2K have laid the smackdown on wrestling fans by revealing a surprise new trailer for the upcoming WWE 2K22. The game has gone through a troubled development, possibly thanks to WWE themselves, which recently resulted in a March 2022 delay. More details were thought to not be arriving until January. 2K, though, have released a video detailing a list of features that people can look forward to. There were other interesting things throughout that have caught the eyes of some. Let’s take a look at 8 reasons to be excited for WWE 2K22.
After WWE 2K20‘s poor reception, fans would be forgiven for being reluctant to get their hopes up. However, 100 seconds of new information can get them believing again.
Redesigned Gameplay Engine
One of the biggest talking points surrounding this entry has been a redesigned gameplay engine. With the series, presumably, making the leap onto new generation consoles, a change was necessary. New animations for strikes and grapples were shown off, having been rebuilt from the ground up. The in-ring action looked more fluid and not like it was running on aging software. A shot of WWE Champion Big E dodging a strike looked beautiful. That first video of a full length match can’t come soon enough.
Players will be closer to the action than ever before
An interesting change is the camera system. It is more zoomed in, presenting an authentic view that feels like the player is watching at ringside. How this will work for multi-person matches remains to be seen. Fans can hope that a more cluttered ring will result in the camera zooming out. With controls increasing in response time, these matches will have a lot more happening at once than before.
New Control Scheme
Speaking of controls, a new layout was revealed as a major focus point. You can check it out for yourselves in the image below. One thing that stands out is strikes being separated into light and heavy attacks. Grapple, meanwhile, has returned to the B/Circle button for the first time since SmackDown vs Raw 2006. Reversal remains at Y/Triangle, although holding it executes a block. These controls are reminiscent of an arcade fighting game. Some fans were hoping for a return of WWE 2K19‘s scheme, but this is evidence that Visual Concepts are trying to take the wrestling franchise back to its roots.
Get ready to learn another new control scheme
Double button pressing is required again to hit finishers and signatures. The Xbox Series X guide has finisher down as RT + A, which seems more complicated than X + A. It’s certainly not a step forward in terms of accessibility either. Besides this, 2K22‘s control scheme looks to be an improvement with further commands such as the Irish Whip yet to be revealed.
Improved Superstar Models
After 2K20 was populated with some odd looking wrestlers, an enhanced graphics engine has provided much improved models. Fans were treated to plenty of great shots that also showed off an updated lighting system. Edge finally looks like Edge after so many years, automatically making this game the best ever. Goldberg looks menacing and Bayley’s model is spot on, with her hair looking like it may have been animated strand by strand. A clip of some women wrestlers in motion showed hair moving a lot more naturally. Potentially, a long-term series problem could be fixed.
2K have finally been kind to the Hall of Famer
Models of deceased and inactive legends did not appear in the trailer. The likes of Randy Savage and Andre the Giant have had a history of not being up to par. Creating them is a difficult task with no 3D scans, but here’s hoping that an improved engine and more development time means better results. At present, this is shaping up to be the best looking WWE game.
Debuting Wrestlers
As mentioned, 2K and Visual Concepts have had a tough time developing 2K22. This could be because of an unstable roster. Over the past year, WWE has been releasing multiple wrestlers every few months or even weeks. Just recently, big names like Keith Lee, Karrion Kross and my favourite Tegan Nox fell victim to “budget cuts”. It’s not currently known how many of these names have been cut or will remain. What we do know is that there are a few debuts to look forward to. Top NXT stars Kay Lee Ray, Raquel Gonzalez and Joaquin Wilde made small appearances in the trailer, as well as Rey Mysterio’s son Dominik.
Goldberg will have some newcomers to Spear
With a lot of wrestlers from 2019’s 2K20 likely being removed, there’s space for more debuts. NXT’s recent rebrand has seen many new faces appear on TV. These young stars may have to settle for being DLC, however. More NXT UK talent is a high possibility. WALTER, UK Women’s Champion Meiko Satomura and UK Champion Ilja Dragunov will surely be included due to their increasing star power. The eventual roster reveal will be both exciting and intriguing.
Rey Mysterio 2K Showcase
2K Showcase mode is making a return, focusing on the legendary career of another WWE superstar. There was no official confirmation of this superstar, but the mode’s announcement was accompanied by a clip of Rey Mysterio talking about his career. It’s safe to assume that the masked highflyer is under the spotlight this time around. He was also the main focus of the teaser trailer back in April, meaning he could very well be the cover star, too.
With Rey’s match catalogue, this could be the longest 2K Showcase ever
The future Hall of Famer has enjoyed a staggering 30+ year long career across various promotions. I’m already putting together a wishlist of matches in my head. His memorable Royal Rumble 2006 and WrestleMania 22 matches are sure-fire bets. The WCW Halloween Havoc 1997 match with the late, great Eddie Guerrero would be a fun one to play. This Showcase allows fans to speculate on which legends will show up on the roster. Psicosis from 1990s ECW? We can dream.
MyFACTION
There are two new game modes coming to the series. One is the return of an old fan favourite, while the other is never before seen. The latter is MyFACTION which has some similarities to NBA’s MyTEAM and FIFA’s Ultimate Team. The offline only mode tasks players with building their own faction that rivals NWO, DX etc. They can collect superstars from any era and upgrade them through competing in challenges, weekly events and more. Want to create a Hollywood faction of John Cena, The Rock and Batista? It can be done.
The Head of the Table will expect to be the leader of any faction
2K have failed to resist the temptation of adding virtual currency to WWE 2K22, but the developers have been quick to ease concerns. It has been confirmed that MyFACTION’s virtual currency does not provide players with a competitive advantage, nor does it create a dreaded pay-to-win situation. This news means that the excitement can remain. It’s definitely a game mode that should be given a lot of attention in January.
MyRISE Women’s Story
MyCareer has been rebranded into MyRISE, but the concept remains the same. Players take a custom superstar on a long, narrative-based journey up the WWE ranks. 2K20 introduced the involvement of women, although as a combined playthrough with a male custom superstar. This time around, it looks like there will be two completely separate paths to play through based on gender. Women’s wrestling fans can safely experience their custom superstar’s journey without a man in sight.
Bayley is someone to be wary of in the women’s story
There wasn’t much footage to show fans what to expect from MyRISE. Some clips did confirm, though, that the two journeys will be as chaotic as ever. On the men’s side, it looks like a rivalry with Seth Rollins’ Messiah stable is on the cards. A shot of Austin Theory and another superstar falling off a scaffold was shown as ex-talent Buddy Murphy looked on in the background. It’ll be interesting to see what other wrestlers show up to battle our creations.
MyGM
To quote The Rock, finally… General Manager mode has come back to WWE games! Under the new name of MyGM, 2K and Visual Concepts have answered fans’ decade-long wishes. Players will take control of a brand and attempt to put on the best WWE show. They’ll sign superstars, manage contracts and take charge of finances. There may be a bit more to the mode, however, to differentiate it from the classic version. 2K have said that players will make their way from high school gyms to prime time TV.
No, you won’t be able to go head to head with AEW
It is currently unknown as to whether MyGM will be single player only or will also allow co-op and/or online play. If the aim is to modernise the mode, then the ability to play with friends has to be included. A three way battle of someone managing NXT while two friends take over Raw and SmackDown would be a lot of fun. WWE’s own UpUpDownDown YouTube channel is evidence of this. Austin Creed and Tyler Breeze provide hours of hilarity in their Battle of the Brands series. It would be great for fans to create their own version.
What are you most excited for in WWE 2K22? Let me know in the comments below!
