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2K Games confirmed WWE 2K22 over Wrestlemania 37, and fans are understandably hyped. The series has been away for quite some time, after all. The last game to be released in the series, WWE 2K20, came out over two years ago. The quality of 2K's WWE games has been slipping over the years. But the series had an all-time low in WWE 2K20, receiving boos everywhere. The abysmal reception for 2K20 led to publisher 2K Games to skip WWE 2K21 altogether. It was clear that 2K needed to go back to the drawing board and reset the course of the franchise.
The year-long break that developers Visual Concepts had in skipping WWE 2K21 should have given them enough time to think about what needs to change to revitalize the series. Thankfully, fans have been very vocal about what they want from the WWE 2K series. Hopefully, Visual Concepts spent the time listening to what fans want and focus on features that will be meaningful to them. With that in mind, we talk about the Top 5 WWE 2K22 features that fans really want to see to return with the game.
#5 – ROAD TO WRESTLEMANIA
Road to Wrestlemania used to be the main story mode of older WWE games. Before there were WWE 2K games, there was the Smackdown vs. Raw series. Last used in the 2011 title WWE '12, Road to Wrestlemania provided players a story-driven game mode. Players take control of particular wrestlers and follow a story that sets them on the path to Wrestlemania, the wrestling world's grandest stage.
While the succeeding games' story modes will have different forms over the years, with WWE '13‘s Attitude Era Mode and the like, the Road to Wrestlemania treatment would be a welcome addition to WWE 2K22. Recent WWE 2K games feel very barebones with not a lot of narrative content. Meanwhile, WWE 2K20‘s own story mode failed spectacularly not only because of technical issues but also because of its contrived storyline. Bringing back Road to Wrestlemania will give WWE 2K22 more structure, with a story mode that is much more believable than what 2K had been producing in the past couple of years.
#4 – A USER-FRIENDLY CREATE-A-STORY MODE
Meanwhile, many wrestling fans don't only want to fill in the boots of wrestlers. Some want to become bookers, too. WWE 2K‘s Universe Mode gives players the freedom to create their own stories. However, it's never been made well enough to be worth anyone's salt. While the most dedicated of fans can create compelling storylines using the game's tools, its features are too limiting to have any widespread appeal. Making a better, more user-friendly create-a-story mode will make WWE 2K22 a much better game.
To do this, art has to imitate life. It's no question that those who will buy WWE 2K22 also watch the actual show. Hence, Visual Concepts should take more inspiration from how storylines form and adapt in the real show. Fans will get their ideas from how storylines develop in Raw and Smackdown, so why not use those? Rivalries should be more fleshed out, alliances should mean more, and cutscenes should be better crafted. Most importantly, Visual Concepts should find a way to make these scenes less dull by actually getting the wrestlers to record lines for the cutscenes.
#3 – WWE 2K22 SHOWCASE MODE
Compelling storylines, relatable characters, and emotional moments are what make watching wrestling fun and enjoyable. It's no question that one of the most enjoyable aspects of watching wrestling is following these storylines unfold. Over the years, WWE created some of the most memorable storylines in wrestling history. Since WWE ‘2K15, 2K Games have used Showcase Mode to retell these memorable stories. Players recreate the most iconic matches in WWE history, featuring some of the most compelling heroes and villains of wrestling.
Most recently, WWE 2K20 told the story of the Women's Revolution. A real-life movement that made women wrestlers more competitive rather than just being eye candies, the Women's Revolution brought about a new era in WWE. If there's any reason why anyone should play the technical disaster that is WWE 2K20, it's this Showcase Mode.
There are still a lot of stories not told in the Showcase Modes of the past, and many new stories have been told since WWE 2K20. Edge's surprise return in the 2020 Royal Rumble and his subsequent title run in 2021 against Roman Reigns will make a good Showcase Mode. This could even extend up to the Royal Rumble bout where he paired with his wife Beth Phoenix against The It Couple, The Miz and Maryse. Finn Balor's debut Summerslam victory in 2016 to become the first-ever Universal Champion will also make an interesting Showcase Mode match, even though Finn's career hasn't been too stellar recently. There are many great options for Visual Concepts to choose from. They only have to do these stories justice in WWE 2K22.
The latest The Hit List Trailer revealed that there will be a Showcase Mode returning for WWE 2K22, so that's a good thing. With Rey Mysterio being the cover athlete, we have a very high chance of seeing the high flyer to be the focus of this year's Showcase Mode.
#2 – A FULLY FLESHED-OUT WWE 2K22 ROSTER
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With over 260 playable superstars in WWE 2K20, WWE 2K games have always offered a wide variety of characters for players to choose from. However, either due to time, budget, or resource constraints, many of these superstars don't even look like their real-life counterparts. WWE 2K22 should make sure that all of the superstars they choose to include are as realistic-looking as they can. Pull all the stops in making the models and leave no superstar left ugly.
Apart from making sure that all wrestlers look how they're supposed to be, WWE 2K22 should also release the full roster completely. No DLCs for the characters, or pre-order bonuses. If they want to regain their fans' trust, now's not the time to milk their wallets dry with costly microtransactions and DLCs. Offer the full roster, including all the NXT talents, managers, and WWE Legends in the base game.
However, with the multiple waves of superstar releases in recent months, this might become too much to ask. So far, we have less than a hundred wrestlers revealed to be part of the roster, which is a far cry from WWE 2K20‘s 266 roster count.
#1 – WWE 2K22 GM MODE
Finally, one of the most missed features that need to return to WWE 2K22 is the General Manager Mode, or GM Mode. The wrestling business management sim game mode has been requested by fans ever since the game mode was scrapped in WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2009. The GM Mode puts you in the shoes of one of the brands' general managers. You go against the GMs in a bid of brand supremacy. Manage the brand's finances while booking great matches with popular superstars to gain the strongest TV ratings and become the GM of the Year.
While this sounds mundane on paper, it's one of the most enjoyable game modes of the older WWE games. Ever since 2K Games took over the publishing of WWE games, they've never taken a shot with this game mode. However, that doesn't mean they shouldn't try. WWE 2K22 would be the perfect time for them to implement the GM Mode. Heck, some fans might buy WWE 2K22 just for the GM Mode. That's how much fans miss this feature.
Thankfully, the latest Hit List Trailer has confirmed that GM Mode is indeed coming back. We can't wait to put this iteration of GM Mode to the test. Arguably, if this game mode works, we can play the game all day without ever playing the fighting game inside. This can indeed be a game mode that we can enjoy all by ourselves, booking our dream storylines without ever bothering with the gameplay.
WHAT 2K NEEDS TO DO TO MAKE WWE 2K22 A SUCCESS
While these features discussed above will absolutely make WWE 2K22 a way better game than WWE 2K20, implementing these will still not be enough. In fact, none of these features will matter if WWE 2K22 will be a buggy mess, not fun to play, and filled with glitches like Cyberpunk 2077. Hence, what Visual Concepts really has to do is to make sure that the game is smooth and polished, gameplay-wise.
If the year they spent away would lead to a game that is at least as technically good as WWE 2K19, then at least we'll know that the series is back on track. As long as they make a game that is playable and offers a fun experience, we can always just hope that future entries will include these most requested features. At the very least, we'll know that WWE 2K games are great again, and Visual Concepts can focus on adding new features moving forward, rather than worrying about their game's basic playability.
Finally, please, no microtransactions.
WWE 2K22 will be coming out on March 11, 2022. This will be the first time that a WWE 2K game will be coming out the same year as the title.
