WWE 2K23

Last updated

WWE 2K23
WWE 2K23 cover.jpg
Standard edition cover featuring John Cena
Developer(s) Visual Concepts
Publisher(s) 2K
Series WWE 2K
Platform(s)
ReleaseMarch 14, 2023
Genre(s) Sports
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

WWE 2K23 is a 2023 professional wrestling sports video game developed by Visual Concepts and published by 2K. [1] It is the twenty-third overall installment of the video game series based on WWE, the ninth game under the WWE 2K banner, and the successor to WWE 2K22 . It was released on March 14, 2023, for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. [2]

Contents

WWE 2K23 received generally favorable reviews upon release, and it is the highest-rated professional wrestling video game since WWE '13 . The follow-up title, WWE 2K24 , was released on March 8, 2024.

Gameplay

John Cena stars in all three versions of the cover. John Cena 134616.jpg
John Cena stars in all three versions of the cover.

Like its predecessor, WWE 2K23 features arcade and simulation wrestling gameplay. [3] [4] WarGames is featured for the first time in a WWE 2K game, and the Royal Rumble match now supports online multiplayer with up to eight players. [5] Referee voiceovers have been revamped with different voices and unique lines when the pinfall occurs.

Game modes such as MyFACTION, MyGM, Showcase, Universe, career mode MyRISE and a full creation suite return with new features. [6] [7] [8] Showcase features cover star John Cena and allows players to recreate key moments in Cena's career, playing as his opponents, as a reference to one of his catchphrases, "Never Give Up", in a "countdown" order of his most toughest opponents Cena has faced in his career, from his ECW One Night Stand 2006 matchup against Rob Van Dam for the WWE Championship to his Hell in a Cell 2009 matchup against Randy Orton in a Hell in a Cell match for the WWE Championship, culminating in three fictional matches: two matches involving Cena and any one of the opponents he faced during the showcase in the Raw arena: One where Cena quickly uses his finisher, the Attitude Adjustment, to score a pinfall victory, as a reference to the "LOLCENAWINS" meme, the other facing off against an invisible version of himself, known as "Super Cena", who has an overall rating of 100, as a reference to both another one of his catchphrases, "You Can't See Me", which is also a meme, and the meme of the same name, and a fatal-4-way elimination match at the WrestleMania 38 arena between Cena, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Hulk Hogan, and Bruno Sammartino, under request by Corey Graves.

MyGM has been revamped and features four-player gameplay, five new GMs (Xavier Woods, Tyler Breeze, Kurt Angle, Eric Bischoff and Mick Foley), two new brands (NXT 2.0 and WCW), mid-card championships, the Slammy Awards, which occurred at the end of each season, and a new main goal of earning 10 Hall of Fame trophies, which can be earned via Seasonal Challenges and Career Achievements across multiple 25 week seasons, to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, where, if achieved at the end of a season, the player can retire and end a MyGM campaign or continue to the next season.

The in-game tutorial now features Xavier Woods training at the WWE Performance Center with Happy Corbin and Coach Drew Gulak for his fictional match against John Cena at the WrestleMania 38 arena in order to create his very own Showcase match.

MyRISE features two distinct storylines: "The Lock" and "The Legacy". The Lock follows a male wrestler making his debut on the WWE main roster. The Legacy follows a female second-generation wrestler rising through the ranks, aided by her aunt's rival Molly Holly. [9]

Development

According to Creative Director Lynell Jinks, the WarGames match type began development prior to WWE 2K22, and was made possible by the reworked engine following the failure of WWE 2K20 . [10]

Developer Andrea Listenberger told Fightful that the two storylines in MyRISE were written by former WWE writers. [11]

On February 15, 2023, 2K released entrance footage of returning character Lita, which caused controversy on social media. Fans were critical of Lita's character model, citing a perceived lack of quality and the reuse of an attire which had been used from WWE 2K16 in 2015 to WWE 2K20 in 2019. [12] Lita's model received alterations to the face prior to the release of the game. [13] Lita '06 became a playable character as an answer to the criticism for the base model; an alternative attire is also available.

