The first wave of must-add WWE 2K26 CAWs has landed, and mixes missing roster members with greats from years past – alongside a couple of super-talented NXT prospects. CAW stands for Create-A-Wrestler, and you can add all the brawlers below to WWE 2K26 by searching for their creator’s name within Community Creations. Chris Jericho, Ronda Rousey, Sasha Banks and Sting are four of the essential grapplers to be found in your WWE 2K26 CAWs guide.

1. Bad Bunny

Every year, the community fizzes with excitement while awaiting WhatTheStatus’s early CAWs. Known as ‘Status’ for short, this year the iconic creator already has a great-looking Bad Bunny to add to your download list. The Puerto Rican played February's Super Bowl half-time show – but funnily enough, no-one mentioned that he’s also a former WWE 24/7 Champion.

2. Bravo Americano

Dudley grappler Tyler Bate is featured on the WWE 2K26 roster, but only under his real name – ignoring the way he’s adapted to the masked ‘Bravo Americano’ gimmick since it was introduced last summer. Thankfully astrotwins_2 has come to the rescue, and you can immediately add some experienced back-up for El Grande Americano to your roster. With more to come…

3. Chris Jericho

Y2K has long been rumoured for a WWE return after being a prominent part of the AEW Fight Forever roster. Yet it didn’t happen at the Royal Rumble, and Elimination Chamber did see one notable grappler make the switch – but it was Danhausen, not Jericho. End the wait with this realistic CAW. It was made by Bhangra22man, with help from Esmec, Valoween, ibudsmoves, and harvaddy.

4. Edge

Another WWE-turned-AEW icon here – but while we might see Jericho in WWE before 2026 is out, there’s zero chance of the same being said for Edge. Thankfully WhatsThatStatus has stepped in, with this hand-made creation looking just as good as the Rated-R Superstar’s DLC character from Fight Forever.

5. Jeff Hardy

In years past, we’ve not featured DLC characters – or WWE 2K26 Ringside Pass, as it’s now known – in this esteemed round-up, as doing so felt like the waste of a roster spot. This CAW by Valoween is too good to ignore though. It features an all-white outfit without face paint, and a black outfit with pink face paint. Hardy is officially being added to the 2K26 roster in July – and this will more than tide you over ’til then.

6. Jon Moxley

Two grapplers in a row on this list for Valoween, with his interpretation of the man once known as Dean Ambrose also worthy of a CAW slot. Don’t forget that the number of those has doubled to 200 this year, making all the names found here even more tempting. Add Ambrose and you can reunite him with Shield members Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns for maximum carnage.

7. Lainey Reid

Reid’s story is a curious one. Her Fatal Influence stablemates Jacy Jayne and Fallon Henley are both on the roster, and Lainey herself was ‘leaked’ back in January by a Twitter source who got last year’s DLC spot on. But she’s not on the disc or in the Ringside Pass, making this endgame3702 effort your primary means of adding her.

8. Paige

Whether you know her has a Paige from WWE or Saraya in AEW, Norwich’s greatest wrestling export is a household name twice over – and was portrayed by Florence Pugh in the brilliant Fighting With My Family, too. Decent career, that. If you want her in your game under either of those monickers, grab this model by KungFuCAWS – with a moveset curated by Kiel Thy Wolf.

9. Rayo Americano

Earlier on we promised even more back-up for El Grande Americano, and here it is. Rayo Americano is the third gimmick of Pete Dunne’s WWE run – as well as grappling under his real name, he was also known as Butch in the Brawling Brutes. It’s proved hilarious, with both Dunne and New Catch Republic partner Tyler Bate truly throwing themselves into the roles. Like Bravo Americano, this is the work of astrotwins_2.

10. Ronda Rousey

The most stunning wrestling surprise of 2026 – so far, anyway – was former WWE and UFC champion Rousey turning up in AEW, with minimal speculation ahead of her shock debut. It means she’s out of this series for a little while, and will likely be a CAW mainstay for the foreseeable future instead. Kudos to KungFuCAWS for his take on ‘Rowdy’ Ronda, with moveset help from Big Righteous.

11. Sasha Banks

We’re back in WhatsTheStatus territory with this incredibly lifelike model of Sasha Banks – or Merceded Mone, as she’s reinvented herself in AEW. She’s not appeared in WWE since 2022, but many fans still consider her one of the greatest female wrestlers of the last decade – alongside Four Horsewomen comrades Bayley, Charlotte Flair, and Becky Lynch.

12. Saquon Shugars

It’s rare that the WWE 2K community agrees on anything, but this year they’re united in lamenting the biggest omissions from the Ringside Pass: dominant NXT faction DarkState. Along with Dion Lennox, Osiris Griffin, and Cutler James, Shugars has demonstrated serious potential since debuting last year. Bring him into your game with this Bhangra22man CAW, made with help from Esmec, Valoween, and Phsylum.

13. Sting

The most downloaded wrestler in Community Creations has already surpassed the 35,000 mark – and is a true icon of the WCW years. Fitting, then, that this Sting model was made by WCW-Eraz. It features two distinct outfits, along with Sting’s iconic black-and-white face paint – and the trusty creator also has a Sting with red face paint available separately. The beginnings of your own NWO Wolfpac faction are right here.

© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission.

The WWE 2K26 MyRise walkthrough is slightly easier, and more straightforward, than its predecessor. Phew! While 2K25 took four complete plays to unlock everything, WWE 2K26 requires three at most – and it’s a lot faster, with just six chapters' worth of rewards to work through. As well as Michelle McCool and Scott Steiner, there are a ton of 2K Originals to unlock too. Find out how with our WWE 2K26 MyRise walkthrough and chapter rewards guide.

WWE 2K26 MyRise personality types

There are two separate ways to play through WWE 2K26 MyRise. Choose a female character for a long-term rivalry with Jordynne Grace, or a male if you fancy a storyline in which you chase down Bron Breakker. Last year there were three personality types, but this year it’s down to two: face or heel. However, you can switch between the two during certain chapter transitions, by choosing the good or nefarious responses to particular conversations. Scroll on to see what’s unlocked in each chapter, depending on your gender and face or heel selections.

WWE 2K26 MyRise chapter rewards

Below are all the WWE 2K26 MyRise chapter rewards available through story mode play. They're largely split between extra WWE 2K26 roster additions, arenas, and parts for WWE 2K26 CAWs.

Chapter 1: Brick By Brick / Burning Bridges

• All male characters: Men’s Archetype Trunks, Boots & Shirt (Clothing Parts)
• All male characters: Hector Flores
• All female characters: Moreno
• All characters: 100 RXP
• All face characters: Justine
• All face characters: Justine ‘99
• All face characters: Justine ’99 MyFaction Card
• All face characters: 100 RXP
• Female face character: Meilee “Fanny” Fan
• Female face character: Meilee “Fanny” Fan MyFaction card
• All heel characters: Tavish
• All heel characters: Chosen
• All heel characters: La Cangrejita Loca
• All heel characters: La Cangrejita Loca MyFaction Card
• All heel characters: Archetypal Gym (Arena)

Chapter 2: Indie Excursion / Archetype Underground

• Male face character: Slade
• Male face character: Slade MyFaction card
• Female face character: The Captain
• Female face character: Moreno MyFaction card
• All face characters: Geneva Rose
• All face characters: Barron Blade
• All face characters: TBD Arena
• All face characters: TCD Championship
• All heel characters: Psycho Sally
• All heel characters: Archetypal Gym 2.0 (Arena)

Chapter 3: Respect The Process / Reject The System

• All characters: 100 RXP
• All face characters: NXT Live Arena
• All heel characters: Rikishi
• All heel characters: Archetype Shovel (Weapon)
• Male heel character: Main Event R-Truth
• Male heel character: Main Event R-Truth MyFaction card

Chapter 4: Through The Ringers / Belt And Betrayal

• All face characters: Dusty Rhodes ‘89
• All face characters: Dusty Rhodes ’89 MyFaction card
• All heel characters: Road Dogg
• All heel characters: Road Dogg MyFaction card x2

Chapter 5: Side By Side / Standing Alone

• All personalities: 100 RXP
• Male face character: New Day Pancake Tray
• All face characters: Survivor Series MyRise Arena
• All face characters: Royal Rumble chair
• Female face character: Raquel Rodriguez body suit (Clothing Parts)
• Male heel character: Wyatt Sicks Hector Flores 
• Male heel character: Wyatt Sicks Hector Flores MyFaction card
• Female heel character: Wyatt Sicks Moreno
• Female heel character: Wyatt Sicks Moreno MyFaction card

Chapter 6: Face To Face / On The Heels Of Greatness

• All characters: 250 RXP
• All characters: WrestleMania MyRise Arena
• All male characters: Bron Breakker WrestleMania singlet (Clothing Parts)
• All female characters: Jordynne Grace WrestleMania attire (Clothing Parts)
• Male face character: Men’s Beware of the Dog jacket (Clothing Parts)
• Male face character: Archetype Universal Championship
• Female face character: Archetype Raw Women’s Championship
• All face characters: Second Wind Payback
• Male Heel character: Cody Rhodes Suit (Clothing Parts)
• Female heel character: Becky Lynch casual bundle (Clothing Parts)
• All heel characters: Spirit Breaker Payback

WWE 2K26 MyRise Live Event rewards

Live Event Rewards made for an enjoyable side quest last year, and this time out they’re integral to the storyline. For each chapter in WWE 2K26, you need to earn a certain number of stars in Live Event matches to move the story on. Happily, there’s a two-birds-one-Stone-Cold-Steve-Austin twist, as stars add up across each playthough to grant you additional rewards. Below is the full list of WWE 2K26 MyRise Live Event Rewards.

