2K Sports has confirmed that Hulk Hogan will no longer be appearing in WWE 2K16, following several controversies culminating in a racist tirade.
Real name Terry Bollea, Hogan rose to prominence as the flagship superstar of the then World Wrestling Federation in the 1980s, and again in the late ‘90s, this under rival federation World Championship Wrestling and that company’s lead villain under the New World Order. Hogan would attempt to transition into mainstream superstardom, but he remains most famous for his run as wrestling’s top superstar in the 1980s.
Hogan has been subject to several controversies through the years already, but this tirade was a clear breaking point. In the process of investigating a pending lawsuit over Gawker’s leaked sex tape, journalists discovered a recorded conversation where Hogan was caught admitting he was a racist.
WWE took swift action, firing Hogan from his Legends contract and disassociating from him completely. This meant pulling his merchandise, removing his name on their website, and even his matches on YouTube.
2K Sports was also asked to remove Hogan from the game, mere days after it was rumored that he would be added in. 2K shared this statement:
We are highly respectful of the way that our partners choose to run their business and manage our partnerships accordingly. We can confirm that Hulk Hogan will not appear in WWE 2K16.
For his part, Hulk Hogan gave this apology as well:
Eight years ago I used offensive language during a conversation. It was unacceptable for me to have used that offensive language; there is no excuse for it; and I apologize for having done it.
This is not who I am. I believe very strongly that every person in the world is important and should not be treated differently based on race, gender, orientation, religious beliefs or otherwise. I am disappointed with myself that I used language that is offensive and inconsistent with my own beliefs.
WWE 2K16 is being billed as having the biggest roster the franchise has ever had. While some will lament the loss of one of the sport’s biggest superstars from the roster, it would not have been acceptable for him to have stayed in the game either.
WWE 2K16 will be released on October 27, 2015 on PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One. Image is from WWE 2K15.