Roster

WWE 2K23 features 246 superstars. It is the first title in the WWE 2K series to assign different attires to a single slot, namely for Roman Reigns, AJ Styles, Lita and certain Cena models.

Release

On January 23, 2023, WWE 2K23 was officially announced with John Cena as the cover star. Bad Bunny was also announced as a playable character for players that pre-order the game, or purchase the Deluxe or Icon editions. [2] The Bad Bunny edition was released on October 23, 2023, which includes all of the Icon Edition contents, as well as Bad Bunny's Backlash 2023 attire, a Bad Bunny EVO MyFaction card, the Puerto Rican-themed LWO shirt, Bad Bunny-themed MyFaction customization items and 65,700 VC. [14] A similar bundle, which included the base game and both Bad Bunny packs, was released on October 18, 2023.

On January 30, 2K released behind-the-scenes footage of Cody Rhodes being scanned, who makes his first appearance under his real name since the 2014 game WWE 2K15 following his return at WrestleMania 38, now under his nickname, "The American Nightmare". [15]

The Deluxe Edition includes a season pass for future downloadable content, MyFACTION bonuses, and three days of early access on March 14. The Icon Edition features all Deluxe Edition content, as well as the "Ruthless Aggression Pack" which contains: classic OVW versions of Cena, Randy Orton, Brock Lesnar and Batista, the WrestleMania 22 arena, additional MyFACTION bonuses, and the John Cena Legacy Championship. [16]

On March 6, 2023, the downloadable content for the game was announced. Five content packs containing 24 playable characters these were released from April to August, including superstars from Raw, SmackDown, NXT and Legends. [17] These characters include: Bray Wyatt, Wade Barrett, Eve Torres, Zeus, Harley Race, the Steiner Brothers, Pretty Deadly and Hit Row among others.

Reception

WWE 2K23 received "generally favorable reviews" according to review aggregator Metacritic. [18] [19] [20]

In a preview of the game, Dale Driver from IGN observed that the game largely felt the same as its predecessor with a few improvements. [33] IGN noted greater flexibility and creativity in the game compared to its predecessors. [34]

Awards and Nominations

YearCeremonyCategoryResultRef.
2024 27th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards Sports Game of the Year Nominated [35]

Related Research Articles

<i>WWE 2K</i> Video game series

WWE 2K, formerly released as WWF SmackDown!, WWE SmackDown!, WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw, WWE, and Exciting Pro Wrestling in Japan, is a series of professional wrestling sports simulation video games that launched in 2000. The premise of the series is to emulate professional wrestling, specifically that of WWE, formerly known as the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). The series began with WWF SmackDown! on the original PlayStation and has continued as an annual release. It was originally exclusive to PlayStation platforms until 2006's WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007, which expanded the series to other platforms. In 2013, the series was rebranded as WWE 2K, beginning with WWE 2K14.

<i>WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw</i> 2004 professional wrestling video game

WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw is a professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's and published by THQ for the PlayStation 2 on November 2, 2004, in North America. It is the sixth installment of professional wrestling promotion World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE)'s video game series, the sequel to 2003's WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain, and the first game to be released under the SmackDown! vs. Raw title. The game series was rebranded after the introduction of the brand extension which divided WWE's roster into two brands, the latter brand in the game's title being named after WWE's weekly Monday Night Raw program.

<i>WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007</i> 2006 professional wrestling video game

WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007 is a professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's and published by THQ in 2006. It is the third game under the WWE SmackDown vs Raw name, the eighth game overall in the video game series based on the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) professional wrestling promotion, and is the successor to 2005's WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006. The game was released worldwide in November 2006 for PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360, and a month later for PlayStation Portable. The Xbox 360 version was the first game in the series to be published on a seventh-generation video game console. A PlayStation 3 version was also planned as a launch title but was later canceled.

<i>WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009</i> 2008 professional wrestling video game

WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009 is a professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's and published by THQ for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, Wii, and Xbox 360 video game consoles, with TOSE overseeing development for the Nintendo DS version. The game was first released on November 9, 2008, in North America. It is the tenth overall installment in the video game series based on the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) promotion, and the fifth game under the SmackDown vs. Raw name, named after the promotion's Raw and SmackDown brands. It is the sequel to 2007's SmackDown vs. Raw 2008 and the second game to feature the promotion's ECW brand.

