Battle Pass system that would only give players access to the DLC they paid for. AFTER they grinded on it.
The players were of course upset. Elsewhere, others have started using the game to try and find the easiest way to meet the necessary requirements for content they've already paid for.
However, 2K fixed this method and also reworked some of the Ringside Pass at the same time to better meet the players. Things didn't get much better when the developer accused players of trying to circumvent the system.
Now all DLC characters are unlocked at the start. However, in the eyes of most fans, the damage was already done, spoiling what was otherwise WWE's best match since the old days of SmackDown vs. Raw.
Flash forward just a few weeks and some of its developers are reportedly out of a job.
- Released
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March 12, 2026
- ESRB
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Teen / Blood, Language, Obscene themes, Violence, In-game purchases (includes random items), User interaction
- Developers
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Visual concepts
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