"WWE 2K17" is set to release within the year, and according to a report from What Culture, it is going to be released this coming October, although no specific date has yet been announced. A new rumor is spreading that the game will update its graphics and feature improved character models.
According to a report from Cage Side Seats, wrestlers Sheamus, Dean Ambrose, Big Show, and Alberto Del Rio were absent during "Smackdown" as they were reportedly in Los Angeles, California doing work for a video game. It is speculated that the wrestlers have visited the studios in order to get their faces re-scanned.
It is also stated that wrestler Seth Rollins may have also been included in the group. The wrestler was not a part of the scheduled fights for "Smackdown" that week but may have taken the free time to get his face and features scanned for the game.
However, as stated by Ecumenical News, all of the wrestlers have already been scanned for previous games. The "WWE 2K" franchise is known for reusing older character models with their games, improving only the particle effects and updating the controls or fight mechanics.
If the wrestlers had to come in to be re-scanned it is rumored that this is for an improved graphic engine. This will be the first time the graphical engine of the series has been improved since "WWE 2K14" and it hints that the new game may only be for the current generation of consoles and may no longer be released for the PS3 and Xbox 360.
Of the current roster it is undetermined if Chyna, who recently passed away, will be included in the game, although the report points out that she is likely to be included given she has been a part of the video game franchise for a decade and counting. Photos of the wrestler may be used if the developers are working on an improved in-game model.
