WWE Brawl (lost build of cancelled fighting game based on professional wrestling; 2012)

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WWEbrawl1.jpg

Logo for the game.

Status: Lost

WWE Brawl was a cancelled platform fighting game based on the professional wrestling organization WWE. Developed by Blue Tongue Entertainment, it was set to be published by THQ for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Wii before being cancelled in 2012 around six months to a year before it was expected to be completed.

Background

According to a detailed WWE.com article, WWE and THQ, who had been in partnership in games production since WWF Wrestlemania 2000,[1] had begun work on WWE Brawl in 2009, following the release of WWE Legends of Wrestlemania. Unlike the WWE SmackDown vs Raw series which, aimed to present realistic wrestling competition and match wrestlers' personas as with the television shows, the vision for the game was to create a WWE-based platform fighting game similar to the Super Smash Bros. series, combining this with destructible in-game environments and expanded upon wrestling personas.[2] THQ assigned the Australian games studio Blue Tongue Entertainment to develop the game, which would be not only their first WWE game but also the first they would ever develop for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

Development

Blue Tongue Entertainment's initial work was highly acclaimed by WWE and THQ officials. Among its decisions were to focus on having each playable character match their personality, with special moves based on their actual wrestling manoeuvres and gimmicks. One trailer for example showcased Big Show's "grizzly bear-like strength". All the characters had original animation, reflecting how their real-life counterparts would run, walk and wrestle.

The characters would battle in Brawl City, consisting of various venues that were entirely destroyed and matched Superstar and Diva personas, for example, a boneyard that strongly befitted The Undertaker. It would set the narrative for the game, with the protagonists most likely being John Cena, Triple H and Kelly Kelly, attempting to stop a conspiracy from the main antagonists, Mr. McMahon and Edge. The story was changed numerous times during development, and was not fully concrete by 2012, although each wrestler's story would remain the same throughout.

Such were WWE and THQ's enthusiasm over Blue Tongue Entertainment's work that WWE was interested in expanding WWE Brawl beyond just being a game. In particular, action figures, a clothing line, and a cartoon series were considered, most likely to appeal to children who the WWE had begun targeting since the company's television shows went PG in 2008.[3] WWE Brawl's development became a priority, leading to Blue Tongue Entertainment halting work on other projects to focus on the game.

Cancellation

Despite setbacks concerning the narrative and development issues that prevented the game from being released in 2012,[4] development of WWE Brawl began to make significant progress. By 2012, it was estimated that only another six months to a year of development would be needed so that the game could be released in 2013. It was also showcased at the WWE Global Business Partners Summit in 2011, where it was reported by GameSpot that a Wii version was also in development.[5]

Ultimately, however, WWE Brawl would suddenly be cancelled in 2012. According to WWE.com, a multitude of factors caused the cancellation, including poor timing, global economic issues, and the intense difficulty of producing the game that may have outweighed the benefits. Nevertheless, while this version of the game was cancelled, WWE may have plans for a future game under the WWE Brawl title, as it successfully filed a trademark for it in August 2021.[6]

Availability

WWE Brawl is notable for having a large number of concept art, gameplay screenshots and videos that have been publicly accessible since 2016.[7][8] The trailers show that while the game still needed further development, it was in a playable state. However, no build has ever publicly resurfaced.

Gallery

Images

Videos

Big Show vs The Miz in the Police Station.

Stone Cold Steve Austin vs The Miz.

SmackTalk's video on WWE Brawl.

See Also

External Link

References