Wrestling and video games are two of the main focal points of Heart as Art. So naturally, I love it when they combine forces. That is what happened when I was approached about the demo for WBS26 Wrestling Booker Simulator, a wrestling promotion simulator. The PC demo went live on Steam on October 7th, and I have been exploring the demo and chatting with the developer, Max Lohvynenko.
WBS26 Demo Playthrough
Growing up, playing the “General Manager” mode in SmackDown vs. Raw was always a highlight of the franchise for me. Booking my own storylines, champions, etc., was always a high point of the games for me. Diving into WBS26 brought back some of those memories.
Jumping into the demo, I was prompted to create my booker persona and became the head booker of “Amaterasu Wrestling.” The first thing to decide was the type of ownership style I wanted. Each model has its own strengths and weaknesses for the booker to manage. The demo did not take long to pick up, as I was quickly prompted to book the main event of my first show, including picking a winner and the finish of the match.
Not long after that, I was prompted to start booking the weekly television show “Friday Night Hardline” and was able to start setting rivalries up. This is when the demo really started to take shape.
Booking
The interface had all the basic needs laid out front and center. The top of the menu showed my inbox as well as my calendar and the current roster. The game features real world independent wrestlers and promotions, adding a sense of realism to the simulator.
Moving down to the booking column, I had access to the main things I would need as a booker, such as active storylines and factions, as well as active titles in the promotion.
A couple of things in this section really stood out to me. The first is the option to introduce a brand extension. Brand extensions have been met with mixed results by wrestling fans over the years, but having the opportunity to assign and control bookings on two brands leads to more booking scenarios and gives us the option to flip wrestlers from brand to brand.
The other thing that stood out to me was the commentary option. Being able to control commentary for a match is a fascinating addition for me. Just like anything else in a simulator game, actions have consequences. Putting a team together on the headset that does not have chemistry with each other will hurt the show and lower the fan trust scores. Having a solid team on the microphone together will do the opposite. It is a small detail that will make hardcore wrestling fans appreciate the authenticity of the simulator that much more.
Talent
The bread and butter of any promotion (or sim) is the talent that puts it all on the line for the fans every night. Of course, WBS26 gives you the ability to control the roster, but there are many different aspects to it.
A few things I appreciated about this simulator are the different levels of control given to signing, developing, and managing talent. For example, I can pay different amounts of money to have a talent scouted at different levels of depth to get a clear or not-so-clear report of how they will perform and act backstage.
After each show, I was also prompted to handle backstage issues, such as dirt sheets leaking out info about backstage issues. Issues such as wrestlers not being happy with one another over how things went down in the ring, wrestlers unhappy with booking decisions, contract renewals, and more. Each decision has different options that carry different risks and rewards. Options include ignoring the dirt sheets, turning things into a storyline, or addressing the issues head-on. Each will have different outcomes with the fans, wrestlers, and sponsors.
I also enjoyed the academy feature in the game. Of course, I can scout free agents or contracts pending renewal at other promotions, but having an idea of what the next generation of stars could look like adds a fun element to the game. The mode is in-depth and gives me the option to hold tryouts and to prioritize what I am looking for in the next generation. I have to be careful, though as talent are not exclusive to me in the academy and can sign anywhere. Since I choose a “work rate” style promotion, I can put emphasis on things such as psychology and stamina for longer matches.
It also gives me control of a pipeline where I can manage who will be called up to the main roster next. The options are plentiful and add a sense of enhanced realism to the game.
Business
The wrestling industry never stops, and the simulator doesn’t either. WBS26 gives you control over many parts of the wrestling industry.
The industry has changed drastically over the years, and the simulator puts you in control of many of the aspects of the business today.
From negotiating television contracts to signing on sponsors for the promotion, every decision impacts the fans, the locker room, and more.
WBS26 Wrestling Booker Simulator Developer Interview
Ahead of the game’s appearance at Steam Next Fest from October 19–26, ahead
of the full release planned for December. The demo can be found on Steam here. The full release can be wishlisted here.
What is your wrestling fandom story? How long have you been a fan?
I’ve been a wrestling fan since I was six years old. I started watching wrestling on a local TV channel in Ukraine back in 2004.
