There once was a time when the official WWE-licensed games were not only warmly-received by wrestling fans, but the video game industry in general. That’s changed in recent years, withWWE 2K20earning scathing reviews from criticsand being labeled as one of the worst wrestling video games ever made. Considering how poorly-receivedWWE 2K20was, it makes sense that WWE would want to leave 2K Sports behind and find a new partner to work with, but the recently-releasedWWE 2K22is proof that WWE should give 2K Sports another chance.
There have been reports thatWWE has met with EAto potentially discuss handing the WWE video game license over to EA Sports for the next installment, though it remains to be seen if that will actually happen. Previous rumors have indicated thatWWE 2K22would be the last chance for 2K Sports to get the game right, and it’s too early to say if the new game will be considered a success in WWE’s eyes. But even if WWE still isn’t completely satisfied with the reception toWWE 2K22, it should still stick with 2K Sports instead of jumping ship to EA.
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WWE 2K22reviewsare significantly better thanWWE 2K20’s, with basically everyone in agreement that the new game is a huge step forward for the franchise.WWE 2K22has earned praise for its in-ring gameplay as well as some of the new features it brings to the table, but really it feels like a “rebuild” game. What it does is lay the foundation for the nextWWE 2Kgame to really take things to the next level, addressing the flaws fromWWE 2K22while retaining what fans like about the new game.
There’s been a great deal of praise forWWE 2K22’s in-ring action, and for good reason. The new counter system allows for faster-paced matches, while the new animations and graphics ensure that every move looks better than ever before.WWE 2K22does away with the more complicated kickout and submission systems, instead simply having players mash buttons to escape a pin attempt or get out of a submission hold. This makes it feel like some of the older WWE video games, and the end result is that it’s incredibly fun when players are battling it out between the ropes.
So 2K Sports and developer Visual Concepts have nailed how a WWE video game should play in-ring withWWE 2K22, it’s just the modes surrounding it that need some work. To throw all this away by jumping to EA would be a huge mistake, as the potentialWWE 2K23could genuinely be one of the best WWE games ever if it addresses some issues with the game modes.
How MyGM Can Improve in WWE 2K23
The last time that a WWE video game had General Manager mode was inWWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008. For one reason or another, the fan favorite mode disappeared from subsequent WWE games, only to finally resurface 14 years later asMyGM inWWE 2K22. It’s great to see some form of General Manager mode return in a WWE video game, but there are definitely some downsides toWWE 2K22’s MyGM that could be addressed inWWE 2K23.
WWE 2K22MyGM has some odd restrictions that hold it back from reaching its full potential. Players are only ever able to book singles or tag team matches, severely limiting the match types that they have at their disposal. There are also promo slots wasting up space on pay-per-view cards, making it difficult for players to truly live out their fantasy booking dreams.
The biggest problem withWWE 2K22MyGM, though, is the fact that players can’t keep playing after their season is over. Once players reachWrestleMania, they have to start over from scratch.WWE 2K23could address this problem by letting players play through infinite seasons of MyGM and just letting them have a draft after each WrestleMania event. The champions would stay on the brands, but other superstars would be up for grabs. This would significantly improve the replay value of MyGM and bring it closer in line to what fans were expecting from the mode.
How MyRISE Can Improve in WWE 2K23
MyRISE is essentially theWWE 2K22story mode, where players start out as a male or female WWE superstar and work their way from the Performance Center to television. MyRISE, like MyCareer before it, suffers from some really cheesy dialogue and cutscenes that weigh the experience down. Those who just want to make decisions for their character’s career and enjoy the in-ring action have to slog through a lot of nonsense, but there are some ways to fix these problems as well.
One change that could massively improve MyRISE would be to cut out the voice acting. 2K Sports story modes have had some infamously bad voice acting over the years, and whileWWE 2K22voice acting may not be as bad as some of the stuff that’s been featured in theNBA 2Kgames, it’s still nothing to write home about. Not only that, but players having to sit and wait for the voice actors to deliver their lines only prolongs the cutscenes. Classic WWE video games used text only for dialogue, and while that may seem archaic by today’s gaming standards, it would speed up MyRISE and allow players to get to the parts of it they actually enjoy at a faster rate.
Improving MyGM and MyRISE would go a long way in makingWWE 2K23an even better WWE gaming experience than its predecessor. It would be a shame to see Visual Concepts' work onWWE 2K22wasted by WWE jumping ship to EA, especially since that could bring its own problems with it. Fans have not exactly been thrilled withrecent iterations ofMadden, for instance, and so who’s to say that WWE games under the EA Sports umbrella would be any better than what 2K Sports is bringing to the table.
For now,WWE 2K22is riding high on an enthusiastic community and strong review scores. If this translates to strong sales as well, then maybe WWE and 2K Sports will stick together forWWE 2K23.
WWE 2K22is out now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
