WWE 2K25’s Lynell Jinks on supporting ‘crazy ideas’

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Designing an annual franchise like WWE 2K25 isn’t a walk in the park, but creative director Lynell Jinks takes it all in stride, even relishing the challenge. Recently, Shacknews was granted access to an early version of WWE 2K25 and had a chance to discuss its innovative new elements and returning features with some of the game’s designers, including Greg Burke and David Craddock. When asked about his most anticipated features, Lynell shared insights on how his team manages his out-of-the-box ideas, among other topics.

This interview has been lightly edited for clarity.

Shacknews: What new feature are you most excited about?

Lynell Jinks: We’ve included a lot more visual elements. As a graphics enthusiast, I have to admit that I’m not entirely fond of the camera during entrances and gameplay. However, this perspective offers an unique insight into the game that you haven’t experienced before. During entrances, I particularly enjoy placing the camera behind someone, offering a sense of “walking in this Superstar’s shoes” and adopting their personality. It’s fascinating! And, the cool drone-like camera effect they use on Raw now is quite impressive. During matches, it enhances the gameplay by providing various perspectives, such as observing the environment or even standing atop the Hell in a Cell to survey the action taking place in the ring. The numerous camera angles give the game a more immersive and broader experience.

Shacknews: How does your past experience as an art director help you as a creative director?

As a creative gamer, I toss out the wildest and most outrageous ideas to see if they’ll stick. When I do, my team takes a second look at their designs, considering my proposals. Sometimes, the ideas work, sometimes they don’t due to time constraints – we only have nine months to bring this game to life after preproduction. It’s a tough challenge, but having a team that’s open to my off-the-wall thoughts is a real blessing.

Shacknews: Of the characters announced so far, who are your favorites?

Lynell Jinks: It’s quite challenging to pick a favorite character in our game, as they all look great. However, if I were to point out one who stands out, it would be Dom with his exceptional mustache and hair. They truly establish a new standard for hairstyles in our game, not just visually, but also in terms of the simulation. And let’s not forget his stylish mustache as well! As for competition, Dirty Dom is unrivaled.

It seems that intricate hairstyles are not commonly found in games, which could explain the abundance of bald space marines for approximately ten years.

Lynell Jinks: Indeed, altering it significantly requires using spline and vert methods, which are quite demanding graphically. At present, our resources can’t handle both current-gen and older-gen console pipelines. However, once we’re exclusively working with next-gen hardware, I’m optimistic about making that transition. For now, given our ongoing commitment to all the features from past games, what we achieve with current technology is truly remarkable.

Shacknews: How does the new Bloodline Rules match work?

As a die-hard fan: For me, Bloodrules is simply amazing! The Bloodline has a sneaky side to them, as seen at WrestleMania 40 when chaos erupted with multiple entrants in the ring. We’ve taken that concept and turned it into a game. At the beginning of each match, you can accumulate up to three paybacks and summon allies during the bout. It’s an all-out brawl without disqualifications! As a payback, you can bring someone else into the ring to aid you, making it a 2-on-1 or even a 4-on-1 if you’re skilled enough. At its highest level, it becomes a wild free-for-all with four competitors each, and if you belong to the Bloodline dynasty, there’s an exclusive victory scene featuring a special presentation.

Shacknews: What went into designing the Island?

Lynell Jinks: Just as you mentioned, in my role as creative director, what key aspects of being an art director have assisted me during this process? To create a vision for the Island, I had to engage my artistic mind. Collaborating with the WWE license and brainstorming ideas for its application within this space has been quite enjoyable. We’ve developed some truly extraordinary, over-the-top concepts that I can hardly wait for everyone to witness. It’s a unique experience that I am eager for people to explore when we unveil it and make it available next month.

Shacknews: What changes or upgrades has Universe mode received?

As a fan, I’m thrilled about two major enhancements this year: Firstly, the Universe promos have returned, which was a missed feature in 2K20. However, we’ve not only reintroduced it but also made it interactive and improved upon its previous version. Secondly, the ability to schedule multiple Pay-Per-View Events (PLEs) on various days is now possible. This means I can set WrestleMania to occur on both Saturday and Sunday, mirroring the WWE’s actual programming schedule. It’s a delight to have more flexibility in customizing the game calendar to align with real-life WWE events.

Shacknews: What other changes and features are you excited about for this next edition?

Lynell Jinks: My Game Manager is available. The storyline, MyRise, is truly amazing. The Showcase is sensational, and the roster you can unlock and control in that mode is exceptional, and in my opinion, the best we’ve had yet. The WWE archives, NXT parking lot – everything we’ve included this year really brings the game to life. I can’t wait for everyone to try it out.

