Five months after the launch of WWE 2K22, the huge roster is now complete after the release of the final DLC pack titled The Whole Dam Pack. 27 new superstars have been added, consisting of exciting future stars and entertaining personalities from past and present. Players are able to use everyone in all game modes, including Universe and MyGM. No longer will you have to pretend that Ronda Rousey, a main event star, doesn’t exist in the company. The Ronda vs Becky Lynch dream match at WrestleMania can finally happen.
WWE 2K22‘s DLC packs are available to purchase separately for £7.99/$9.99. Alternatively, they can be bought together with the Season Pass for £32.99/$39.99. This is included with the game’s Deluxe Edition or NWO 4 Life Edition if you’ve yet to buy 2K22.
Each downloaded superstar comes with new moves and motions for entrances and victories. It’s clear that plenty of effort has been put in by Visual Concepts on making sure fans get their money’s worth. Out of all the fresh faces, though, who’s the most fun to play as? Who’s likely to be receiving a top spot in someone’s Universe mode save? I have my answers. In no particular order, these are the top 10 best WWE 2K22 DLC characters.
Umaga
WWE 2K22‘s first DLC in April unleashed the Samoan Bulldozer as a part of the Banzai Pack. This marks his first series appearance since 2009’s SmackDown vs Raw 2010. The late, great Umaga dominated WWE between 2006 and 2009, defeating top talent such as John Cena, Shawn Michaels and Triple H. He was both terrifying and entertaining to watch as he threw his opponents all over the ring and displayed amazing athleticism. It’s nice to see this in-ring style reflected in the game. His offense includes his devastating top rope splash and spinning heel kick, as well as his crushing Samoan drop.
It’s a shame that Umaga’s theme is slightly different to what he possessed for most of his career, but his entrance makes up for it. He’s perfectly presented as an intimidating figure with the crowd even gasping as he glares at them before entering the ring. One nice gameplay detail is that, when struck, Umaga will do his trademark sell where his arms flail. It’s an animation specific to him. Players can utilise the former Intercontinental Champion in a variety of ways. His undefeated streak could be re-created, ending with him finally becoming World Champion. He could join forces with his real-life brother Rikishi, who’s also included in the DLC package, to create a destructive tag team.
Kacy Catanzaro
Seeing the 5 foot tall NXT wrestler included with giants in the first batch of WWE 2K22 downloadable content is nothing short of hilarious. Kacy Catanzaro does not have the weight advantage of Yokozuna, nor does she possess the overwhelming strength of Omos. She is, though, a well skilled high-flyer who regularly leaves fans in awe on Tuesday nights, albeit now under the name of Katana Chance. Kacy is a great addition to the women’s division, bringing springboard offense that most superstars on the base game lack by default.
The former American Ninja Warrior athlete is capable of flying off the ropes, as well as diving onto opponents to the inside and outside of the ring. Her move-set even contains a 630 top rope dive. This shocked me when I played as her for the first time. Kacy’s 360 Codebreaker is a great signature move which can be hit from out of nowhere and is difficult for opponents to reverse. She may be an unfamiliar face to some players, but she is a lot of fun to play as. Trying her out in a Money in the Bank ladder match is highly recommended.
Vader
In May, it was Vader time as the second WWE 2K22 DLC, Most Wanted, made its entrance. The Hall of Famer enjoyed a memorable career throughout the 1980s and 1990s, wrestling all over the world. He is actually accompanied in this pack by one of his legendary rivals, Cactus Jack. Their brutal matches can be relived, although without the torn ear. Vader’s in-game offense pays tribute to his style of a powerful brawler. His strikes look and feel impactful, and his powerbombs deal a great amount of damage to opponents.
Unfortunately, the Mastodon does not retain his classic helmet entrance from WWE 2K19. The camera angle for his new motion, though, does well to emphasise his monstrous size. Of course, Vader’s move-set features moves that reflect his outstanding agility. The Vader-Bomb and Vadersault are both a part of his signatures and finishers, with the latter’s animation looking exactly as it should. Fans of the former WCW Champion will be pleased with Visual Concepts’ work.
The Boogeyman
He’s coming to getcha! After a long 14 year absence, The Boogeyman is back in WWE games. Being in the same DLC pack as Indi Hartwell certainly makes this a Beauty and the Beast situation. The man from the Bottomless Pit has a entrance fitting of his creepy demeanour. Visual effects of fire and smoke look fantastic. He even has his clock, and will feast on worms when celebrating a victory. In matches, the animation of his taunts emphasise his weirdness as he dances around the ring. His presentation in 2K22 is spot on.
Booker T and JBL’s greatest nightmare terrorised them and many others with his powerhouse in-ring style. He will be doing the same here. Players can execute many different slams, throws and bombs as Boogeyman, who gains finishers quickly. The appropriately named Boogeyslam and Boogeybomb have specific animations, and will usually spell the end of a match. Playing 30-minute classics as Boogeyman will be unusual, but those short encounters are guaranteed to be entertaining.
The Hurricane
June saw WWE’s resident superhero make his return to videogames. The Hurricane was the feature star of the third WWE 2K22 DLC titled the Stand Back Pack. His legendary theme song is present as he heroically makes his way to the ring to exact some justice. He’s a very fun character to play as, thanks to his high-flying powers. The man also known as Hurricane Helms possesses a variety of dives that will vanquish his enemies. If they somehow don’t work, his devastating chokeslam will do the trick. Post-match, he will reward you with his trademark thumbs up.
