WWE 2K doesn’t need a current wrestler for its next cover, and that’s the bottom line.
Publisher 2K revealed today that Stone Cold Steve Austin is the cover star of WWE 2K16, the next entry in the yearly wrestling franchise. Austin was prominent in the late ’90s and early 2000s of WWE, a period known as the Attitude Era for its violence and edgy stories. WWE 2K16 comes out on Oct. 27 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360.
Austin hasn’t wrestled a match since 2003, but he still remains popular with fans. He was like a Michael Jordan of wrestling, which is an interesting analogy since Jordan was the cover star of NBA 2K11. That game sold over 5.5 million copies, so 2K might be hoping that Austin on WWE 2K16 can have an equally, nostalgia-driven effect.
A trailer for the game released today shows Austin digging his old, custom Smoking Skull title belt out of the ground. Past WWE 2K games have features story modes that focused on specific eras and rivalries in WWE. Austin’s strong inclusion in the game’s marketing could mean that he’ll feature prominently in a story mode, likely one that will cover his career.