• 10: Buzz (+MyFaction card)
• 10: BCW Arena
• 13: Cole Quinn
• 22: CM Punk retro (+MyFaction card)
• 25: Liv Morgan CAW jacket
• 31: Red (+MyFaction card)
• 31: Tre (+MyFaction card)
• 31: Motion Capture Studio Arena
• 34: Naomi CAW outfit 
• 37: Josie Jane (+MyFaction card)
• 43: MyRise 2K22 Female Player (+MyFaction card)
• 43: MyRise 2K22 Male Player (+MyFaction card)
• 43: Law Arena
• 46: Chase (+MyFaction card)
• 51: El Mago Jr (+MyFaction card)
• 51: Arena Estatal
• 57: El Ordinario (+MyFaction card)
• 57: Mexico Plaza
• 60: Shawn Michaels CAW pants
• 63: Paragon Jay Pierce (+MyFaction card)
• 69: The Lock (+MyFaction card)
• 69: Japan Dome
• 72: Gabriel Slade (+MyFaction card)
• 75: Finn Balor CAW mask & jacket
• 81: LJ (+MyFaction card)
• 81: Japan Hall
• 84: Odyssey Rift (+MyFaction card)
• 87: Jamaican CAW jacket
• 90: Carly Prime (+MyFaction card)
• 98: Alundra Blayze (+MyFaction card)
• 98: Wrestling Convention
• 103: Scott Steiner ‘03 (+MyFaction card)
• 108: Michelle McCool
• 116: Undertaker CAW singlet
• 124: Diamond Dallas Page
• 140: The Fiend Bray Wyatt Burned (+MyFaction card)
• 150: The Dark Horse (+MyFaction card)
• 150: The Shield CAW mask
• 150: Roman Reigns CAW shirt x2
• 175: Bronze Breakker (+MyFaction card)
• 200: Juggernaut Grace (+MyFaction card)

© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission.

WWE 2K26 fans are discovering just how much of a grind the game's new battle pass system is after developer Visual Concepts replaced the traditional DLC model with it.

WWE 2K – like with all publisher 2K's yearly sports games, for the most part – is really into asking you to give it more money. For years, it has had its own spin on EA Sports' Ultimate Team card game – seen in the likes of EA Sports FC and Madden – which focuses on opening virtual booster packs, and on top of that, locks certain wrestlers that can be used in the regular modes behind random drops.

Last year, publisher 2K also introduced The Island, a pseudo MMO mode where you can pay in-game currency to buff your wrestler up, effectively creating a pay-to-win mode. This year, however, the WWE's nickel-and-diming has gotten even worse with the new WWE 2K26 Ringside Pass, or battle pass, of which there will be six drops over the course of the year.

Considering how bad just one Ringside Pass is, six is going to be ridiculous. For starters, the free track of Ringside Pass Season 1 has all of the old WWE Legends, belts, and arenas you would have previously been able to unlock through an in-game shop, or an "unlock everything" booster DLC. Players have also reported weird restrictions in the Ringside Pass, which seems to make any customization to a match – down to choosing what weapons appear under your ring – void it out and grant you zero progress.

There's also the issue of time. I played 30 hours of WWE 2K26 over its review period, and I barely made it past the halfway point of the 40-tier pass. YouTuber ThisGenGaming reports that they played the MyRise story two-and-a-half times, all of Showcase mode (which can't be repeated), a chapter of the Island, and a full segment of World Tour in MyFaction, on top of 40-50 regular matches to reach level 40, and the whole process took them about 40 hours. But you could also pay $77 per season to get tier skips, if you want to access content you've already paid for more quickly.

Needless to say, players on the WWEGames subreddit aren't happy. One user reports they haven't even hit Tier 2 after four Showcase matches and a regular match using an XP booster item.

"All I can do is laugh," their post reads. "I paid $150 for extra content and they want me to burn myself out just to use it? I have a job not to mention a life outside of WWE games I probably play 100-200 hours AT MOST every yr.. This is honestly one of the scummiest forms of corporate greed I've seen in a while, and the only thing worse are the 'just play the game' people defending it."

I'm not a blind battle pass hater, but this is one of the single worst ones I've ever seen. At least with the likes of Fortnite, you're only missing out on cosmetics, not full playable characters that would've been unlocked instantly after purchase any other year.

Plus, the WWE 2K26 DLC is looking to be one of the best in the series to date, with the likes of Earthquake, Brian Pillman, Bam Bam Bigelow, and the Hardy Boyz on the list. So what should've been an easy slam dunk for the game has actually become the worst thing about it.

WWE 2K26 review: "Outstanding action in the ring grapples with overly-monetized rewards, which feels like a work"

If you're looking for WWE 2K26 locker codes then you've come to the right place, as after a long period since Early Access ended with nothing to report I finally have some fresh promos to bring you. Act fast though, as if previous evidence is anything to go on then these won't be available for too long. To find out more, here are the current WWE 2K26 locker codes and how to redeem them, as the process has changed this year.

If you want to know which wrestlers are involved, then we have guides covering the full WWE 2K26 roster and all of the WWE 2K26 Ringside Pass unlockables.

All WWE 2K26 locker codes

• ESNBNHPN– 1x Danger Zone Series Basic Pack new!
• RKGZCBRG – John Cena Farewell Tour Shirt new!

At the time of writing there are a couple of WWE 2K26 locker codes available, after the previous promos released during the Early Access period for 'early adopters' expired. We'll add new locker codes as they are released, so check back soon for the latest updates.

How to redeem WWE 2K26 locker codes

If you're familiar with the process from previous entries in the series, then you may be a bit confused at first when trying to work out how to redeem WWE 2K26 locker codes, as things are a little different this year. To get your rewards:

1. From the main menu, select the Options tab.
2. Scroll down and select the Locker Codes option.
3. Use the text box to enter your code exactly as written.
4. Confirmation will appear of the rewards – if you get an error message, then make sure you've used the correct spelling and the code hasn't expired.

If you unlocked any card packs with your locker code, then they can be found by going to the Store tab then finding the MyFaction area and the Unopened Packs section to unwrap them.

Expired WWE 2K26 locker codes

• WRSTLM4NIA42 – 10,000 MFP
• BSTINTWRLD26 – 1x Aftershock Series 1 Basic Pack, 1x Momentum Series 1 Basic Pack [expired March 13, 2026]
• MZFGCPCR – 32,500 VC [expired March 12, 2026]

There are now some expired WWE 2K26 locker codes, as the launch promos have already hit their expiry date. Locker codes tend to have a short shelf life, so expect more to head down here in the future.

© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission.

It's not often that you associate wrestling games with time travel, but that's exactly what's required in order to review WWE 2K26. This time last year, predecessor WWE 2K25 scored a highly merited four stars. In the ring, it was up there with all-time classic Fire Pro, offering match after match of immersive back-and-forth action, complemented by myriad smart-yet-tiny details. The one reservation was a continuous, egregious drive to part fans from their cash, via the microtransaction temptations of MyFaction and The Island.

The widespread hope was that the nickel-and-diming would be adjusted, post release. Instead, 2K doubled down. MyFaction pack prices were increased from 9,900 'MFP' to 15,100, encouraging fans to spend real-life money. Monthly 'Smash and Stash' rewards went from bountiful packs to miserly MFP and tokens, encouraging fans to spend real-life money. The popular 'Rabblerouser' badge, which sped up matches (and therefore free MFP) by granting certain wrestlers a fast finisher, was nerfed in a patch, encouraging fans to spend real-life money. Retro versions of Triple H, Drew McIntyre and AJ Styles required numerous high-value cards to unlock, encouraging… uh, you get the picture.

The sum total is that, six months after release, the community had almost completely soured on WWE 2K25. And collectively, they were right to do so. Which is remarkable. Remember, inside the ring this was the series' finest hour. Yet, had we re-reviewed it in September, it would have been deducted at least half a star.

Giant unlockables

DeLorean engaged, history lesson complete, WWE 2K26 enters the fray with an even more combustible element: its new Ringside Pass. It follows battle pass convention set by other games by offering 40 tiers of extra content – half free, half 'premium' (i.e. paid for). Despite pre-release misgivings, it's actually very fun to progress through. Rewards such as Island VC and MyFaction cards tempt you into those modes even if you're never previously been interested, while unlocking legends is more engaging than the old supercharger method. Amid a bursting roster, this is the first time in years we've dusted off Mr Perfect and Andre The Giant.

Those legends are free, but Season 1's paid-for characters delight too: AAA newcomers Vikingo, Flammer, Psycho Clown and Mr Iguana all handle delightfully. Alas, with a bizarre caveat. You progress up the tiers by learning RXP, but its implementation often makes little sense. Wins grant 110 RXP, regardless of whether a match finishes in a roll-up after 45 seconds, or after nine minutes of near falls and finisher reversals. It's utterly baffling that a game that features a star system for every match doesn't have it play into your RXP gains.

Worse, the RXP system penalizes you for stepping outside of solo bouts. I invited a mate around for an evening's old school sofa play, and had a brilliant time teaming up using the new 'mystery superstar' mechanic, where you don't know your wrestler until the ring entrances unfold – but earned precisely zero RXP across the night. Turns out, you can only earn RXP in tags by having your partner be AI controlled. Eh?