There are many ways you could use Hurricane in your Universe mode. With Stacy Keibler also being a part of this new content, the heroic duo can be reunited. Super Stacy was gone too soon. Nikki ASH is an option for a new sidekick that he can mentor as a manager. A-Kid, though, is also in the Stand Back Pack and recently adopted a new superhero-like gimmick under the name Axiom. Those two would be a force to be reckoned with as a tag team. No matter how you utilise Hurricane, it’ll be entertaining. Now that’s what up with that!
Doink the Clown
WWE 2K22 had two DLC release dates in June, with the second batch of wrestlers being the Clowning Around Pack towards the month’s end. Among a group consisting of Ronda Rousey and British Bulldog, it’s a clown who takes the spotlight and for good reason. Doink the Clown is possibly the best character out of the game’s entire post-launch content. Firstly, it’s the evil version. He performs typical clown antics during his entrance, accompanied by creepy music, and occasionally stares angrily at the crowd as the camera tilts. It’s brilliant, but the gameplay is where the fun really lies.
Doink’s move-set introduces plenty of new animations, some of which are hilarious. They include an eye poke strike which can be repeatedly executed, and an Airplane Spin. He has an amazing taunt where the opponent will copy his actions, no matter who they are. His Run-In Payback ability will bring out a second Doink who will attack with a mannequin arm. This unusual weapon can also be used by the real version in extreme matches. Clearly, the developers had a lot of fun creating Doink and showed off their creativity. He, alone, is worth the price of the whole DLC package.
Sarray
The final WWE 2K22 DLC arrived in July. The Whole Dam Pack gives players a whopping seven new superstars. One of these is NXT’s Sarray, who is most known for her highly successful career in Japan. Currently, she struggles to get on TV but you can turn her fortunes around. She has her new look which is impressive considering it only debuted a few months ago. Her entrance shows the Warrior of the Sun emerging from smoke after transforming as she does in real-life. While it’s a shame we don’t see her pre-transformation, it’s nice that the developers provided something.
Japanese strong style is on full display when playing as Sarray. She possesses a variety of suplexes and strikes that will hurt her opponents. On TV, she’s most known for her devastating dropkick where she sends her victim through the ropes. When your opponent is leaning against the ropes, execute a running strike and the cool, brutal animation will play out. There are many other sweet moves to discover. She’s certainly one of the more interesting new characters available given how much of a fresh face she still is. Fans of her work in Japan will be in for a few surprises. As she would say, Sarray want many matches. Sarray want a championship.
Rob Van Dam
Woah. Mr Monday Night is back in the virtual squared circle as the feature star of WWE 2K22‘s final DLC. Rob Van Dam is considered by many to be one of the all-time greats. He has been paid plenty of respect by Visual Concepts, with his entrance including the crowd chanting his name in unison. His extreme high-flying in-ring style has been reflected with RVD possessing his signature kicks and dives. Rolling Thunder is present, sporting a nice new animation, and the Five Star Frog Splash looks worthy of its name.
The ECW legend is, surprisingly, lacking in the attire department. Possibly due to licensing issues, players have to settle for bland default gear. Luckily, Community Creations is full of alternate looks from RVD’s career that can be downloaded. There is also one surprise addition to his move-set, which is the Van Daminator. That’s right, his classic move of kicking a steel chair into an opponent’s face is in the game. A Rob Van Dam character just wouldn’t be right without it.
Xia Li
Another one of a few franchise debuts in WWE 2K22‘s DLC is Xia Li, WWE’s first Chinese women’s superstar. Despite her low overall rating, she is very entertaining to play as. This is thanks to her varied offense of kicks and strikes which will heavily damage opponents’ head. In particular, her Cyclone Kick and Torando Kick finishers look vicious. Fitting for a wrestler who some may wish to push as a top heel in their Universe saves. Her leg sweep attack is a clever move to use when on the defensive, as its quickness makes it difficult for both AI and other players to reverse.
Xia Li may have the best entrance out of all the superstars on this list. She’s the only wrestler on the game to have visual CGI-like effects, just like she does on TV in the form of lightning. Her voice can also be heard when she performs her fighting poses. The whole presentation is very authentic and helps to make Xia a great addition to the roster. She’s a joy to play as, but maybe not to play against.
Logan Paul
At WrestleMania 38 this year, viral sensation Logan Paul shocked wrestling fans when he delivered an impressive debut performance. He has recently signed a contract with WWE, making his inclusion in the final WWE 2K22 DLC brilliant timing. The Maverick joins Mr T and Machine Gun Kelly on the list of celebrities who players can dominate as or beat up for fun. Logan comes with a rather basic move-set, but a few moves reflect his boxing ability and he has his own Three Amigos. It doesn’t sway the enjoyment of trying to have him defeat Roman Reigns. Personally, I edited his offense to give him a style where he impersonates other modern-day wrestlers and legends.
Logan is dressed in his cool gear from WrestleMania, only missing the special Pokemon card around his neck for obvious licensing reasons. This has been replaced, though, by a 99 rated MyFaction card of himself which is fantastic. Little details is an area that Visual Concepts have done well in throughout this whole downloadable content. Whether you pair Logan up in a star-studded faction consisting of names like MGK and John Cena or give him a World Championship reign, there’s plenty of entertainment to be had here.
Who is your favourite WWE 2K22 DLC character? Let me know in the comments below!