“Gimme a Hell Yeah”: 2K Announces Stone Cold Steve Austin®
as WWE® 2K16 Cover Superstar
WWE Hall of Famer, film and television personality, producer and podcasting innovator set to inject Texas-sized attitude in flagship WWE video game franchise
Sydney, Australia – July 6, 2015 – 2K today announced WWE Hall of Famer Stone Cold Steve Austin® as the cover Superstar for WWE® 2K16, the forthcoming release in the flagship WWE franchise. After setting the WWE Universe on fire during one of WWE’s most celebrated time periods – the “Attitude Era” – to his wealth of television, film and podcasting accomplishments, Austin has amassed worldwide admiration through his unequivocal presence both in and out of the WWE ring. WWE 2K16 is currently in development for Xbox One and Xbox 360, as well as the PlayStation®4 and PlayStation®3 computer entertainment systems. The game is scheduled for release on October 29, 2015 in Australia and New Zealand.
“I’ve had the privilege of working with 2K to support the WWE 2K franchise, and now I’m absolutely honored to serve as the WWE 2K16 cover Superstar,” said Stone Cold Steve Austin. “No disrespect to the previous and extremely deserving WWE 2K cover Superstars – Dwayne ‘The Rock®’ Johnson and John Cena® – but it’s about time the franchise raised some hell with yours truly on the cover. I look forward to injecting a dose of ‘Texas Rattlesnake’ into this year’s game and overall campaign.”
Austin is regarded by many as one of the most popular WWE Superstars to ever enter a WWE ring, holding 21 championships throughout his career and being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2009. His relentless work ethic has also made him a significant mainstream fixture and pop-culture icon as an actor, producer and host in television, film and podcasting. Austin hosted the return of WWE’s reality competition series Tough Enough on USA Network in 2011, and since 2012 has hosted four seasons of Redneck Island on CMT. He also serves as the host of Steve Austin’s Broken Skull Challenge, which is currently in production for its third season on CMT. His film credits include appearances in several feature films, including The Longest Yard, The Condemned and The Expendables, while his no-holds-barred weekly podcast, The Steve Austin Show, regularly appears on the Top Podcasts list within the Sports & Recreation category on iTunes. He also hosts the Stone Cold Podcast, Live!, a monthly interview series on the award-winning WWE Network, where he has interviewed several special guests including Vince McMahon, Triple H and Paul Heyman. In addition, Austin is a brand ambassador for Kawasaki Motors Corp., USA.
“Stone Cold Steve Austin’s iconic style, unmistakable personality and worldwide reverence from the WWE Universe make him the ideal fit for WWE 2K16,” said Chris Snyder, Vice President of Marketing at 2K. “Not only will Austin grace the video game’s cover, but he’s involved in shaping its creative direction. Through his numerous contributions, inclusion on the largest roster in franchise history and the game’s to-be-announced features, WWE 2K16 is certain to put everyone on notice.”
Developed collaboratively by Yuke’s and Visual Concepts, a 2K studio, WWE 2K16 is not yet rated in Australia and New Zealand. WWE 2K16 is currently scheduled for release on Xbox One, Xbox 360, PS4™ and PS3™ on October 27, 2015 in North America and October 29, 2015 in Australia and New Zealand.
For more information on WWE 2K16 and 2K, visit wwe.2k.com, become a fan on Facebook, follow the game on Twitter and Instagram using the hashtags #WWE2K16 and #RaiseSomeHell or subscribe on YouTube.
2K is a wholly owned publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO).
About WWE
WWE, a publicly traded company (NYSE: WWE), is an integrated media organization and recognized leader in global entertainment. The company consists of a portfolio of businesses that create and deliver original content 52 weeks a year to a global audience. WWE is committed to family friendly entertainment on its television programming, pay-per-view, digital media and publishing platforms. WWE programming reaches more than 650 million homes worldwide in 35 languages. WWE Network, the first-ever 24/7 over-the-top premium network that includes all 12 live pay-per-views, scheduled programming and a massive video-on-demand library, is currently available in more than 170 countries. The company is headquartered in Stamford, Conn., with offices in New York, Los Angeles, London, Mexico City, Mumbai, Shanghai, Singapore, Dubai, Munich and Tokyo.
Additional information on WWE (NYSE: WWE) can be found at wwe.com and corporate.wwe.com. For information on our global activities, go to http://www.wwe.com/worldwide/.
Trademarks: All WWE programming, talent names, images, likenesses, slogans, wrestling moves, trademarks, logos and copyrights are the exclusive property of WWE and its subsidiaries. All other trademarks, logos and copyrights are the property of their respective owners.
