EA Set To Acquire Major Video Game Franchise From Rival Publisher

Publisher Electronic Arts is reportedly in negotiations to pick up the rights to a hugely popular video game franchise from a rival company.

EA already has a vast library of established IP, including The Sims, Battlefield, FIFA, NHL, Need For Speed, and Mass Effect. It also, somewhat infamously, acquired the exclusive rights to make and publish Star Wars games back in 2013. We all remember how that went.

According to a new report by Fightful, the overall performance of 2K Games' recently released WWE 2K22 could lead to a new deal with EA as the WWE weighs up moving the franchise to a new home.

"Multiple sources have stated that WWE has had preliminary discussions with EA about bringing the WWE Games line over to one of the top gaming publishers in the world," Fightful's report reads.

The WWE has been creating its wrestling games alongside 2K Games since the early 2010s after THQ, who originally held the license, went bankrupt. A six-year deal was signed in 2016, meaning this year's installment could well be the last one the partnership yields.

It's no secret that WWE 2K20 was widely condemned by fans and critics alike. Over on the Metacritic the game has a user score of just 1.6. I can't imagine the WWE was particularly thrilled about having its brand associated with such a reviled game. Even with WWE 2K22 so far being much better received, a change remains on the table. We just hope that EA learned its lesson with Star Wars.

It probably didn't, though.