The bigger question is whether this series needed a battle pass at all. That will be answered in Seasons 2 and 3, where we see whether the initial generosity shown here continues or – as with those complaints about 2K25 – things get stingier, and therefore money grabbier. Much will rest on how 2K implements retro characters, after most fans missed out on McIntyre and Styles last year. In a worrying precedent, a selection of MyFaction's launch Live Events can only be attempted with cards found in packs. Rabblerouser, meanwhile, is gone completely.

There's an argument that Visual Concepts is only keeping step with other sports games, but it misses a clear distinction. EA Sports FC 26 might gate retro Ronaldo or Messi behind stratospheric card prices, but their character models are identical, and you can already play as them across all modes outside of Ultimate Team. In contrast, retro cards in WWE 2K26 feature different likenesses, entrances, trons (videos), and theme music. Effectively encouraging your audience to buy them using real money when the deluxe edition already costs $149.99 feels really underhanded.

The real shame is that this is such a great game when you set aside all the clandestine cash grabs. Quality of life improvements permeate every area, including those two controversial modes. MyFaction gets a new bespoke camera angle and ring setup, with your active cards displayed on the entrance screen in the background. Smash and Stash rewards are returned to full generosity for now, and the expansion of World Tour to cover five continents is promising. Similarly, faction allegiances (with unique rewards) and properly voiced cutscenes significantly improve The Island.

Ring of honor

Between the ropes, it's outstanding. No exaggeration. A tweak to the stamina system adds a purple 'cooldown' bar to the hud, which denotes your character is fatigued – and until it returns to yellow, you can't run or reverse. This slows matches down a step, and adds a cerebral element, where endlessly spamming moves has a tangible negative effect. New Payback abilities involving the ref are also welcome. Bully enables you to intimidate the official into counting faster, while Ref Bump initiates a trope so key to wrestling for decades, that's never been in the game before: the referee being 'accidentally' downed at a critical moment. Sweet.

Commentary is also wonderfully on-point – and amusing, with the additions of Wade Barrett and Booker T, in place of Byron Saxton. Here's the former, narrating his entrance at the biggest show on the calendar: "Wade Barrett is competing at WrestleMania, with Wade Barrett on commentary. How can things get any better?"

Little treasures like that bring regular smiles, and there are plenty of others. Both MyRise storylines, waging war with Jordynne Grace (woman's division) and Bron Breakker (men's) move at a decent lick, packing in welcome fan-servicing unlockables – pretty much every character from the mode since WWE 2K22 returns. Wrestler entrances seamlessly add user-defined taunts, fireworks and ring pyro. Alternate attires no longer take up a create-a-wrestler slot, and these 'CAW's are doubled to 200, tempting endless customization. AI opponents can be pre-programmed with your own move sequences. Detailed win-loss records accompany each wrestler on the character select screen. Without those monetization frustrations, this review could easily have been a list of 100 things we love.

Alas, those frustrations loom, and lessons from last year have to be heeded. There can be no four-star review until WWE 2K26 proves its priorities are gameplay quality, rather than siphoning its audience for every last penny. That means attractive MyFaction rewards for one year rather than one month, and a commitment to making new characters and old gimmicks available for every player, rather than merely those with ambitions to be the next Ted DiBiase. The WWF's Million Dollar Man was merely a gimmick, after all.

WWE 2K26 was reviewed on PS5, with code provided by the publisher.

Keep an eye on our updated new games list for what to play next!

Like most annual sports games, it'd be incredibly easy to label WWE 2K26 as formulaic. It'd be incredibly lazy, too. There are elements of the new brawler that bear a whiff of cut 'n paste: CM Punk's Showcase, the two-parts card-collecting to one-part controversy MyFaction mode, another year of The Island despite most fans panning its debut. Dig deeper, though, and you unearth originality, ambition and hope. After a morning-long hands-on, WWE 2K26's best bits appear to be the details that won't make headlines.

Take wrestler entrances. For most sports games, gameplay is everything. In the choreographed and scripted world of wrestling, that isn't quite true. Of course we want in ring back-and-forth, with weighty collisions, near-falls and crazy finishes, but WWE games are unique in that the show is almost as important as any match: realistic arenas, taunts, likenesses, themes and so on. To that end, Visual Concepts has overhauled the pre-match build up in ways that hook you in before a single punch has been thrown.

Last year saw the addition of user-defined camera angles, and this adds your own taunts and fireworks. It's all seamless, too. Tap the D-pad left up once, twice, or thrice and your grappler breaks out of their motion to perform a face taunt; one to three downward taps do the same, but for heel animations – such as turning to the crowd with a 'boo-hoo' eye rub. Left taps of the pad trigger stage pyro, while right taps unleash fireworks from the turnbuckles. It's truly impressive to see Goldberg break out from the entrance motion every fan knows off by heart to rouse the crowd, without a single animation mis-step. Throw in four- and five-person entrance editing and the community is going to have so much fun with this.

It's a similar story once you're in the ring. Here, the D-pad is used to define your first action of the match – rushing your opponent, posing for the crowd, offering a handshake (which you can turn into a nefarious cheap shot), triggering a punch-off or chain wrestling exchange, and so on. When I've had pre-release time with past WWE games, I've mostly skipped entrances and cut-scenes in order to get straight to the action. For WWE 2K26, I interacted with the build-up to every single match. It's immersive, and all driven by you. Great news indeed.

Time to play the game

As for that gameplay, I'll reserve full judgment for my upcoming WWE 2K26 review, but there are myriad encouraging signs – most of them subtle, again. The AI can now be programmed to perform sequences of moves, so John Cena or Randy Orton no longer try to pin you after signatures, instead prepping to finish you off with an FU or RKO. Run out of stamina and you can no longer reverse: a clever tweak which adds strategy but also slows matches down, given most players' tendency to spam the sprint button. The new 'Bully' Payback, scaring the referee to count faster, is a great heel addition too.

The surprises continue outside of the ring. Ahead of release, fans obsess about two things: those entrances, and the overall roster. To that end, newcomers this year include NXT hopefuls Hank Walker, Tank Ledger, Tavion Heights, Izzi Dame, Myles Borne, Karmen Petrovic and Wren Sinclair. Alongside them, neatly, are Yoshiki Inamura and Jazmyn Nyx – granted series debuts despite departing WWE last winter. Jump into our WWE 2K26 Ringside Pass guide and you'll note further additions, from AAA: Mr Iguana (yes!), El Hijo Del Vikingo, Psycho Crown, and Lady Flammer.

Alas, there's no new theme tune for Smackdown cult favourite Kit Wilson. However, there is good news elsewhere on the music front, with licensed songs from the game's soundtrack now available for entrances. Want your CAW – or any real-life wrestler – to head to the ring accompanied by Andrew WK anthem Party Hard? It's finally possible. Linkin Park's Two Faced and The Black Curtain by Gatecreeper are other natural choices. They'll be needed: WWE 2K26 sees the number of created superstar slots doubled to 200. Again, for the hardcore fan, this is a colossal upgrade.

For balance, I should note some content removals. Most superstars released in real life since WWE 2K25 are gone, so bid farewell to Braun Strowman, Isla Dawn, Karrion Kross, and Scarlett. (Ridge Holland, curiously, is back – and with a fresh new look, too.) Celebrity DLC additions KSI, Shaquille O'Neal, Tyrese Haliburton, and Jalen Brunson are also out, alongside some legends – it's farewell to Jake 'The Snake' Roberts and The Headshinkers. Bizarrely, some entrance tools have been lost too: the 'general purpose' colors for wrestler backdrops have dropped from five to two. Hopefully this is a pre-release oversight and they'll be reinstated for launch. If anything, 200 'CAWs' will need more color options, rather than less.

MyFaction in action

For all the tweaks made, MyFaction is the mode likely to define WWE 2K26's success. Last year it quickly switched from an encouraging launch window to nickel and dime-ing fans for packs and Persona cards, which I'll address further in that imminent review.

For now, the big change to note is Quick Swap matches. You still go in with a four-wrestler squad, but bouts are one-on-one, with grapplers switched out by tapping RT and LB. You must eliminate all four opponents to win. Comedic commentary elements bring novelty, but it's tough to see why fans would play this over traditional tag matches. Indeed, MyFaction's history makes me nervous as to how it will be deployed. But an open mind is required for now.

In the meantime, it's those tiny improvements that have us looking forward to the WWE 2K26 release date: Solo Sikoa's MFT crew having options to go into matches with or without facepaint, or Michael Cole delivering WrestleMania specific commentary lines for El Grande Americano, centering around his being the alter-ego of Chad Gable. Which enables us to finish on one more positive: along with Gable's masked doppelgänger, Ludwig Kaiser's El Grande Americano is here too. It's yet another small-yet-cool detail in a wrestling sim that looks to be overflowing with small-yet-cool details.

Check out our new games list for what's coming up next!

The new WWE 2K26 Ringside Pass is a game changer, in every sense. It sees the old school WWE 2K26 DLC release schedule abolished, and replaced with a battle pass system similar to the one found in EA FC 26. 40 levels of free items are available by playing the game and earning RXP, while the 40 levels’ worth of premium items require a fee ($9.99) to unlock. Below is the full WWE 2K26 Ringside Pass Season 1 unlockables list.

WWE 2K26 Ringside Pass Season 1 free unlockables

WWE 2K26 Ringside Pass Season 1 Premium unlockables

© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission.

Beloved 2003 wrestling game WWE Smackdown! Here Comes The Pain doesn't have a single guide, and one fan is determined to change that.

When the question "What's the best wrestling game ever made?" comes up, you'll typically be given two answers: the N64's WWF No Mercy or the PS2's WWE Smackdown! Here Comes The Pain. And while I'm personally in the WWE Smackdown! vs. Raw 2006 camp, it's undeniable that Here Comes The Pain is an all-timer – it's not like there are any other wrestling games that let you jump off a helicopter onto your opponent.

