WWE 2K Team Discusses GM Mode for Next Entry

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WWE 2K executive producer Patrick Gilmore sheds some light on the next entry's gameplay overhaul and the potential for GM Mode's inclusion.

It is no secret that WWE 2K20 was a bit of a mess. So much so, the development team is going back to the drawing board on its once annual franchise. It seems the WWE 2K team is looking at two of the most beloved wrestling games for some inspiration, as well as the possibility for bringing back GM Mode.

In a recent Reddit AMA with Patrick Gilmore, executive producer on the WWE 2K franchise, many fans asked whether the game will have GM Mode. This is perhaps the most requested feature for the WWE 2K franchise. While there are no concrete answers of the mode’s inclusion, Gilmore does give some insight on the team’s progress with potentially adding it to the next entry.

“GM Mode is one of the most requested features we get,” says Gilmore in one statement. “I can say that my message to the team was, ‘We’re not just going to trot out a mode from 2008 without bringing something new.’ Top minds are thinking about that right now.”

“As for GM Mode, it’s not lost on us that it was the top requested feature in our recent community feedback project,” says Gilmore in another statement. “We’re working on proposals/solutions internally, but they’ll need to get reviewed and approved before we move forward on development.” He concludes that the WWE 2K team will share more information in the future.

Another Reddit user asked if there would be a gameplay overhaul for the WWE 2K franchise. Gilmore states that gameplay is “one of the major investments” in the next entry. He also says the team is looking at beloved wrestling games No Mercy and SmackDown: Here Comes the Pain, as well as other wrestling and fighting games for inspiration. Here is the entire statement:

“Core gameplay is one of the major investments we’re making in the next installment—one of six pillars we are focused on disproportionately in development. We are looking at much-loved previous games like No Mercy or Smackdown: Here Comes the Pain, along with top franchise installments, and more modern wrestling and fighting games to build an all-new philosophical foundation for the game. People who hope that we holistically adopt the control scheme or philosophy from one of their favorite games are likely to be disappointed; we are trying to combine the best ideas out there into a brand new wrestling experience that sets a new standard.”