When I got internet access in 2008, I began watching every WWE pay-per-view online without missing a single one. There were periods when I watched every episode of Raw and SmackDown too, and stretches when I even watched every episode of NXT live online.
I continued watching WWE online until 2020. After that, WWE just didn’t feel the same to me anymore. These days, I watch Dynamite.
Wrestling has been part of my life since childhood. It’s in my blood.
What made you decide to develop a sim game?
I’m a huge fan of TEW and Pro Wrestling Sim, and I wanted to create something of my own and bring my own perspective to the genre. That was what inspired me to start working on WBS26.
During development, I also found a way to add a 3D broadcast mode, so you can actually watch the matches you’ve booked play out. For me, being able to do that has been a huge personal milestone. A fun addition to this feature is the 3D broadcast mode where gamers can watch supported matches play out in the ring.
It’s the kind of experience I associate with games like Wrestling Empire and WWE 2K. Wrestling Empire is a smaller project, while WWE 2K is a AAA production. I’m developing WBS26 on my own, so being able to add that experience to my own booking simulator is something I’m really proud of.
How did you decide on the ownership styles and the drawbacks that come with each?
At the moment, the ownership styles in the demo offer more bonuses than drawbacks. For the full release, I’ll rebalance them by adding more disadvantages.
The idea is that a very powerful bonus should come with several significant drawbacks. That way, each style has strengths and weaknesses that the player needs to consider, and those advantages and disadvantages balance each other out.
You have a slew of real-world pro wrestlers and promotions in the game; how did they get involved?
I was already developing the game when an online friend of mine, Vadio, suggested reaching out to wrestling promotions and wrestlers directly to see if they would like to be included.
It all started with Ukrainian Wrestling Arena (UWA). I want to say a huge thank you to Konstantin Perlov, who was essentially our first partner. From there, things just kept growing.
Every wrestler and every promotion that will appear in the game has given permission to be included. WBS26 will feature over 30 promotions and more than 500 wrestlers.
Playing through the game brought back memories of playing the GM mode in SmackDown vs. Raw — was that an inspiration for you?
Absolutely. The GM mode in SmackDown vs. Raw was definitely one of my inspirations. I had a lot of different games in mind when developing WBS26, and I drew ideas from Football Manager, TEW, Pro Wrestling Sim, and Wrestling Empire as well.
I wanted to bring those influences together with my own ideas about wrestling and my experience as a lifelong fan. WBS26 is my attempt to combine all of that into something of my own.
The sim feels very complete in that, as a booker, you have to deal with things such as backstage personal rivalries and decide if you want to ignore them, address them, or flip it into a storyline. How did you come up with some of the scenarios that feature in the game?
Some of the ideas came from real wrestling storylines and plot twists. I also wanted to bring more life to the booking simulator by including situations that feel believable in the wrestling industry.
For example, a wrestler with low morale might want to move to a rival promotion, or someone might ask for a title shot. I think those are the kinds of situations that really happen in wrestling, and I wanted to reflect that in the game.
The demo is out now; any changes expected between now and the December launch?
Of course. By the December release, you can expect more promotions, more wrestlers, and stats that better reflect each individual wrestler. Right now, the stats in the demo are closer to general wrestler archetypes than to the specific people they represent. The full game will also include 3D models for every wrestler, including all the real-world wrestlers.
I’m also paying attention to player feedback and improving the UI to make it clearer and easier to understand and use.
Beyond that, I want players to stay invested in the game for a long time. I want the booking itself to remain engaging and the storylines to keep people interested. I want it to feel like a game you can really live in.
I’m already living in it myself because I’m developing it! That’s why I can see how much potential it has for wrestling fans.
I found the academy section to be unique; what made you decide to add that aspect?
I wanted the academy to give players a reason to stay with the game for longer. There’s something appealing about developing a wrestler of your own, watching them improve, and seeing them become someone unique. There’s also the chance of finding an exceptional prospect who could become a star.
Academy wrestlers aren’t automatically tied to your promotion, though, so other companies can poach them. You need to keep an eye on your academy prospects, because a bigger promotion could come along and sign them.
Are you checking out WBS 26? Sound off in the comments below
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