Is WWE 2K16 servers down?
As a passionate WWE and wrestling gaming fan, I was disappointed to recently learn that 2K officially discontinued online services for WWE 2K16 on May 31st, 2022 at 11:59 PM PST, as per their official announcement last year. This brings to an end over 6 years of (mostly) smooth online play for this classic wrestling title.
The Popular WWE 2K Series
For context, WWE 2K16 was the third entry in 2K‘s annual wrestling simulation franchise after they acquired the rights from THQ‘s classic SmackDown series. Launching originally in late 2015 for PlayStation 3 & 4, Xbox 360 & One, and PC – WWE 2K16 built upon the solid foundation of previous games while bringing the classic Stone Cold Steve Austin to the cover.
Overall the game was received positively by critics and fans alike thanks to its even smoother animations and gameplay inherited from the 2K NBA series, as well as a star-studded roster. However over time bugs and glitches did creep in that affected the online experience.
Why Publishers End Support for Older Games
While unfortunate, 2K‘s decision to axe WWE 2K16‘s servers is far from shocking. As online-enabled games continue to age and player bases dwindle, at some point it is no longer financially viable for publishers to keep the servers online. WWE 2K17, 18, 19 and 20 also saw their online features discontinued last year, though the latest entry WWE 2K22 remains fully supported as of early 2023.
Based on past server shutdowns, the typical lifespan tends to be between 3-5 years post-launch. WWE 2K16 exceeded this. With dated graphics and mechanics compared to modern wrestling games, 2K likely felt very few players still actively used the online features.
What Exactly is Affected by the Server Shutdown?
So what can – and can‘t – players still do in WWE 2K16 after the servers went down? Let‘s clarify:
Features NOT Impacted:
- Offline exhibition matches against AI or local mutliplayer
- Single player career modes and creation suites
- Playing downloaded Community Creations you already have
Features NO LONGER Functional:
- Online head-to-head matches
- Leaderboards and rankings
- Downloading any new Custom Content from Community Creations
- Posting your own created characters/arenas for others to download
That last one is arguably the most significant loss – without access to Community Creations, players cannot expand the game with all-important fan-made wrestlers, attires, shows and more. This severely hurts the replay value.
Some players over on the WWEGames subreddit have already mourned the loss of this vibrant custom content community. WWE2K16 boasted one of the deepest rosters of creators.
How Does 2K16‘s Lifespan Compare?
To put the late May 2022 shutdown into wider perspective, here is a quick comparison of how long servers stayed active for recent WWE 2K entries:
| Game | Release Date | Server Shutdown Date | Lifespan |
| WWE 2K19 | Oct 2018 | June 2022 | 3 years 8 months |
| WWE 2K16 | Oct 2015 | May 2022 | 6 years 7 months |
| WWE 2K20 | Oct 2019 | June 2022 | 2 years 8 months |
As we can see, WWE 2K16 actually outpaced most others by over a year before getting the plug pulled. That‘s quite a long run by modern server standards.
How Does This Affect Remaining WWE 2K16 Players?
The server shutdown no doubt comes as a gut punch to the remnants of a once lively WWE 2K16 community. One Redditor claimed: "I still regularly play WWE 2K16 over any other WWE 2K game. I think it still plays better than the current games do." – and they are not alone!
Despite its age, some fans stand by WWE 2K16 as the pinnacle wrestling sim with the purest gameplay. Not being able to take their classic CAW wrestlers online again is certainly disappointing.
However, without developer support and patches, lingering bugs have caused even the offline experience to deteriorate:
- Increasing crash rates make getting through a whole PPV card difficult
- Worsening A.I. behavior like opponents constantly rolling out of the ring
- Silent crowds and audio glitches
- Notable decreases in small but active online communities
So while the server shutdown is the final nail in the coffin, WWE 2K16 was already showing its age for regular players.
Why Would 2K Decide to End Support Now?
This brings up a fair point – why not just let the small but dedicated player base continue having their fun online if they still find enjoyment? Surely maintaining these 6+ year old servers can‘t be too costly for a wealthy publisher like 2K?
Perhaps not – but we live in an age where publishers have shifted priorities towards maximizing revenue from lucrative microtransactions and in-game purchases. These ultimately fund future development.
WWE 2K16 pre-dates the ‘Games as a Service‘ model so has no consistent revenue stream. 2K would rather funnel players towards the bug-free WWE 2K22 and its Season Passes. Harsh but true!
We can only speculate on the business motives. But coupled with shrinking player counts, keeping the dated 2K16 servers running likely wasn‘t worth impacting budgets for new projects. As nostalgic as we may be, most gamers have moved on.
Where Can Wrestling Fans Go Next?
Let‘s end on a positive note – WWE 2K16 had an impressive run, but there ARE still modern alternatives available that provide online wrestling game experiences:
- WWE 2K22 – The latest iteration works well online and will be supported for the foreseeable future
- WWE Supercard – Causal mobile title but features online events and competitive play
- Fire Pro Wrestling World – Retro-styled wrestling with Steam Workshop integration for sharing creations
So fear not – while no game quite replicates that classic 2K16 feel, there are plenty of ways to get your wrestling game fix online.
The Bottom Line
It‘s the end of an era as the once-thriving WWE 2K16 community now loses all online functionality after dedicated years of play. While 2K‘s decision is understandable from a business perspective as they focus on the latest releases, fans are still disappointed to bid farewell to a genuinely fun wrestling series entry.
For those who still enjoy jumping into WWE 2K16 for offline bouts however, it‘s not entirely game over – yet. Just don‘t expect any more support or fixes down the line. Nostalgia never dies!
What are your thoughts on 2K shutting down the WWE 2K16 servers after 6+ years? Did you still play online? And what‘s your favorite wrestling game memory? Let me know in the comments!