But ThisGenGaming, who creates WWE Games content on YouTube, noticed the peculiar fact that, "even though WWE Smackdown Here Comes The Pain will be 23 years old this year that there is no storyline guide for season mode anywhere." However, that's soon to change, as they decided to be the person who will right this wrong, saying its been "23 years too long! But better late than never" to provide a storyline guide.

Over the course of one day, ThisGenGaming published four in-depth guides on Twitter covering Smackdown's season modes from April until November, going over recommended choices, storylines, and secrets you can find in the game, which can even depend on how popular your chosen wrestler is.

ThisGenGaming also confirmed that they will write detailed guides for Smackdown's December to March seasons later today, and they plan to post all the information in a text-only format. So in the span of one day and some change, we've gone from no guides for one of the best wrestling games ever to having an expansive multi-part epic. You won't see this kind of dedication for some of the more mid entries like 2K18, that's for sure.

CM Punk fan in disbelief as WWE 2K26 immortalizes the bracelet she gave the superstar 2 years ago: "WHAT IS MY LIFE."

A WWE fan has reacted to a friendship bracelet they made for CM Punk indirectly appearing in WWE 2K26.

Back in 2024, a WWE fan named Victoria met CM Punk at WrestleMania 40 and gave him a friendship bracelet featuring the names of his wife, AJ Lee, and his dog, Larry. Later that same year, it became a central plot point in his feud with Drew McIntyre, in which McIntyre destroyed the bracelet after beating down the legendary wrestler. This culminated in a brutal Hell in a Cell match at Bad Blood 2024, during which McIntyre brought a sack into the ring to dump the contents over Punk. But instead of thumbtacks or anything else you'd find in a wrestling match, it was filled with beads matching those used in the bracelet.

Fast-forward to now and CM Punk is the coverstar of WWE 2K26, with the game's Showcase mode focusing on matches from throughout his career. Naturally – given it's his best match since returning to WWE in 2023 – Punk vs McIntyre made the cut. A trailer released by 2K last night shows snippets from the matches included in the mode, and shows off a clip of that moment when McIntyre dumped the beads over Punk's head.

Victoria took to Twitter after the trailer aired, reacting to the inclusion, saying, "WHAT IS MY LIFE" with a picture of the moment attached. Visual Concepts gameplay designer Cornell Gunter quoted the post saying "welcome to WWE 2K26" to which Victoria responded, "this is honestly the coolest thing ever thank you." So this is clearly a lesson to be nice and give gifts to people, because you never know, it could become the central focus of a professional wrestling blood feud and then be included in a video game.

From College Football 26 to WWE 2K25 via Rematch, the best sports games of 2025 kept us playing.

The WWE 2K26 roster is locked in for launch, and packs a host of legitimate surprises. Along with expected WWE 2K26 additions such as Blake Monroe and Rey Fenix, we're getting Jazmyn Nyx and Yoshiki Inamura – despite them being released from the company late last year. Ringside Pass additions, such as Demolition, are being drip-fed too. Scroll on to see the WWE 2K26 roster sorted by each superstar’s current brand.

WWE 2K26 Raw roster

• Adam Pearce
• AJ Lee
• Akira Tozawa
• Asuka
• Austin Theory
• Bayley
• Becky Lynch
• Brock Lesnar
• Bron Breakker
• Bronson Reed
• Brutus Creed
• Chad Gable
• CM Punk
• Cruz Del Toro
• Demon Finn Balor
• Dominik Mysterio
• Dominik Mysterio Masked
• Dragon Lee
• El Grande Americano
• Erik
• Finn Balor
• Grayson Waller
• Gunther
• Ivar
• Ivy Nile
• Iyo Sky
• JD McDonagh
• Je’Von Evans
• Jey Uso
• Jimmy Uso
• Joaquin Wilde
• Kairi Sane
• Kofi Kingston
• LA Knight
• Liv Morgan
• Logan Paul
• Ludwig Kaiser
• Lyra Valkryia
• Maxxine Dupri
• Naomi
• Nattie*
• Nikki Bella
• Oba Femi
• Original El Grande Americano
• Otis
• Paul Heyman (manager)
• Penta
• Pete Dunne
• Raquel Rodriguez
• Rey Mysterio
• Rhea Ripley
• Roxanne Perez
• Rusev
• Seth Rollins
• Seth Rollins '25
• Seth Rollins WrestleMania 41
• Sheamus
• Stephanie Vaquer
• Tyler Bate
• Xavier Woods
• Zoey Stark

*Nattie is listed under her previous gimmick of Natalya

WWE 2K26 Smackdown roster

• Alba Fyre
• Aleister Black
• Alex Shelley
• Alexa Bliss
• Alexa Bliss '25
• Angel
• Angelo Dawkins
• Apollo Crews
• Axiom
• B-Fab
• Berto
• Bianca Belair
• Candice LeRae
• Carmelo Hayes
• Cathy Kelley (manager)
• Charlotte Flair
• Chelsea Green
• Chris Sabin
• Cody Rhodes
• Damian Priest
• Dexter Lumis
• Drew McIntyre
• Elton Prince
• Erick Rowan
• Giulia
• Ilja Dragunov
• Jacob Fatu
• Jade Cargill
• JC Mateo
• Joe Gacy
• Johnny Gargano
• Jordynne Grace
• Kevin Owens
• Kiana James
• Kit Wilson
• Lash Legend
• Maxxine Dupri
• Michin
• Montez Ford
• The Miz
• Nathan Frazer
• Nia Jax
• Nick Aldis
• Nikki Cross
• Piper Niven
• R-Truth
• 'Main Event' R-Truth
• Randy Orton
• Rey Fenix
• Roman Reigns
• Sami Zayn
• Santos Escobar
• Shinsuke Nakamura
• Solo Sikoa
• Talla Tonga
• Tama Tonga
• Tiffany Stratton
• Tonga Loa
• Trick Williams
• Uncle Howdy
• Zelina Vega

WWE 2K26 AAA roster

• El Hijo Del Vikingo (DLC)
• Flammer (DLC)
• Lady Shani (DLC)
• Mr Iguana (DLC)
• Omos
• Pagano (DLC)
• Psycho Clown (DLC)

WWE 2K26 NXT roster

• Andre Chase
• Blake Monroe
• Brooks Jensen
• Channing Lorenzo
• Charlie Dempsey
• Ethan Page
• Fallon Henley
• Hank Walker
• Izzi Dame
• Jacy Jayne
• Jaida Parker
• Joe Hendry (DLC)
• Josh Briggs
• Karmen Petrovic
• Kelani Jordan
• Lexis King
• Lola Vice
• Myles Borne
• Nikkita Lyons
• Noam Dar
• Ricky Saints
• Shawn Spears
• Sol Ruca
• Tank Ledger
• Tatum Paxley
• Tavion Heights
• Thea Hail
• Tony D'Angelo
• Wendy Choo
• Wren Sinclair
• Zaria

WWE 2K26 Free Agents roster

• Ava (manager)
• Jazmyn Nyx
• Ridge Holland
• Tommaso Ciampa
• Tyler Breeze
• Yoshiki Inamura

WWE 2K26 Elite roster

• Elite Jacob Fatu
• Elite Jade Cargill
• Elite Jey Uso
• Elite Rhea Ripley
• Elite Trick Williams
• Elite The Rock