Forward-Looking Statements: This press release contains forward-looking statements pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which are subject to various risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, risks relating to: WWE Network; major distribution agreements; our need to continue to develop creative and entertaining programs and events; a decline in the popularity of our brand of sports entertainment; the continued importance of key performers and the services of Vincent K. McMahon; possible adverse changes in the regulatory atmosphere and related private sector initiatives; the highly competitive, rapidly changing and increasingly fragmented nature of the markets in which we operate and greater financial resources or marketplace presence of many of our competitors; uncertainties associated with international markets; our difficulty or inability to promote and conduct our live events and/or other businesses if we do not comply with applicable regulations; our dependence on our intellectual property rights, our need to protect those rights, and the risks of our infringement of others’ intellectual property rights; the complexity of our rights agreements across distribution mechanisms and geographical areas; potential substantial liability in the event of accidents or injuries occurring during our physically demanding events including, without limitation, claims relating to CTE; large public events as well as travel to and from such events; our feature film business; our expansion into new or complementary businesses and/or strategic investments; our computer systems and online operations; a possible decline in general economic conditions and disruption in financial markets; our accounts receivable; our revolving credit facility; litigation; our potential failure to meet market expectations for our financial performance, which could adversely affect our stock; Vincent K. McMahon exercising control over our affairs, and his interests may conflict with the holders of our Class A common stock; a substantial number of shares which are eligible for sale by the McMahons and the sale, or the perception of possible sales, of those shares could lower our stock price; and the relatively small public “float” of our Class A common stock. In addition, our dividend is dependent on a number of factors, including, among other things, our liquidity and cash flow, strategic plan (including alternative uses of capital), our financial results and condition, contractual and legal restrictions on the payment of dividends (including under our revolving credit facility), general economic and competitive conditions and such other factors as our Board of Directors may consider relevant. Forward-looking statements made by the Company speak only as of the date made, are subject to change without any obligation on the part of the Company to update or revise them, and undue reliance should not be placed on these statements.
About Take-Two Interactive Software
Headquartered in New York City, Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. is a leading developer, publisher and marketer of interactive entertainment for consumers around the globe. The Company develops and publishes products through its two wholly-owned labels Rockstar Games and 2K. Our products are designed for console systems and personal computers, including smartphones and tablets, and are delivered through physical retail, digital download, online platforms and cloud streaming services. The Company’s common stock is publicly traded on NASDAQ under the symbol TTWO. For more corporate and product information please visit our website at http://www.take2games.com.
About 2K
Founded in 2005, 2K develops and publishes interactive entertainment globally for console systems, handheld gaming systems and personal computers, including smartphones and tablets, which are delivered through physical retail, digital download, online platforms and cloud streaming services. 2K publishes titles in today’s most popular gaming genres, including shooters, action, role-playing, strategy, sports, casual, and family entertainment. The 2K label has some of the most talented development studios in the world today, including Firaxis Games, Visual Concepts, 2K Marin, 2K Czech, 2K Australia, Cat Daddy Games and 2K China. 2K’s stable of high quality titles includes the critically acclaimed BioShock®, Borderlands™ and XCOM® franchises, the beloved Sid Meier’s Civilization series, the popular WWE 2K franchise and NBA 2K, the #1 rated and #1 selling basketball franchise***. 2K is headquartered in Novato, California and is a wholly owned label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO). For more information, please visit www.2K.com.
*According to 2008 – 2015 Metacritic.com and The NPD Group estimates of U.S. retail video game sales through May 2015.
“PlayStation” and “PS3” are registered trademarks. “PS4” is a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
All trademarks and copyrights contained herein are the property of their respective holders.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
The statements contained herein which are not historical facts are considered forward-looking statements under federal securities laws and may be identified by words such as “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “potential,” “predicts,” “projects,” “seeks,” “will,” or words of similar meaning and include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the outlook for the Company’s future business and financial performance. Such forward-looking statements are based on the current beliefs of our management as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to them, which are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict. Actual outcomes and results may vary materially from these forward-looking statements based on a variety of risks and uncertainties including: our dependence on key management and product development personnel, our dependence on our Grand Theft Auto products and our ability to develop other hit titles, the timely release and significant market acceptance of our games, the ability to maintain acceptable pricing levels on our games, our ability to raise capital if needed and risks associated with international operations. Other important factors and information are contained in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2015, including the risks summarized in the section entitled “Risk Factors,” and the Company’s other periodic filings with the SEC, which can be accessed at www.take2games.com. All forward-looking statements are qualified by these cautionary statements and apply only as of the date they are made. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
