WWE 2K20 is a bugfest that probably can't be fixed

Game developer Visual Concepts is facing extreme backlash from fans over issues in WWE 2K20. The developer has vast experience making sports games spanning all the way back to 1989, when the studio first launched. Visual Concepts is well known for the NBA 2K franchise, which has dominated the basketball video game scene for the better part of a decade.

Unlike their annual NBA 2K titles that are always released to critical acclaim, the latest instalment of the WWE 2K franchise is quite the opposite. It has been universally slammed from all corners of the industry, with the game's poor graphics becoming a punchline online.

This is Visual Concepts' first solo effort in the WWE franchise. It was a co-developer with Yuke’s since WWE 2K14, when parent Take 2 took control of  the franchise.

Yuke’s left the franchise after frustrations with 2K Sports and their lack of interest in taking big leaps with the franchise to keep it fresh. Yuke’s producer Hiromi Furuta revealed earlier in the year that the studio had established a new development team tasked with creating a wrestling game franchise to rival WWE 2K. Furata said that part of the goal was also to reinvigorating Yuke's staff members.

Thousands of fans have been asking for refunds, with Twitter exploding with funny captures and complaints about all the bugs in the game. Some have expressed doubts that the game can be fixed via patches and suggested that WWE 2K20 should be "recalled", like EA did with NBA Elite back in 2011.

The hashtag #FixWWE2K20 is trending on Twitter to draw attention to all the bugs in the game.

The big question raised in this current climate of game development is whether Visual Concepts was given too short a time to develop a WWE game on their own? How did this title pass quality assurance?

Let's hope Visual Concepts can fix the game, or otherwise pull it and refund everyone who bought it.