In simpler terms, Shacknews is asking for your predictions on who will win the men’s and women’s Royal Rumble matches. Since these events take place after the Performance Lives Event (PLE), make sure to select carefully.

Lynell Jinks: It would be great if Bayley takes the victory in her division. As for the men, it’s a challenging choice, but since this is John Cena’s final year, I’d really hope he secures a title match to round off his career. Having him challenge someone for a championship at WrestleMania would make quite an exciting spectacle.

Shacknews: If time, money, and licensing were not an issue, what’s your dream WWE match?

Lynell Jinks: It’d be fantastic if Kevin Hart could join our game! [laughs] Do you recall when Adam Rose was in the WWE and he’d perform his quirky dance? Well, Hart did something similar in a commercial, delivering a promo. I can’t quite remember what it was for, but it made me think – he would make an excellent wrestler! His ability to get into character is impressive. Imagine him as a boss character with the most eccentric move set, performing like a kung fu master or something, going up against The Rock. Their chemistry is terrific, and I’d be thrilled to see more of it. Naturally, as the unconventional creative director, I’m throwing out ideas left and right! I admire Kevin Hart’s comedic talents, and I believe his wrestling promo would be sensational.

Shacknews: What is the biggest conception about being a creative director?

Lynell Jinks: Essentially, I find that my work is a joint effort with my team. Sometimes I come up with wild ideas, but someone helps me bring them back to practicality, and we brainstorm until either we discard the idea or transform it into a feasible feature. I appreciate my team’s honesty, as they might say, “That’s an outlandish idea; it won’t work.” Or, “We can’t do that, but if we did this instead, would you be on board?” For me, the creative director title doesn’t grant the freedom to always have things my way. Instead, I believe in sharing ideas and hoping for a result similar to what I envisioned, while working together to make it a tangible reality.

Shacknews: What was your journey as a game dev?

Lynell Jinks: I’ve been with Visual Concept for nearly 23 years now. My journey started with NFL 2K, then moved to NBA 2K as an art director. Later, we got WWE. During my time on NBA, though, I was more than just an art director and artist. Being a passionate gamer and sports games enthusiast, I was often included in design meetings, where I shared numerous ideas. This led to me having creative input on many game features, even though the role of creative director didn’t exist formally back then. In essence, I was acting as a creative director, given the freedom to create unique features within the game. When WWE came along, our president, Greg Thomas, offered me the position of creative director for the project. Naturally, I accepted and continued to wear both the art director and creative director hats until my responsibilities shifted with the arrival of WWE 2K20, where I focused solely on creative directing.

Shacknews: What advice would you give future game developers?

Lynell Jinks advises being bold in expressing your thoughts and proficient in problem-solving. Whether you’re playing a game or not, if there’s something that bothers you, identify what it is and consider ways to enhance it. Alternatively, if you enjoy something, dissect why that is. Determine what the creators did right or where they fell short, and brainstorm methods to either improve it or replicate its successful elements. This analytical approach can help you understand what makes things effective or ineffective, boosting your confidence in your opinions. To be successful, it’s crucial to develop interpersonal skills to persuade others to embrace your ideas, even if they seem unconventional. Master the art of expressing those concepts clearly, and there’s a chance your team will find inspiration in something groundbreaking.

Shacknews: Communication?

Lynell Jinks: Communication is huge.

Shacknews: Can you paint a picture of how stressful it is to create an annual game?

Lynell Jinks: Creating a game within such a tight deadline can be incredibly demanding, but I find it more satisfying when working with an IP like WWE. During the development of 2K22, we spent over two years on the project. However, the rapidly evolving landscape of WWE, with personnel changes and shifting personas, presented numerous challenges. We’d model characters or shoot animations based on certain entrances or appearances, only to find that those individuals were no longer active in the WWE or had changed their personas. This made it difficult to keep up with the ever-changing WWE environment, as we wrote storylines for MyRise and Showcase featuring Superstars who were no longer part of the WWE. While working on innovative features or the backend was a privilege, tracking the developments in WWE was like navigating through a nightmare.

As a gamer, let me tell you, the grind is intense, yet I can’t imagine it any other way. Frankly, I don’t believe we could keep a game relevant beyond a year without constantly pushing ourselves to the limit.

Shacknews received an invitation to experience an early glimpse of WWE 2K25 in Indianapolis. The expenses for our journey, accommodation, and commuting to and fro the Royal Rumble event were generously covered by 2K.

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2025-02-05 20:32