WWE 2K15's Next-Generation Release Date Pushed Back to November 18

WWE and video game fans anxiously awaiting the release of WWE 2K15 on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One will have to wait a little longer than expected.

According to a tweet from 2K Sports on Tuesday, the release date on the gaming world's newest consoles has been delayed until Nov. 18. The Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions are still set to be released on Oct. 28 as originally planned.

Gamers who are still playing on last-generation consoles will be happy to have the version of the game that is accessible to them, but gamers who were looking to enjoy the next level of virtual WWE goodness will likely be a bit put off by the news.

Sometimes delays can begin a slippery slope for a game. Fans can only hope that's not the case in this situation.

As per the press release that was attached to the aforementioned tweet, Greg Thomas, the president of Visual Concepts, the development firm in charge of the game, said: 

"

Visual Concepts and Yuke’s [Japanese video game company] are committed to delivering the most authentic and action-packed WWE experience to date, including release for the very first time on next-generation consoles. The additional development time enables our talented teams to ensure the WWE 2K15 next-gen experience fully meets our expectations.

"

Delays for major games have happened before, and the setbacks didn't always lead to the cancellation of the titles or even poor products. In 2013, both Grand Theft Auto 5 and Titanfall saw their respective release dates pushed back.

Both games were ultimately released and were received very well by most media outlets. GTA 5 received an insane Metacritic score of 97, while Titanfall came in with a solid 86.

On the other hand, we've also seen titles like EA Sports' NBA Elite 11 and NBA Live 13 delayed and then scrapped all together. Back in 2006, 2K Sports had their own delay issue. MLB 2K6 was pushed back from its original release. The game ultimately came out and received a Metacritic score of 71, which is decent but not extraordinary.

image from WWE 2K15, provided by 2K Sports

If you're a virtual wrestling fan, you desperately hope this is a situation that more resembles the GTA 5 and Titanfall scenarios than that of EA Sports' NBA titles.

Having actually had some hands-on experience with WWE 2K15, I can say that the game looked and played pretty nicely in August when I tested it during SummerSlam weekend. That's at least a reason for optimism.

It's hard to know what aspect of the game caused the delay, but it must have been something significant enough to encourage the team to hold the game back almost three weeks.

Stay tuned for more information as it becomes available.

Follow Brian Mazique aka FranchisePlay, the Sports Video Game Journalist