WWE 2K26 Legends roster

• Abyss
• Afa
• AJ Lee '15
• AJ Styles
• AJ Styles '16
• Alundra Blayze
• Alundra Blayze '94
• Armando Alejandro Estrada (manager)
• Andre The Giant
• Ax (DLC)
• Batista
• Big E
• Billy Gunn
• Bobby Heenan (manager)
• Brother Love (manager)
• Boogeyman
• Booker T
• Bray Wyatt
• Bret Hart
• British Bulldog
• Brock Lesnar TBC
• Brock Lesnar '13
• Bubba Ray Dudley
• Bull Nakano
• Cactus Jack
• Captain Lou Albano (manager)
• Chyna
• Chyna ’97 (DLC)
• CM Hart
• CM Punk ’08
• CM Punk Armageddon '08
• CM Punk Summerslam '08
• CM Punk '11
• CM Punk '13
• CM Punk Summerslam '13
• CM Punk Elimination Chamber '13
• CM Punk ROH/TNA
• CM Punk WrestleMania 29
• Crush (DLC)
• D'Lo Brown
• D-Von Dudley
• Diamond Dallas Page
• Diamond Dallas Page '98
• Diesel
• Doink The Clown
• Drew McIntyre '10
• Dude Love
• Dusty Rhodes
• Dusty Rhodes '89
• Eddie Guerrero
• Eddie Guerrero ’97
• Eric Bischoff
• Eve Torres
• Faarooq
• 'The Fiend' Bray Wyatt
• 'The Fiend' Bray Wyatt '23
• 'The Fiend' Bray Wyatt (Burned)
• Goldberg
• The Great Khali
• The Great Muta
• Haku
• Hollywood Hogan
• Honky Tonk Man
• Hulk Hogan
• Hulk Hogan '02
• Hunter Hearst Helmsley
• The Hurricane
• The Iron Shiek
• JBL
• Jean-Paul Levesque
• Jesse 'The Body' Ventura
• Jim ‘The Anvil’ Neidhart
• Jimmy Hart (manager)
• John Cena
• John Cena '13
• John Cena '15
• Kane
• Kane '08
• Kane ’98 (DLC)
• Ken Shamrock
• Kevin Nash
• Kurt Angle
• Kurt Angle '19
• Lex Luger
• Lita
• ‘Macho Man’ Randy Savage
• ‘Macho Man’ Randy Savage ’98 (DLC)
• Mankind
• Mark Henry
• Maryse
• Michelle McCool
• Mick Foley (manager)
• Miss Elizabeth (manager)
• The Miz '17
• Molly Holly
• Mosh
• Mr Fuji (manager)
• Mr Perfect
• New Jack
• Paul Bearer (manager)
• Paul Orndorff
• Randy Orton '11
• Randy Orton '14
• 'Ravishing' Rick Rude
• Razor Ramon
• Rey Mysterio '08
• Rick Steiner
• Rikishi
• Road Dogg
• Road Dogg Jesse James
• Rob Van Dam
• Rob Van Dam '97
• The Rock
• The Rock '01
• The Rock '13
• The Rock ’99 (DLC)
• Rocky Maivia
• Rosey
• ‘Rowdy’ Roddy Piper
• ‘Rowdy’ Roddy Piper ’98 (DLC)
• The Sandman
• Scott Hall
• Scott Steiner ’03
• Scott Steiner ’93
• Sensational Sherri
• Seth Rollins '15
• Shawn Michaels
• Shawn Michaels ’05
• Shawn Michaels ’94
• Shawn Michaels '97
• Shawn Michaels DX (DLC)
• Sid Justice
• Sika
• Smash (DLC)
• Stacy Keibler
• Stephanie McMahon
• Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley (DLC)
• ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin
• 'Superstar' Billy Graham
• Syxx
• Tama
• Terry Funk
• Theodore Long (manager)
• Thrasher
• Tito Santana
• Triple H
• Triple H '08
• Triple H '14
• Triple H ’98 (DLC)
• Triple H '99
• Trish Stratus
• Ultimate Warrior
• Umaga
• Undertaker
• Undertaker '03
• Undertaker '13
• Undertaker '98
• Vader
• Victoria
• Wade Barrett
• William Regal
• X-Pac
• Yokozuna

WWE 2K26 Celebrities roster

• Jelly Roll (DLC)
• Pat McAfee

WWE 2K26 Originals roster

• Bobby Newton (The Island)
• Bronze Breakker (MyRise)
• Buzz (MyRise)
• The Captain (MyRise)
• Carly Prime (MyRise)
• Chase (MyRise)
• Chosen (MyRise)
• Cole Quinn (MyRise)
• Dahlia Hex (The Island)
• The Dark Horse (MyRise)
• Delilah Hex (The Island)
• El Mago Jr (MyRise)
• El Ordinario (MyRise)
• Gabriel Slade (MyRise)
• Geneva Rose (MyRise)
• Hector Flores (MyRise)
• Hector Flores (Wyatt Sicks) (MyRise)
• Josie Jane (MyRise)
• Juggernaut Grace (MyRise)
• Justine (MyRise)
• Justine '99 (MyRise)
• La Cangrejita Loca (MyRise)
• LJ (MyRise)
• The Lock (MyRise)
• Marshall Thompson (The Island)
• Meilee 'Fanny' Fan (MyRise)
• Moreno (MyRise)
• Moreno (Wyatt Sicks) (MyRise)
• MyRise WWE 2K22 Female Player (MyRise)
• MyRise WWE 2K22 Male Player (MyRise)
• Odette Beaumont (The Island)
• Odyssey Rift (MyRise)
• Psycho Sally (MyRise)
• Red (MyRise)
• Slade (MyRise)
• Tavish (MyRise)
• Tre (MyRise)

© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission.

2K has confirmed that WWE 2K25 is coming to Nintendo Switch 2 this month, with the game boasting the biggest file size of any game on a Nintendo system... and it's not even using a game key card.

After announcing that the series would be making its way to Nintendo Switch 2 during the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct, 2K games confirmed via a trailer that WWE 2K25 will be coming to the Nintendo Switch 2 on July 23, 2025.

The Nintendo eShop listing for the game has confirmed that it is going to be the biggest game on the Nintendo Switch 2 in terms of file size, coming in at 73.2GB (beating the previous record of 69.2 by Split Fiction). Considering the game is 115.5GB on PS5, it has been lowered somewhat, but it's still pretty beefy.

Considering Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa said that game key cards exist due to the sizes of games getting bigger, and the Switch 2 cards only supporting up to 64GB, it was no surprise when 2K had text in the trailer saying that WWE 2K25 would be using one: "Game key card must be inserted while downloading game and each time game is played."

Except it turns out that is not the case, as 2K has since confirmed to Nintendo Life that WWE 2K25's physical release will be a code in a box, with not even a game key card included.

2K is no stranger to the code in box as NBA 2K24 released on the original Switch with a code in the box version, alongside a physical release that required an extra download, as the game holds the highest file size of any original Switch game.

This release marks the first time a WWE game has released on a Nintendo console since 2020's spinoff WWE 2K Battlegrounds. It's the first mainline entry to release since the absolute disaster that was WWE 2K18 on Switch, which is widely considered one of the worst games on the platform thanks to its awful performance issues, sitting at a 35 on Metacritic, which makes it the 5th worst rated game on the platform. It's no wonder none of the sequels were released on the system. Hopefully 2K25 fares a bit better on Switch 2.

WWE 2K25 is one of the best wrestling games ever, which you can read about in our WWE 2K25 review.

You'll need a WWE 2K25 MyRise walkthrough in order to unlock everything in this year's game. Astonishingly, it takes four WWE 2K25 story mode completions to come away with all rewards. Fret not, however. We have everything you need right here. Unlock retro versions of Scott Steiner and Rhea Ripley, plus a whole load more, with our comprehensive WWE 2K25 MyRise walkthrough.

WWE 2K25 MyRise personality types

There are three different personality types you can assign to your two wrestlers in MyRise. They are ‘bold and brash’, ‘comedic and fun’, or ‘scheming and calculated’. As well as influencing the path of your storylines, these choices also affect which characters and other treats you unlock, so select carefully. Below you can see what’s unlocked in each chapter, depending on your personality type.

WWE 2K25 MyRise chapter rewards

Here are are all the WWE 2K25 roster additions and other bonuses earned by completing each chapter within MyRise.

Chapter 1: A New Era

• All personalities: Triple H Suit Bundle (Clothing Parts)
• All personalities: Nick Aldis Suit Bundle (Clothing Parts)
• All personalities: Men’s Mutiny Shirt
• All personalities: Women’s Mutiny Shirt

Additional note: Choose ‘Rival Promotion’ as your second character’s background to unlock Japan Dome in Chapter 2. ‘Indies’ and ‘MMA’ have no unlocks in this chapter.

Chapter 2: Mutiny

• All personalities: Japan Dome (if you chose Rival Promotion in Chapter 1)

Chapter 3: Unite

• Bold and brash second character: NXT Mutiny Arena
• Bold and brash second character: NXT Unity Tag Championship
• Bold and brash second character: Kidnapped Manager (Entrance Motion)
• Bold and brash second character: Double Team Move: Whirlwind Splash
• Comedic and fun second character: NXT Mutiny Arena
• Comedic and fun second character: NXT Unity Tag Championship
• Comedic and fun second character: Unify Tag Team Championship
• Comedic and fun second character: Double Team Move: Whirlwind Splash
• Scheming and calculated second character NXT Mutiny Arena
• Scheming and calculated second character: NXT Unity Tag Championship
• Scheming and calculated second character: Double Team Move: Whirlwind Splash

Chapter 4: Investigate (male)

• Bold and brash male: NXT Mutiny Championship
• Bold and brash male: NXT Mutiny Championship Destroyed
• Comedic and fun male: Clown Horn (Weapon)
• Comedic and fun male: Clown Shoe (Weapon)
• Comedic and fun male: Juggling Pin (Weapon)
• Comedic and fun male: Lollipop (Weapon)
• Comedic and fun male: Carnival Hammer (Weapon)
• Comedic and fun male: Clown Chair (Weapon)
• Scheming and calculated male: WCW NWO Souled Out 1997 Arena
• Scheming and calculated male: Women’s NWO Shirt

Chapter 4: Investigate (female)

• Bold and brash female: Chosen
• Bold and brash female: Arena Estatal
• Bold and brash female: Japan Hall
• Bold and brash female: Chosen MyFaction card 
• Bold and brash female: Monster Truck Entrance 
• Comedic and fun female: Women’s Witch Flowery
• Comedic and fun female: Women’s Sand-witch
• Comedic and fun female: Women’s Witch Traditional Hat
• Comedic and fun female: Women’s Witch Traditional Jacket
• Scheming and calculated female: Men’s Mutiny Mask
• Scheming and calculated female: Women’s Mutiny Mask

Chapter 5: Defend

• All personalities: NXT No Mercy Mutiny Arena
• All personalities: CM Punk Mutiny Alt Attire

Chapter 6: Rally

For this chapter, your unlockables depend on which characters you choose to help, rather than your personality. You have to choose one male superstar, and one female. Cody Rhodes and Rhea Ripley can only be unlocked on your second playthrough.