<i>WWE All Stars</i> 2011 professional wrestling video game

WWE All Stars is a 2011 professional wrestling video game published by THQ and released for Nintendo 3DS, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Wii and Xbox 360 systems. The game features current and former WWE wrestlers competing in fast-paced wrestling matches. It is also the only WWE video game to be available for the Nintendo 3DS and the last WWE video game to be released on the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable.

<i>WWE 13</i> 2012 wrestling video game

WWE '13 is a professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's and published by THQ for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Wii. It was released on October 30, 2012, in North America and November 2, 2012, in United Kingdom. It is the fourteenth overall installment in the WWE series, the sequel to WWE '12, and the last installment to be released on a Nintendo console until WWE 2K18 in 2017. It was also the last WWE-licensed game to be published by THQ before the company's demise in January 2013, ending their relationship with WWE after 14 years. Following THQ's liquidation, Take-Two Interactive would acquire the publishing rights to future games, as the WWE series would be rebranded as the WWE 2K series and would be published by 2K.

<i>WWE 2K14</i> 2013 wrestling video game

WWE 2K14 is a professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's and published by 2K for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It was released on October 29, 2013, in North America, October 30, 2013, in Japan, October 31, 2013, in Australia, and November 1, 2013, in Europe and India. The game's box art features The Rock as the cover athlete.

<i>WWE 2K15</i> 2014 video game

WWE 2K15 is a professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's and published by 2K for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One and Microsoft Windows. It is the sequel to WWE 2K14, and was succeeded by WWE 2K16. It was released on October 28, 2014, in North America and on October 31, 2014, in Europe for last generation consoles and released on November 18, 2014, in North America and on November 21, 2014, in Europe for current generation consoles. It was released for Microsoft Windows on April 28, 2015, and was the first WWE game to be released on the platform since WWE Raw, which was released in 2002. Online server play was shut down on May 31, 2016. It is the first game in the series to use the new WWE logo since it was introduced earlier in 2014, which was originally used as the logo of the WWE Network.

<i>WWE 2K16</i> 2015 video game

WWE 2K16 is a professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's and published by 2K for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One. It is the sequel to WWE 2K15, and was succeeded by WWE 2K17. It was released on October 27, 2015, in North America and on October 30, 2015, in Europe, while being released on PC on March 11, 2016.

<i>WWE 2K17</i> 2016 wrestling video game

WWE 2K17 is a professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's and published by 2K for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Microsoft Windows. It is the eighteenth game in the WWE game series, serving as the following from their previous game WWE 2K16, and followed by WWE 2K18. This is the fourth and final installment to be released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 platforms and on those platforms it still follows the gameplay blueprint of WWE 2K14.

Babatunde Łukasz Aiyegbusi is a Nigerian-Polish professional wrestler and former American football player. He is currently working on the independent circuit under the ring name Babathunder. He is best known for his tenure with WWE, where he performed under the ring names Dabba-Kato, Babatunde, and Commander Azeez. He previously played for a number of teams in the Polish American Football League and German Football League, and had a stint with the Minnesota Vikings during the 2015 preseason.

<i>WWE 2K18</i> 2017 video game download

WWE 2K18 is a professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's and published by 2K. It is the nineteenth instalment in the WWE game series and a follow-up to WWE 2K17. It was released worldwide on October 17, 2017, for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. With its release, WWE 2K18 became the first in the series to be exclusively released on eighth generation hardware and also the first in the series to be released for PC and consoles simultaneously. A Nintendo Switch version followed on December 6, 2017, the only release of the series for the Switch and the first WWE game to be released for a Nintendo platform since WWE '13.

<i>WWE 2K19</i> 2018 wrestling video game

WWE 2K19 is a professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's and published by 2K. It was released worldwide on October 9, 2018, for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. It is the twentieth game in the WWE series, the sixth under the WWE 2K banner, and the successor to WWE 2K18.

