Popular WWE® simulation video game experience delivers the largest playable roster in franchise history; powerful new graphics engine and notable gameplay improvements; unparalleled customization; definitive career journey; new Road to Glory Mode and more

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 13, 2017-- 2K today announced that WWE® 2K18, the newest addition to the flagship WWE video game franchise, is now available worldwide to Early Access customers for the PlayStation® computer entertainment system and Xbox One. WWE 2K18 delivers an unrivaled combination of authenticity, realism and action-packed gameplay in a simulation-based WWE video game experience, including the largest roster of WWE and NXT® Superstars in franchise history; extensive new options in Creation Suite and Universe Mode; the choice to be a Company Man or Fan Favorite in MyCAREER Mode; the franchise debut of Road to Glory Mode; as well as a host of substantial gameplay additions and enhancements, including a brand new graphics engine that brings the comprehensive WWE experience to life like never before.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171013005017/en/

2K today announced that WWE® 2K18, the newest addition to the flagship WWE video game franchise, is now available worldwide to Early Access customers for the PlayStation® computer entertainment system and Xbox One. (Graphic: Business Wire)

“With WWE 2K18, our team continued to listen to fans and critics about their wish lists for the franchise, and their passion and valuable feedback can be found throughout this year’s game,” said Greg Thomas, President at Visual Concepts. “We’re proud to introduce several new features and enhancements, including a brand new graphics engine, the debut of our new online-based Road to Glory mode and a complete commentary system overhaul. In addition, the game’s incredible roster, distinctive MyCAREER storylines, gameplay refinements and Creation Mode updates all align with our ongoing mission to deliver the most authentic and comprehensive WWE gameplay experience possible.”

WWE 2K18 feature highlights include:

• Extensive Roster: Featuring nearly 200 playable WWE and NXT Superstars and Legends, including cover Superstar Seth Rollins alongside John Cena, Brock Lesnar, AJ Styles, Alexa Bliss, Bobby Roode, Sasha Banks, Dean Ambrose, The New Day, Finn Bálor, Jinder Mahal, The Miz, No Way Jose, SAnitY, Undertaker, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Andre the Giant and many more, WWE 2K18 delivers the largest roster in WWE games history;
• Kurt Angle: Consumers who pre-ordered WWE 2K18 at any participating retailer received two playable characters of WWE Hall of Famer, decorated Olympian and current Raw General Manager, Kurt Angle, at no extra cost:
  • WWE “American Hero” persona (2001);
  • ECW® “Wrestling Machine” persona (2006).
• Gameplay Enhancements: WWE 2K18 continues refining the simulation gameplay experience that sits at the franchise’s core. Mayhem arrives in the form of improved eight-person matches, a new carry and drag system, thousands of new animations and more – all complemented by a brand new graphics engine that delivers spectacular lighting, more realistic skin and new camera effects to ensure everyone’s favorite WWE personalities, crowds and arenas look their best;
• Creation Suite: WWE 2K18’s world-class Creation Suite delivers greater control for players to customize, build and share their own unique WWE Superstars, Arenas, Entrances and more. Highlights include new body types, face templates and menu poses; new hairstyles, scars, teeth, tattoo branding techniques and clothing materials; improved logo mapping, stitch patterns and highlight reel creations; the ability to preview lighting scenarios; Create-a-Show, featuring a fun 8-bit filter option; custom match types and much more;
• MyCAREER Mode: The franchise’s career-driven journey focuses on telling a compelling story through self-created WWE Superstars (a.k.a. MyPLAYERs) as they explore two different paths en route to a WrestleMania moment and beyond: the Company Man and the Fan Favorite. A new free-roaming backstage area provides a more experiential scenario, as players spend more time interacting with fellow WWE Superstars and supporting personnel to explore their personalities, receive side quests, conduct or ambush interviews, change match cards and more. Players will also see MyCAREER updates to the mode’s Promo Generator, as well as Invasions;
• Universe Mode: WWE 2K18 introduces two types of rivalry scenarios – Potential Rivalries and Active Rivalries – along with a color-coded Intensity Meter to guide what’s likely to happen between opposing rivals in any situation. Rivalries and storylines now see better flow to align with WWE’s real-life pay-per-view events, while new Power Rankings, Goals and Match Types add more depth throughout the experience;
• Road to Glory: Making its WWE 2K18 debut, Road to Glory is a completely new online experience where MyPLAYERs from all over the world battle against one another. Players can compete daily in a variety of match types to earn stars, boosts, Superstar parts and virtual currency. In addition, by increasing their levels, players can further customize their MyPLAYERs to gain the advantage over others. Overall, players are encouraged to see if they have what it takes to secure entry into pay-per-view events and defeat their favorite WWE Superstars to earn special rewards;
• Commentary: Featuring the debut trio of Michael Cole, Byron Saxton and Corey Graves at the commentary table, a WWE 2K game has never sounded better. Improved crowd sounds, including the addition of authentic crowd chants, bring WWE 2K18 closer than ever to what fans see every week on WWE television and at live events;
• Soundtrack: Executive produced and personally curated by legendary WWE Superstar and global entertainment icon Dwayne “The Rock®” Johnson, the WWE 2K18 soundtrack features 11 unique songs representing many of Johnson’s favorite artists and music genres, including:
  • Blues Brothers – “Soul Man”;
  • Boston – “Smokin’”;
  • Bruno Mars – “Runaway Baby”;
  • Disturbed – “Down With The Sickness”;
  • Eazy-E – “Boyz-N-The Hood”;
  • George Thorogood & The Destroyers – “One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer”;
  • Joe Walsh – “Rocky Mountain Way”;
  • Kanye West – “Black Skinhead”;
  • Kid Rock – “You Never Met a White Boy Quite Like Me”;
  • ¡MAYDAY! (feat. Tech N9ne) – “Last One Standing”;
  • Tech N9ne (feat. Krizz Kaliko, Serj Tankian) – “Straight Out The Gate”.

