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When WWE2K20 came out, it was a hilarious mess. Fun to watch in short clips, but terrible to play especially if you had paid money for it. With the backlash from wrestling fans extreme, 2K took the franchise for a hiatus. Well its 2022 now, WWE has come out of its Thunderdome era, and 2K has finally released WWE2K22. A game that they boldly says, “It Hits Different”. But how different? Let’s find out.

WWE 2K22 is a professional wrestling video game developed by Visual Concepts and published by 2K Sports. The game released on the 8th Of March 2022 for the PS4, PS5, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X and Windows.

The Gorgeous One

WWE2K22 is heads and shoulder above WWE2K22 when it comes to visual fidelity. The facial animations, the movements, the arenas, even the championships look like they have a much needed face-lift. The textures are better, the graphical fidelity is up, and the game generally just looks prettier. Becky Lynch thanks you.

Even technically, my experience with WWE2K22 has been relatively smooth when compared to its 2020 cousin. Of course, the key word here is “relatively”. Like all of the WWE games before it there are times when collision detection, spatial info, or even general physics of the engine just goes bonkers, more so when there are multiple characters involved (A MITB match is almost guaranteed to throw up a tantrum every time you fire it up), but none of it is game-breaking or game-crashing as it was in WWE2K20. So I guess good job, Visual Concepts.

The most improved aspect in this year’s game though is how reversal have way more organic transitions this time. In WWE2K22 you (in most cases atleast) reverse the move and the animation is not limited to you just ducking. Hence a counter to a Powerbomb, and a running clothesline feel entirely different, and are even affected by your placement in the ring.

Booyaka Booyaaka

Reversals and Visuals are not the only things that have changed this year. And while a small tutorial at the beginning of the game would introduce you to some of them, it will be some time before you can get used to them. The X button is not grapple anymore, instead it’s a heavy strike. The O button is not an Irish-whip anymore instead its a grapple. The new focus on combos, and the addition of a block/roll button will have most fans a little confused at the beginning. Moreover the smaller ring size and the less arcady pacing of the matches will also take a little getting used to. Thankfully, there is a low-risk high-reward environment where you can master these new controls.

Rey Mysterio is this year’s cover athlete and also the focus of this year’s Showcase Mode. I highly recommend that you tackle this mode first, before deep-diving into anything else. As this mode will not only serve to celebrate the career of Rey Mysterio (as he takes on Eddie Gurrero, The Undertaker, Batista and HBK), but also as an extended tutorial on how the control scheme has changed since the last iteration. The mode itself takes around 4 hours to tackle, and by the end of it not only would you have unlocked various avatars of WWE superstars and some classic arenas. You would also have become comfortable enough to take on the rest of WWE2K22. Of which there is a lot.

Life Of A WWE Superstar

Over the years, WWE games have tried different modes to capture the fancy of its audience. I am happy to announce that almost all of those modes have made their way into WWE2K22.

There is the ever-deep Creation mode, where you can create custom superstars, arenas, championships, entrances, and even entire shows using their diverse tools, a little bit of creativity and some help from the online community. It should be noted, that while WWE2K22 does not support Crossplay, the community creations is common across platforms. It can be easy to lose track of time as you assemble the most up to date AEW roster inside your game, or recreate that CAW that you have dreamed about since you were a kid.

There is also the MyRise mode, which is WWE’s answer to a campaign. You create a custom wrestler, and then take him/her through a career in WWE right from their induction at Performance Centre down to their names being etched in the Hall Of Fame. This offering has been doubled in size this time, as MyRise offers 2 different paths for a male and a female superstar. IMO, this mode has been improved the most, as it has way less flack and way more context around most of your activities. A definite must-try for any WWE enthusiast.

Of course, there is the WWE Universe. The free to edit, never-ending, sandbox simulation of an ongoing Wrestling Company. Open to all kinds of edits, right from creating a new show on Wednesday (Wink Wink) to removing the longest running TV show if your heart so desires. Of course like everything in WWE2K22, Universe mode has also been expanded to include a Superstar mode this time, giving you reigns of an individual superstar as you take him through the rigours of professional wrestling. Its still has the sandbox aspects of WWE Universe, but gives you lesser to focus on.

Finally, let’s talk about MyGM. A returning fan-favorite mode, where you put yourself into the shoes of a GM for a specific show, and try to outlast your opponent in becoming the number 1 Wrestling show. Unfortunately, this returning mode is also the most underwhelming. First off you can only compete with 1 AI or human opponent at a time. Secondly, one run of MyGM can last to a maximum of 52 weeks (1 year) after which you have to start another. Finally, while the MyGM mode does add more layer like marketing, production, arenas and roster management, its core aspect of creating a show is very limited. You can only have 3 matches per show, and they can either be 1 on 1, or tag team affairs, so no Triple Threat Between Cena, Batista And The Rock. With that being said however, the MyGM mode does have potential. Maybe Next Time.

WWE Ultimate Team

Which brings us to the newest addition to WWE2K22, myFaction or MyF as the game calls it. If you have played FIFA in the past 5 years or so, you would recognize this mode, as soon as you fire this up. You start off with a random set of Superstars card, each with a limited number of contracts assigned to them. You put these Superstars in matches of various kinds: Weekly Towers, 4 on 4 MyFaction wars, and Proving Grounds, to level up those Superstars and also gain Virtual points with which you can buy even more Superstars.

I came from a point of cynicism to this mode, but I find myself spending the most time here. Why? Because it gives context to whatever random matches I want to play, and it gives me bar to fill. And don’t forget there are daily rewards too. Its an easy trap to fall into, but WWE and 2K have been bad at implementing micro transactions before, so I wonder how much of a Pay 2 Win this mode will be, something to keep an eye out for in the long term.

Real Talk

All this text, and we haven’t even talked about the 222 superstars that are available to be picked and put into random skirmishes through the Play Menu. WWE2K22 is a solid entry into the Wrestling sim eco-system, but things have changed. AEW is coming out with their own Wrestling sim this year, and WWE2K22 will have a legit competitor in more than a decade. It’s definitely the best wrestling game in the last 3 years, but will it be the best wrestling game this year?

FINAL RATING: Recommended


With less time and more wisdom at my disposal, I have decided to create a whole new rating for games that I review. How many times in a week will I stay up after 11 PM, once my family has gone to sleep on a workday and spend 2 hours with it, knowing full well that I need to enter the rat race at 8 AM the next morning. Well on that scale, I give WWE2K22:

“Until the time I beat Roman Reigns in Legend Mode.”

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