<i>WWE 2K20</i> 2019 video game

WWE 2K20 is a professional wrestling video game developed by Visual Concepts and published by 2K. It was released worldwide on October 22, 2019, for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. It is the twenty-first installment of the WWE series, the seventh under the WWE 2K banner, and the successor to WWE 2K19. 2K20 is the first game in the series not to be developed by Yuke's, which had developed every entry in the series since its inception in 2000. Visual Concepts, who had previously worked with Yuke's as co-developers since 2014, took over as lead studio for the series.

<i>WWE 2K Battlegrounds</i> 2020 professional wrestling video game

WWE 2K Battlegrounds is a professional wrestling video game developed by Saber Interactive and published by 2K on September 18, 2020. A spin-off to the WWE 2K series and a part of the Playground Sports series, Battlegrounds is a fast-paced, arcade-style fighting game; similar in format to Saber's previous games, NBA Playgrounds and NBA 2K Playgrounds 2.

<i>WWE 2K22</i> 2022 video game

WWE 2K22 is a 2022 professional wrestling sports video game developed by Visual Concepts and published by 2K. It is the twenty-second overall installment of the video game series based on WWE, the eighth game under the WWE 2K banner, and the successor to 2019's WWE 2K20. It was released on March 11, 2022, for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. The follow-up title, WWE 2K23, was released on March 14, 2023.

<i>AEW Fight Forever</i> 2023 professional wrestling video game

AEW Fight Forever is a professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's and published by THQ Nordic. It is the debut title on home consoles and personal computers based on American professional wrestling promotion All Elite Wrestling (AEW).

<i>WWE 2K24</i> 2024 professional wrestling video game

WWE 2K24 is a professional wrestling sports video game developed by Visual Concepts and published by 2K. It is the twenty-fourth overall installment of the video game series based on WWE, the tenth game under the WWE 2K banner, and the successor to WWE 2K23. It was released on March 8, 2024 for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

<i>NBA 2K24</i> 2023 video game

NBA 2K24 is a 2023 basketball video game developed by Visual Concepts Austin and published by 2K, based on the National Basketball Association (NBA). It is the 25th installment in the NBA 2K franchise, the successor to NBA 2K23 and the predecessor to NBA 2K25. The game was released on September 8, 2023, for Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S. The NBA 2K24 Arcade Edition was released on Apple Arcade on October 24, 2023.