• Drew McIntyre: None
• Jey Uso: None
• Seth Rollins: Men’s The Shield Jacket
• Seth Rollins: Men’s The Shield Top
• Seth Rollins: Seth Rollins Casual Bundle (Clothing Parts)
• Seth Rollins: Seth Rollins Casual MyFaction card
• Cody Rhodes: Undashing Cody Rhodes 
• Cody Rhodes: John Cena ‘12
• Cody Rhodes: Randy Orton ‘15
• Cody Rhodes: Stardust
• Cody Rhodes: Raw 2011 Arena
• Cody Rhodes: WrestleMania 31 Daytime Arena
• Cody Rhodes: WrestleMania 31 Nighttime Arena
• Cody Rhodes: R-Truth 2011 Alt Attire
• Becky Lynch: Asuka Mutiny Alt Attire
• Becky Lynch: Bayley ’15 Bundle (Clothing Parts)
• Becky Lynch: Becky Lynch ’14 Irish Dance (Entrance Motion)
• Becky Lynch: Becky Lynch Casual Bundle (Clothing Parts)
• Becky Lynch: Becky Lynch MyFaction reward
• Jade Cargill: Jade Cargill Casual Bundle (Clothing Parts)
• Jade Cargill: Casual Jade Cargill MyFaction reward
• Charlotte Flair: Charlotte Flair ’14 (Clothing Parts)
• Charlotte Flair: Charlotte Flair ‘17 (Clothing Parts)
• Charlotte Flair: Charlotte Flair ‘19 (Clothing Parts)
• Charlotte Flair: Natalya ‘14 (Clothing Parts)
• Rhea Ripley: Rhea Ripley ‘17
• Rhea Ripley: Rhea Ripley ’20

Chapter 7: Attack

• There are no rewards available in this chapter.

Chapter 8: Survive

At the end of Chapter 8, you get to choose to continue as your first character (Reclaim Ending) or second character (Conquer Ending). If you choose the Reclaim Ending, you then start Chapter 9 be choosing one of three allies options: WWE Legends, Indie Wrestlers, or Past 2K MyPlayers. These choices all affect your Chapter 9 unlocks.

• All personalities: Survivor Series MyRise Arena

Chapter 9: Reclaim

• Legends: Scott Steiner ‘03
• Legends: Alundra Blayze Current
• Legends: DDP Current
• Legends: Wrestling Convention Arena
• Legends: Scott Steiner MyFaction card
• Indie Wrestlers: TBA Arena
• Indie Wrestlers: Josie Jane
• Indie Wrestlers: Paragon Jay Pierce
• Indie Wrestlers: Josie Jane MyFaction card
• Indie Wrestlers: Paragon Jay Pierce MyFaction card
• Past 2K MyPlayers: Motion Capture Studio
• Past 2K MyPlayers: 2K19 Buzz
• Past 2K MyPlayers: 2K20 Red
• Past 2K MyPlayers: 2K20 Tre
• Past 2K MyPlayers: 2K23 LJ
• Past 2K MyPlayers: 2K24 The Captain
• All personalities: WrestleMania MyRise 2K25

Chapter 9: Conquer

• All personalities: Raw Mutiny Arena
• All personalities: SmackDown Mutiny Arena
• All personalities: MutinyMania
• All personalities: Throne Smash (Entrance Motion)
• All personalities: Kevin Owens Mutiny Alt Attire
• All personalities: Bayley Mutiny Alt Attire

WWE 2K25 MyRise Live Event rewards

As well as unlocking characters through the MyRise storyline, you can earn them by gaining stars in Live Events. These are accessed by talking to WWE producer Tory Simpkin backstage. Stars carry over to future playthroughs, so there’s no rush to work your way through the rewards list. The table below shows the number of stars needed to unlock each wrestler. Each of them comes with a WWE 2K25 MyFaction card.

• 20: Super Cena
• 28: Chase
• 38: La Cangrejita Loca
• 46: Cole Quinn
• 62: Meilee ‘Fanny’ Fan
• 70: Ava Moreno
• 78: Psycho Sally
• 86: El Ordinario
• 94: El Mago Jr
• 124: Manifestation / Soul Siphon Payback
• 132: Hector Flores
• 140: Odyssey Rift
• 148: Geneva Rose MyFaction card
• 164: Barron Blade MyFaction card
• 180: Zero MyFaction card
• 210: R-Truth (Judgment Day)
• 235: Finn Balor Demon Alt Attire
• 280: Diamond DDP ’98 Alt Attire

And that’s your lot for MyRise. For even more essential wrestling content, hit our guides to WWE 2K25 DLC, WWE 2K25 CAWs, and WWE 2K25 locker codes.

WWE 2K25 CAWs are a godsend. On top of an already vast roster, they enable you to import 100 more past and present wrestlers to WWE 2K25, all created and shared by members of the community. We have 16 must-adds below. Jump into the game, then select Online > Community Creations > Downloads to expand your grappler list with our WWE 2K25 CAWs guide.

1. AJ Lee

Mrs CM Punk is always an early must-add to 2K series entires, and she became even more essential after a shock return to WWE in September. TheGreatRob made this authentic-looking version of AJ, which includes her moveset, entrance, and call name.

2. Ava Raine

WhatsTheStatus is a legend among the creative community, and among his must-grab uploads for WWE 2K25 is Ava. Formerly a wrestler alongside Joe Gacy, she’s been used as NXT’s general manager for the last year, and is therefore an NPC in this year’s game. This CAW changes that, and makes The Rock’s daughter playable.

3. Bad Bunny

The Puerto Rican rap megastar made guest appearances in WWE from 2021 to 2024, and was therefore a surprise highlight of the WWE 2K24 roster. However, he’s one of 23 male wrestlers ditched following WWE 2K24, alongside names such as Big Boss Man, Shane McMahon and Ted DiBiase. Restore the Bunny man using this LonnyMX creation.

4. Christian Cage

One of the stars of this year’s creators is the individual known as Valoween. They’ve created a mix of past and present WWE favourites, including the timeless Christian – who’s enjoying one of the best runs of his career as a member of the AEW Fight Forever roster. The CAW includes four attires to choose form.

5. Cope

You’re more likely to know Adam Copeland as Edge, following an esteemed WWE career which included 11 world title reigns. As with former tag partner Christian, he’s now in AEW. This excellent likeness is another WhatsTheStatus creation. Say what? You fancy reuniting The Brood, but there’s someone missing? Well…

6. Gangrel

Here we go! Download this Gangrel CAW by AttitudeCreationz, then pair him with Christian and Edge to reform goth trio The Brood. And take a look at this user’s other CAWs while you’re there. They’ve drummed up a bunch of realistic names from the late 1990s, including Buff Bagwell, Scott Norton, Perry Saturn, Billy Kidman, and Jeff Jarrett.

7. Jazmyn Nyx

NXT trio Fatal Influence has its theme tune and entrance video in the game – but curiously, only two thirds of its original membership makes the WWE 2K25 roster. Jacy Jayne and Fallon Henley are in, but there’s no place for former gal pal Nix. She left the group, and WWE, in September, but you can grant her one last hurrah with this CAW by BrandonRbr.

8. Jeff Hardy

Another sterling piece of work from Valoween here, which is especially timely given the TNA tag champs’ superb NXT collisions with Nathan Frazer and Axiom. And yes, you’ve guessed correctly: there’s still another member of Team Extreme to come further down this page…

9. Joe Hendry

TNA’s Scottish star made inroads in NXT during 2024, leading to a surprise appearance at the 2025 Royal Rumble. Most therefore expected him as WWE 2K25 DLC – but shockingly, he missed out on the Season Pass list. Thankfully, this DoggFayce effort includes accurate attires, motions, moveset and crowd signs. Go grab it.

10. Jon Moxley

Our look at how to unlock all wrestlers in WWE 2K25 includes retro versions of Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns, who you can get through Showcase – and Rollins even comes with their old-school Shield theme. However, team-mate Dean Ambrose is now contracted to AEW under his real name – so you’ll need a CAW to reunite the trio. Kudos for Valoween for this supreme job.

11. Matt Hardy

The Dudley Boyz are already in WWE 2K25. Earlier in this feature we gave you The Brood, and Jeff Hardy. Now all you need to recreate those legendary tables matches from the Attitude Era is Jeff’s brother Matt – and sure enough, Valoween has come up with the goods. D’Von: get the tables!

12. Nick Aldis

Like with Ava, WhatsTheStatus focussed on making NPC characters available for regular play with his early creations – and Smackdown general manager Aldis is another you need to download immediately. TNA fans know him as Magnus – while British viewers of a certain age will recognise Aldis as Oblivious, from Sky One’s short-lived Gladiators comeback.

13. Ricky Saints

The creator known as bhangraman is a regular on this annual list, and his solid work continues with NXT’s latest signing from AEW. Ricky Starks is now known as Ricky Saints, and has enjoyed a big year on WWE’s third brand. This CAW is a collab with Michele54c, and features a face pic by Esmec, and moveset by ibudmoves.

14. Ronda Rousey

While 23 male wrestlers were axed in the move from WWE 2K24 to WWE 2K25, female removals were mercifully limited to three: Beth Phoenix, Xia Li, and the baddest woman on the planet. If you still want Rousey on your roster, fetch this LoneWolf creation – and consider downloading their excellent CAWs from Brie Bella and Nikki Bella immediately afterwards.

15. Wren Sinclair

Fatal Influence isn't the only NXT faction partially represented in-game. No Quarter Catch Crew also has its theme and entrance vids, attached to Charlie Dempsey – but Sinclair, and long-time team-mates Tavion Heights and Myles Borne, are all missing. TheJock has put together realistic versions of all three, enabling you to airlift some backup for Dempsey into your next NXT night.

16. Zaria

We scored Stephanie Vaquer and Giulia as DLC, but will have to wait until WWE 2K26 for an official version of their fellow 2024 NXT newcomer Zaria. Travisalekz has bridged that gap via this collab with Pac_Creates and mylaseo2k.