• Downloadable Content*: WWE 2K18 downloadable content offerings will include the following items and be available for purchase on the PlayStation™Network for the PS4™ system, Xbox Live online entertainment network from Microsoft for Xbox One, Nintendo eShop on Nintendo Switch™ and Steam for Windows PC:
  • Accelerator
    • Players will gain access to all unlockable content available at launch in the game’s VC Purchasable section (excluding downloadable content);
    • Players can also decide the overall rankings and attribute levels for all playable characters throughout the life of the product;
    • The Accelerator will be available for $4.99.
  • Enduring Icons Pack
    • Playable WWE Superstars: The Hardy Boyz;
    • Playable WWE Hall of Famers: Beth Phoenix and The Rock ‘n’ Roll Express;
    • The Enduring Icons Pack will be available for $9.99.
  • MyPLAYER Kick Start
    • Players will be able to unlock and boost MyPLAYER ratings and attributes via a 50,000 virtual currency starting bonus;
    • Players will begin with 10 additional Attribute Points for MyPLAYER and can boost any Attribute tower by 10 points or spread the upgrades throughout multiple Attribute towers;
    • MyPLAYER Kick Start will be available for $9.99.
  • New Moves Pack
    • Explore a wide variety of new in-game moves, including the Tie Breaker (made popular by WWE Superstar Tye Dillinger); the Crash Landing (made popular by NXT Superstar Kassius Ohno); the Pumphandle Death Valley Driver (made popular by NXT Superstar Akam); and the Swinging Sleeper Slam (made popular by WWE Hall of Famer Diamond Dallas Page).
    • The New Moves Pack will be available for $3.99.
  • NXT Generation Pack
    • Playable WWE and NXT Superstars: Aleister Black, Drew McIntyre, Elias, Lars Sullivan and Ruby Riot;
    • The NXT Generation Pack will be available for $9.99.
• Season Pass*: Players may purchase select WWE 2K18 downloadable content at a reduced price point through the game’s Season Pass. For $29.99, a savings of more than 20 percent versus individual content purchases, players will receive the following items as they become available:
  • Accelerator;
  • Enduring Icons Pack;
  • MyPLAYER Kick Start;
  • New Moves Pack;
  • NXT Generation Pack.

* PlayStation™Network, Xbox Live, Nintendo Account or Steam account and Internet connection required. Copy of WWE 2K18 required to play.

Developed collaboratively by Yuke’s and Visual Concepts, a 2K studio, WWE 2K18 is rated “T” for Teen by the ESRB. WWE 2K18 is available now worldwide for the PS4™ system and Xbox One, as well as on October 17, 2017 for Windows PC and in Fall 2017 for Nintendo Switch. For more information on WWE 2K18 and 2K, visit wwe.2k.com, become a fan on Facebook, follow the game on Twitter and Instagram using the hashtags #WWE2K18 and #BLN1 or subscribe on YouTube.

2K is a wholly owned publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO).

Nintendo Switch is a trademark of Nintendo. ©2017 Nintendo

All trademarks and copyrights contained herein are the property of their respective holders.

About WWE

WWE, a publicly traded company (NYSE: WWE), is an integrated media organization and recognized leader in global entertainment. The Company consists of a portfolio of businesses that create and deliver original content 52 weeks a year to a global audience. WWE is committed to family friendly entertainment on its television programming, pay-per-view, digital media and publishing platforms. WWE programming reaches more than 650 million homes worldwide in 20 languages. WWE Network, the first-ever 24/7 over-the-top premium network that includes all live pay-per-views, scheduled programming and a massive video-on-demand library, is now available in almost all international markets other than the People’s Republic of China and embargoed countries. The Company is headquartered in Stamford, Conn., with offices in New York, Los Angeles, London, Mexico City, Mumbai, Shanghai, Singapore, Dubai, Munich and Tokyo.

Additional information on WWE (NYSE: WWE) can be found at wwe.com and corporate.wwe.com. For information on our global activities, go to http://www.wwe.com/worldwide/.

Trademarks: All WWE programming, talent names, images, likenesses, slogans, wrestling moves, trademarks, logos and copyrights are the exclusive property of WWE and its subsidiaries. All other trademarks, logos and copyrights are the property of their respective owners.

