One thing we like to do at Games That Weren’t is to highlight changes made with released games. WWE Smackdown: Here Comes The Pain for the PlayStation 2 was one particular title that underwent significant roster changes before its final release.
Among the most notable removals were The Ultimate Warrior and Hulk Hogan, who were originally included but were taken out before launch – likely due to licensing issues. However, their move sets remained intact within the game’s Create A Wrestler mode.
Contributor Simon Plumbe attended the official press reveal of the game in London in July 2003, hosted by THQ, where he played an early build that had been completed just days before the event. This version, which was the first playable build seen outside of development, featured The Ultimate Warrior as a selectable character. The event was a major showcase, even flying in a WWE wrestler to promote the game.
Simon captured some photos at the event, including images of The Ultimate Warrior on a big screen and what appears to be Hulk Hogan from the press kit. There is also a possibility that Goldberg was originally included in the build but later removed from the final roster, though this remains to be confirmed. Hopefully in time we’ll be able to find this earlier build!
With huge thanks to Simon Plumbe for highlighting and for the images.
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