Added everyone on this list, and still need to expand your roster with more wrestlers? Then drop into our WWE 2K25 locker codes guide.

© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission.

There's still life in WWE 2K25 MyFaction if you're aiming to 100 per cent the mode before moving on to WWE 2K26. The key thing is to avoid spending real life cash – advice which stands for the most recent edition, too. Instead, hoover up Oddities using our handy hints – and learn what all the Faction Wars nodes mean in the process. These are the seven essential WWE 2K25 MyFaction tips to know before you play.

1. The basics of WWE 2K25 MyFaction

WWE 2K25 MyFaction is the wrestling series’ card-building fantasy mode. You build teams of four superstars from the WWE 2K25 roster then take them into matches either online or off. Some bouts are 4-vs-4, others are solo or feature smaller teams. Cards have individual ratings which can be affected by side-plates, such as increased strength for a certain number of matches, and your faction manager. The main currency is MFP (MyFaction Points) and t’s used to buy packs and cards, which can also be purchased using VC (Virtual Currency, bought with real cash) and tokens.

2. Fastest ways to earn WWE 2K25 MyFaction MFP

To avoid the pay-to-win route to MyFaction success, earning MFP needs to be your focus. Here are our recommended ways to bolster your in-game bank account:

• Complete Match Actions: You get 15 MFP for a Crowd Taunt, 15 MFP for an Opponent Taunt, 15 MFP for a Signature, and 15 MFP for a Finisher. Tick all these off for an easy 60 MFP each match.
• Do all Live Events: These limited-time matches usually offer a minimum of 1,000 MFP, or a five-card pack, upon completion. Some also have four different rewards, so can be completed multiple times for additional MFP.
• Faction Wars runs: The most fun way to play MyFaction is Faction Wars. You play matches or open nodes using an on-screen map which moves from left to right. There are runs per entry, and each ends in a four-on-four boss battle. As well as MFP, you earn FW points which provide another way to get cards – including those bosses, once you’ve defeated each set.
• Weekly Towers: These five-match sets mostly consist of one-on-one bouts, some of which you can rattle off in under a minute. Usually you earn an MFP award for completing a tower, but again sometimes you’ll earn a shiny new card instead.

3. How to unlock WWE 2K25 MyFaction Persona cards

Ultimately, most MyFaction players are in the mode to earn Persona cards, such as masked Dominik Mysterio – one of the first WWE 2K25 locker codes. Once earned in MyFaction, these characters can be utilised across the entire game. In many instances, it’s a case of grinding through matches. For instance, World Tour offers up a specific award upon completion of each city. They are as follows:

• Chicago: CM Punk ’10
• New York: Elite Cody Rhodes
• Boston: Elite Rhea Ripley & John Cena ’10
• Orlando: Kelani Jordan ’23
• Philadelphia: Rob Van Dam '17
• Los Angeles: Solo Sikoa (Bloodline Suit)
• Dallas: Ultimate Warrior (No Paint)
• Las Vegas: Seth Rollins '14
• Denver: Jean-Paul Levesque
• Atlanta: John Cena '20 (NWO)

Other Persona cards are trickier to get – you can see the full list via our guide on how to unlock all wrestlers in WWE 2K25. The really annoying ones are Elite Bray Wyatt, Elite Trish Stratus, and King Booker, all of whom require Oddities cards. Which leads us to the next point. More Persona cards are coming later in the year, along with a haul of WWE 2K25 DLC.

4. How to find WWE 2K25 MyFaction Oddities for Persona cards

Annoyingly, this is all down to pack luck. There is no way to earn Oddities cards the unlock Persona cards using gameplay, or to purchase them using any type of in-game currency. Instead, to eventually earn Elite Bray Wyatt, Elite Trish Stratus, and King Booker, you need to keep opening packs until you find the items below. Most packs have a 15% chance of containing an Oddities item. Prepare for the grind.

• Elite Bray Wyatt: Firefly Funhouse Sweater, Lantern, Rocking Chair, The Fiend Mask, The Head Lantern
• Elite Trish Stratus: Cowgirl Hat, Thank You Trish, WWE Women’s Championship, Coach’s Whistle, Leather Trench Coat
• King Booker: Black Gloves, King Booker Crown, Tactical Vest, WCW TV Championship, Grocery Card Oddities

5. How to get WWE 2K25 MyFaction Apex rewards

As mentioned above, some Live Events have four tiers of rewards, the top of which is called Apex. This is usually a bumper MFP haul, or new pack. So, how can you guarantee to get the Apex reward on your first attempt? Well, you can’t. It doesn’t matter how many finishers you hit, match stars you earn, or damaged your opponent is. The reward is random. The only way to guarantee the Apex reward is to replay the match until you unlock it – which could be on the first try, or take up to four victories. Oof!

6. What do all the WWE 2K25 Faction Wars nodes mean?

A fair number of fans get stumped by this each year. So here’s what each node icon represents in Faction Wars:

• Arrows: Prize in exchange for sacrificing health
• Clipboard: Match stipulation, such as no finishers 
• Circle: Match enhancement, such as start with signature or finisher
• Heart: Health or FW credits
• Muscle: Limb healing or FW credits
• Nut: Match modifier, such as consuming half stamina
• Question marks: Random node
• Treasure chest: Prize (usually a wrester, sideplate, armor, or FW credits) 
• Two wrestlers: Swap a new wrestler into your faction 
• Wrestling ring: Match between the specified number of superstars 

7. How to quickly finish a WWE 2K25 MyFaction casket match

The most infuriating element of a Faction Wars run is clicking on a 1-on-1 node – and discovering it’s a casket match. These take a considerable amount of time, but there are ways to slightly expedite the grind. Firstly, know that your opponent will always escape the casket on the first two attempts to close it, so get these done at any time. Then work on getting their torso or head to red damage. Along the way, be sure to hit at least three finishers. Tick off those boxes and you should be able to finally shut your opponent away at the third attempt. Good luck!

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The active WWE 2K25 locker codes list has been quiet during the last few months, and while we have had some new promos to report in addition to the original CHACHING12500, which grants you a big VC boost, they have been few and far between. We'll have to wait and see if any more fresh codes for WWE 2K25 freebies get added, so keep it here for all of the active WWE 2K25 locker codes as soon as they appear, along with details of how to redeem them.

Active WWE 2K25 locker codes

• CHACHING12500 – 12,500 VC

At the time of writing, we're now back down again to a single entry in the active WWE 2K25 locker codes list. Above you can see the code, and what it gets you. To add more Persona cards, visit our guide on how to unlock all wrestlers in WWE 2K25.

How to use WWE 2K25 locker codes

WWE 2K25 locker codes need to be applied within WWE 2K25 MyFaction, although Persona Cards are available to use across the game once you've earned them. Cool. It means that, if you were quick enough, you could expand your WWE 2K25 roster with the likes of elite The Rock, Roman Reigns '24, and masked Dominik Mysterio – plus there are more to come.

To apply a code, start up the game and then select the large MyFaction panel on the left of the home screen. Next, select the Locker Codes panel. Finally, enter the locker code you want to redeem in the text box.

Expired WWE 2K25 locker codes

• 7500VCBONUS – 7,500 VC
• SNMECL4SSICS – Sinister Series 2 Basic Pack, Hellfire Basic Pack, and Monsters & Mayhem Basic Pack
• 2WORDS4YA2K – Heatwave Basic Pack, Eras Basic Pack, and Elite Cody Rhodes Persona Card
• JOINTHEFUN25 – Emerald The Rock Card, Masked Dirty Dominik Mysterio, Man Bun Roman Reigns, and Basic Superstar Super Pack S2
• NOM1EDO2K25 – Bloodline Basic Pack and Money In The Bank Basic Pack
• UNH1NGED25 – Ruby Finn Balor
• BIGMANJ4MZ – Punches and Promos Pack and Legends Series 2 Pack
• IGNL1VE2K25 – Deluxe Sinister Pack
• KNOWURR0LE25 – 15,000 VC and Elite The Rock Persona Card or 4,500 MFP
• WMANIA41PACKS – 2x WrestleMania 41 Vol 2 Packs
• SINCITY41WM – WrestleMania 41 Series Vol 1 Pack
• GETREADY4WM – Roman Reigns '24 Persona Card, Fierce Series Pack, and 7,500 VC
• ROADTOWM41EU – Road To WrestleMania Tour of Europe Pack
• DIRTYDOMMASKED – Masked Dominik Mysterio '23 Persona Card and 7,500 VC
• WELCOMEWWE25 – Legend Series Pack, Ascent Series Pack, and Fierce Series Pack
• ELITEROCK2K25 – Elite The Rock Persona Card

All expired WWE 2K25 locker codes released so far are listed above. We'll catalogue them all the way through to March 2026, so you can see which ones you've used, and which you've missed out on. D'oh!

Where to find WWE 2K25 locker codes

We've been committed to updating this WWE 2K25 locker codes guide for the duration of the game’s life cycle. For live WWE 2K25 locker code releases, you can also keep tabs on the game’s assorted social media feeds. The main ones are listed below.

• WWE 2K Community Discord
• TikTok
• Instagram
• Facebook
• YouTube

Why is my WWE 2K25 locker code not working?

If you're having an issue with WWE 2K25 locker codes not working, it's likely for one of three reasons. You may have misspelled the code, or used it before – or it's already expired. If you're certain that the issue isn't one of those, then raise a ticket with 2K Support

To see which other wrestlers are coming soon, check out our WWE 2K25 DLC guide for future content drops.