Forward-Looking Statements: This press release contains forward-looking statements pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which are subject to various risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, risks relating to: WWE Network (including the risk that we are unable to attract, retain and renew subscribers); major distribution agreements; our need to continue to develop creative and entertaining programs and events; the possibility of a decline in the popularity of our brand of sports entertainment; the continued importance of key performers and the services of Vincent K. McMahon; possible adverse changes in the regulatory atmosphere and related private sector initiatives; the highly competitive, rapidly changing and increasingly fragmented nature of the markets in which we operate and greater financial resources or marketplace presence of many of our competitors; uncertainties associated with international markets; our difficulty or inability to promote and conduct our live events and/or other businesses if we do not comply with applicable regulations; our dependence on our intellectual property rights, our need to protect those rights, and the risks of our infringement of others’ intellectual property rights; the complexity of our rights agreements across distribution mechanisms and geographical areas; potential substantial liability in the event of accidents or injuries occurring during our physically demanding events including, without limitation, claims relating to CTE; large public events as well as travel to and from such events; our feature film business; our expansion into new or complementary businesses and/or strategic investments; our computer systems and online operations; privacy norms and regulations; a possible decline in general economic conditions and disruption in financial markets; our accounts receivable; our indebtedness; litigation; our potential failure to meet market expectations for our financial performance, which could adversely affect our stock; Vincent K. McMahon exercises control over our affairs, and his interests may conflict with the holders of our Class A common stock; a substantial number of shares are eligible for sale by the McMahons and the sale, or the perception of possible sales, of those shares could lower our stock price; and the relatively small public “float” of our Class A common stock. In addition, our dividend is dependent on a number of factors, including, among other things, our liquidity and historical and projected cash flow, strategic plan (including alternative uses of capital), our financial results and condition, contractual and legal restrictions on the payment of dividends (including under our revolving credit facility), general economic and competitive conditions and such other factors as our Board of Directors may consider relevant. Forward-looking statements made by the Company speak only as of the date made and are subject to change without any obligation on the part of the Company to update or revise them. Undue reliance should not be placed on these statements. For more information about risks and uncertainties associated with the Company’s business, please refer to the “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and “Risk Factors” sections of the Company’s SEC filings, including, but not limited to, our annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q.

About Take-Two Interactive Software

Headquartered in New York City, Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. is a leading developer, publisher and marketer of interactive entertainment for consumers around the globe. The Company develops and publishes products principally through its two wholly-owned labels Rockstar Games and 2K. Our products are designed for console systems and personal computers, including smartphones and tablets, and are delivered through physical retail, digital download, online platforms and cloud streaming services. The Company’s common stock is publicly traded on NASDAQ under the symbol TTWO. For more corporate and product information please visit our website at http://www.take2games.com.

About 2K

Founded in 2005, 2K develops and publishes interactive entertainment globally for console systems, handheld gaming systems and personal computers, including smartphones and tablets, which are delivered through physical retail, digital download, online platforms and cloud streaming services. 2K publishes titles in today’s most popular gaming genres, including shooters, action, role-playing, strategy, sports, casual, and family entertainment. The 2K label has some of the most talented development studios in the world today, including Firaxis Games, Visual Concepts, Hangar 13, Cat Daddy Games and 2K China. 2K’s stable of high quality titles includes the critically acclaimed BioShock®, Borderlands™, Mafia, and XCOM® franchises, the beloved Sid Meier’s Civilization series, Evolve™, Battleborn®, the popular WWE 2K franchise and NBA 2K, highest rated* annual sports title of this console generation. 2K is headquartered in Novato, California and is a wholly owned label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO). For more information, please visit www.2k.com.

*According to 2008 - 2017 Metacritic.com

All trademarks and copyrights contained herein are the property of their respective holders.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

The statements contained herein which are not historical facts are considered forward-looking statements under federal securities laws and may be identified by words such as "anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "expects," "intends," "plans," "potential," "predicts," "projects," "seeks," “should,” "will," or words of similar meaning and include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the outlook for the Company's future business and financial performance. Such forward-looking statements are based on the current beliefs of our management as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to them, which are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict. Actual outcomes and results may vary materially from these forward-looking statements based on a variety of risks and uncertainties including: our dependence on key management and product development personnel, our dependence on our Grand Theft Auto products and our ability to develop other hit titles, the timely release and significant market acceptance of our games, the ability to maintain acceptable pricing levels on our games, and risks associated with international operations. Other important factors and information are contained in the Company's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, including the risks summarized in the section entitled "Risk Factors," the Company’s most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, and the Company's other periodic filings with the SEC, which can be accessed at www.take2games.com. All forward-looking statements are qualified by these cautionary statements and apply only as of the date they are made. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171013005017/en/

Source: Take-Two Interactive

2K Jaime Jensen, 415-507-7910 jaime.jensen@2k.com or Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. Alan Lewis, 646-536-2983 (Corporate Press) alan.lewis@take2games.com or Access for 2K Josh Kaplan, 415-844-6214 joshk@accesstheagency.com or WWE Matthew Altman, 203-352-1177 matthew.altman@wwecorp.com