References

  1. ↑ "WWE 2K23". WWE 2K23 Official Website. Archived from the original on November 1, 2022. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  2. 1 2 Reed, Chris (January 23, 2023). "WWE 2K23: Here's What Comes in Each Edition". IGN . Archived from the original on January 23, 2023. Retrieved January 21, 2024.
  3. ↑ James, Dean (February 3, 2023). "Hands-On Preview: WWE 2K23 Builds Upon Last Year's Return To Form". MSN . Archived from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  4. ↑ Driver, Dale (February 2, 2023). "WWE 2K23 Hands-On Preview". IGN . Archived from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  5. ↑ Sajid, Hassan (February 2, 2023). "New WWE 2K23 gameplay trailer shows the new WarGames mode and more". Xfire . Archived from the original on February 9, 2023. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
  6. ↑ Norton, Brad (March 1, 2023). "Everything we know about WWE 2K23: Release date, roster, new match types, more". Dexerto. Archived from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  7. ↑ Makar, Connor (February 2, 2023). "WWE 2K23 Preview: the first real step towards a bright future". VG247 . Archived from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  8. ↑ Wilson, Ben (February 2, 2023). "WWE 2K23 preview: WarGames, Showcase and the return of Cody Rhodes". GamesRadar+ . Archived from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  9. ↑ Williams, Leah J. (March 8, 2023). "WWE 2K23: MyRISE will feature two original storylines". GamesHub. Archived from the original on March 13, 2023. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
  10. ↑ "WWE 2K23 Developers Talk About The Challenges Integrating WarGames Match". Yahoo! . February 6, 2023. Archived from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  11. ↑ "411MANIA". WWE 2K23 Developer On Writing MyRise Mode. Archived from the original on March 12, 2023. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
  12. ↑ Lentini, Robert (February 16, 2023). "'This is not Lita!' – Wrestling fans react to Hall of Famer's character design in WWE 2K23". Sportskeeda. Archived from the original on March 13, 2023. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
  13. ↑ Dalton Derrick [@PhoenixNitro] (March 7, 2023). "Lita's initial model was one of the worst I've ever seen. I was very excited and shocked to see that Lita was updated before launch. I think this looks a lot better than what was initially shown! Still not perfect, but I'll take it compared to what was shown haha" (Tweet). Retrieved March 13, 2023– via Twitter.
  14. ↑ Scullion, Chris (January 23, 2023). "WWE 2K23 has been officially confirmed for a March release". Video Games Chronicle . Archived from the original on March 13, 2023. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
  15. ↑ Noah, Steve (January 31, 2023). "WWE 2K23 Cody Rhodes Entrance & Behind the Scenes Videos". Operation Sports. Archived from the original on March 13, 2023. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
  16. ↑ Reed, Chris (March 7, 2023). "WWE 2K23: Here's What Comes in Each Edition". IGN . Archived from the original on March 13, 2023. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
  17. ↑ SimoneSDH. "WWE 2K23 DLC List: All Characters Packs and Release Dates". The SmackDown Hotel. Archived from the original on March 13, 2023. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
  18. 1 2 "WWE 2K23 for PC Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on March 24, 2023. Retrieved March 24, 2023.
  19. 1 2 "WWE 2K23 for PlayStation 5 Reviews". Metacritic . Archived from the original on March 13, 2023. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
  20. 1 2 "WWE 2K23 for Xbox Series X Reviews". Metacritic . Archived from the original on March 12, 2023. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
  21. ↑ Handley, Zoey (March 21, 2023). "Review: WWE 2K23". Destructoid . Archived from the original on March 21, 2023. Retrieved March 21, 2023.
  22. ↑ Colantonio, Giovanni (March 14, 2023). "WWE 2K23 review: the wrestling comeback story continues". Digital Trends . Archived from the original on March 14, 2023. Retrieved March 14, 2023.
  23. ↑ Stewart, Marcus (March 17, 2023). "WWE 2K23 Review - Tightening Some Holds". Game Informer . Archived from the original on March 18, 2023. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
  24. ↑ Wakeling, Richard (March 20, 2023). "WWE 2K23 Review - Head Of The Table". GameSpot . Archived from the original on March 20, 2023. Retrieved March 20, 2023.
  25. ↑ Wilson, Ben (March 13, 2023). "WWE 2K23 review: "The series is finally back on top form"". GamesRadar+ . Archived from the original on March 13, 2023. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
  26. ↑ Wells, Cory (March 13, 2023). "Review: WWE 2K23". Hardcore Gamer. Archived from the original on March 13, 2023. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
  27. ↑ Green, Jarrett (March 17, 2023). "WWE 2K23 Review". IGN . Archived from the original on March 17, 2023. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
  28. ↑ Rodriguez, Jason (March 14, 2023). "'WWE 2K23' review: a return to form for the franchise". NME . Archived from the original on March 14, 2023. Retrieved March 14, 2023.
  29. ↑ Potter, Ben (March 13, 2023). "WWE 2K23 Review (PS5)". Push Square . Archived from the original on March 13, 2023. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
  30. ↑ Tan, Nick (March 13, 2023). "WWE 2K23 review: Repeated strikes". Shacknews . Archived from the original on March 13, 2023. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
  31. ↑ Madnani, Mikhail (March 21, 2023). "'WWE 2K23' Steam Deck Review – Shockingly Good, but Needs More Work". TouchArcade . Archived from the original on March 21, 2023. Retrieved March 21, 2023.
  32. ↑ Borthwick, Ben (March 16, 2023). "WWE 2K23 Review – Head of the Table?". VideoGamer.com. Archived from the original on March 16, 2023. Retrieved March 16, 2023.
  33. ↑ Driver, Dale (February 2, 2023). "WWE 2K23 Hands-On Preview". IGN . Archived from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
  34. ↑ Green, Jarrett (March 17, 2023). "WWE 2K23 Review". IGN. Archived from the original on March 29, 2023. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
  35. ↑ "2024 Awards Category Details Sports Game of the Year". interactive.org. Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences . Retrieved February 16, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.