In response to widespread criticism over glitchy gameplay and frustrating mechanics, the makers of WWE 2K20 have fired back, insisting that such perceived problems are part of an intentional “work” designed to generate some “heel heat from the marks.”

Brad Mendercuk, lead developer at Visual Concepts, says gamers are “working themselves into a shoot” over the “alleged glitches,” which Menderchuk describes as “bonus features” aimed at getting the game “over” as a heel.

Visual Concepts developed the game in the absence of Yuke’s, the company responsible for past titles in the WWE 2K series, and many disgruntled fans believe the gameplay suffered as a result.

But Menderchuk rebuts that the “so-called glitches” — such as wrestlers devolving into smasmatic monstrosities of flailing limbs — are “part of the creative vision to elicit emotional reactions from fans, just like great heel wrestlers do.”

A hastily assembled marketing campaign calls it “the first wrestling videogame to turn heel,” and says players who don’t like the game “are not true wrestling fans.”

According to one inside source, however the real motivation behind the game’s heel turn is to set up a hot babyface comeback for Yuke’s next year.