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There's still time to unlock all wrestlers in WWE 2K25 ahead of its inevitable sequel early next year. Recent WWE 2K25 additions include Penta WM41, Drew McIntyre '10 and Elite Liv Morgan. They're found in MyFaction, but you can also grab extra characters from the in-game store, Showcase, MyRise, and The Island. Scroll on and see how to unlock all wrestlers in WWE 2K25.

WWE 2K25 Store Unlocks

There are 80 wrestlers who you can add to the WWE 2K25 roster using the in-game store. Here’s the full list…

WWE 2K25 MyRise Unlocks

MyRise is great this year, although you’ll need at least two playthroughs to unlock every character. Here’s how to get each of them.

WWE 2K25 MyFaction Unlocks

WWE 2K25 MyFaction Persona Cards are back. Unlock these characters in that mode and you can use them across the rest of the game, too. For cards needing locker codes, check out our WWE 2K25 locker codes guide.

WWE 2K25 The Island Unlocks

With each new chapter, Visual Concepts adds a few unlockable treats for The Island. These are the ones you can grab as of early July.

WWE 2K25 The Bloodline Showcase Unlocks

The Bloodline Showcase serves up a selection of characters, attire, arenas and championships. Here’s everything you can unlock, in match order.

Yokozuna vs Hulk Hogan

• Yokozuna
• Hulk Hogan
• Hulk Hogan Wrestlemania 5 Attire
• Hulk Hogan KOTR ’93 Attire
• Mr Fuji (Manager)
• Jimmy Hart (Manager)
• Jimmy Hart KOTR ’93 Attire
• King Of The Ring ’93 (Arena)
• WWE Championship ’93 (Championship)

Headshrinkers vs Steiner Brothers

• Rick Steiner
• Scott Steiner ’93
• Headshrinker Samu
• Headshrinker Fatu
• Afa (Manager)
• WrestleMania IX (Arena)

Rocky Maivia vs Hunter Hearst Helmsley

• Rocky Maivia
• Hunter Hearst Helmsley
• Intercontinental Championship ’97 (Championship)
• Thursday Raw Thursday 1997 (Arena)

“High Chief” Peter Maivia vs George “The Animal” Steele

• George “The Animal” Steele
• “High Chief” Peter Maivia
• MyFaction Sapphire Showcase reward

Nia Jax vs Lyra Valkyria

• Nia Jax
• Lyra Valkryia ’24

Rikishi vs Stone Cold Steve Austin

• Rikishi 
• Stone Cold Steve Austin ’00
• Stone Cold Steve Austin ’00 No Mercy 2000 Attire
• No Mercy 2000 (Arena)

Umaga vs John Cena

• Umaga
• John Cena ’07
• Armando Alejandro Estrada (Manager)
• WWE Championship ’07 (Championship)
• New Year’s Revolution 2007 (Arena)

3 Minute Warning vs AOP

• Jamal
• Rosey
• MyFaction Sapphire Showcase Reward

Tamina vs Charlotte Flair vs Becky Lynch vs Carmella vs Natalya

• Natalya
• Tamina
• Carmella ’17
• Becky Lynch ’17
• Charlotte Flair ’17
• Money In The Bank 2017 (Arena)

The Usos vs The New Day

• Big E
• Kofi Kingston ’17
• Xavier Woods ’17
• Jimmy Uso ’17
• Jey Uso ’17
• Tag Team Championship ’17 (Championship)
• Hell In A Cell 2017 (Arena)
• MyFaction Emerald Showcase Reward x2

Naomi vs Bayley

• Bayley ’20
• Naomi ’20
• Smackdown Women’s Championship ’20 (Championship)
• Super ShowDown (Arena)

Wild Samoans vs Dudley Boyz

• Afa
• Sika
• Captain Lou Albano (Manager)
• MyFaction Emerald Showcase Reward

Solo Sikoa vs Carmelo Hayes

• Solo Sikoa ’22
• Carmelo Hayes ’22
• Trick Williams ’22 (Manager)
• NXT 2.0 2022 (Arena)

Roman Reigns vs Seth Rollins

• Roman Reigns ’22
• Seth Rollins ’22
• Universal Championship ’22 (Championship)
• Royal Rumble 22 (Arena)

The OG Bloodline vs The Rogue Bloodline

• MyFaction Sapphire Showcase Reward
• MyFaction Emerald Showcase Reward

The Islanders vs The Street Profits

• Islander Haku
• Islander Tama
• Bobby ‘The Brain’ Heenan
• Bobby ‘The Brain’ Heenan Alternate Attire
• MyFaction Emerald Showcase Reward

The Tribal Gauntlet

• Jey Uso ’10
• Jimmy Uso ’10
• Tamina ’10
• The Tribal Hall Of Acknowledgement (Arena)

For even more wrestlers, check out our WWE 2K25 DLC guide.

© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission.

We're approaching the point where annual sports games such as WWE 2K25 are going to need two separate scores. The first for gameplay: after all, in the olden days, this was all that mattered. Alas, times have changed, and so that second score would cover modes implemented solely to draw fans into shedding money on microtransactions. Ultimate Team. Diamond Dynasty. MyFaction. Because as time goes by, the gulf between gameplay quality and cash-grabbing temptations is becoming increasingly difficult to bridge.

WWE 2K25 demonstrates this more pertinently than any of its rivals. Honestly, its wrestling engine is spectacular. Modes that don't encourage you to fork out real cash, such as Showcase and MyRise, have rediscovered their mojo after some fallow years. But the majority of the hype surrounding the game centres on a new experience called The Island. And, well, it's hard to view it as anything other than a means of siphoning fans for extra dough.

Get your wallet ready

The ethos at play here is that you create a character, then upgrade his or her abilities and moves by winning one-on-one matches, either against the AI (as decreed by Roman Reigns), or in PVP. In between those bouts, you free-roam an online neighbourhood exploring locations named after WWE stars: Damage CTRL Computer Repair, Hurricane Outfitters, The Arcade Of Tomorrow (Asuka). Many of these locations are stores where you can buy items to kit out your creation – but these aren't just themed on wrestlers. There's also a Nike store, and a Jordan store, enabling you to jump into matches sporting official brands.

Here's where the big dollar drop comes in. To buy, for instance, a pair of orange Nike sneakers, you're looking at 18,000 VC. Yes, you can grind for that – but many will want them instantly. 15,000 VC costs £4.49. So you're looking at upwards of £5 just for some trainers to put on a CAW. Now consider that most in-game stores have at least a dozen items and it just feels demoralizing. Matches and challenges in these custom arenas are fun – they're exclusive to the mode, marginally increasing its appeal – but overall something feels off about the knowledge that fans will spend hundreds of pounds or dollars on a character they'd have tweaked in previous games for free.

It's especially galling because the community was already down on another VC-focussed mode, MyFaction, which inevitably returns. This mode is WWE's take on Ultimate Team, as you build a four-person squad to take into matches and challenges. As with previous years it's perfectly playable, but always with the sense that it's here primarily for profit. Want Persona cards, which unlock gimmicks such as 2010 CM Punk or 1997 Rob Van Dam for use across the game? Get ready to grind, grind, grind – or spend real money on VC to expedite your progress. It isn't subtle. Indeed, it's shameless.

It also does the entire series a disservice because, good lord, the wrestling here is top-tier. Just exceptional. The best we've seen in the series going back to its Smackdown vs Raw heyday. Animations look like the real thing, wrestlers feel like their authentic selves, punches and kicks land with satisfying heft, matches sway back and forth enthrallingly, always with the threat of being ended by a sudden signature or finisher. The return of chain wrestling is a success, and intergender bouts are fun too. Interference-packed Bloodline Rules matches are carnage. The new WWE Archives backstage area is a hoot to brawl in due to its endless easter eggs, and the roster is insanely stacked. From the current day, only Motor City Machine Guns and Penta are missing – and they're coming soon as DLC.

There are so many neat touches to enjoy. Changing camera angles during entrances sounds like a geeky, needless addition, but it's brilliant – you get to play director, settling the scene for any bout just as you see fit. The new Giant class makes the likes of Omos feel truly unique to handle, and bruises, blood, and sweat have all taken a noticeable step forward where visual details are concerned. New Netflix arenas for Raw and Smackdown are here, despite only being introduced in January. Five-person entrances for The Final Testament, Judgment Day, and Wyatt Sicks are spot on. Poison Mist and Powder paybacks leave your foes' faces coated in those substances. There's much cool stuff – completely at odds with the design decisions underpinning The Island and MyFaction.

Bloodline injection

The game's best mode is Showcase, and mercifully it remains completely free. As in previous editions it has you replaying bouts from WWE past, but with intriguing new elements. In some matches, you have to change the result, while others are completely fictional: such as the Dudley Boys taking on 1970s brawlers The Wild Samoans. The entire mode is themed around past and present grapplers who make up The Bloodline dynasty: the Anoa'i, Maivia, and Fatu families. It's a great way to integrate characters we've never seen in the series before such as the Headshrinkers, Islanders, and The Rock's own grandfather, Peter Maivia.

In a touch of genius, Paul Heyman – Roman Reigns' onscreen counsel – is tasked with presenting each match, and as a result every single pre-bout video is unskippable. No exaggeration. They're better than most content on official WWE Blu-rays. The one setting the scene for Reigns' Royal Rumble slugfest against Seth Rollins is as incredible a promo as you'll see on TV all year. It all amounts to a traditional mode that feels utterly revitalised – although the decision to add timed objectives is a wild error, and the only misstep from an otherwise sublime return to form.

Throw in an all-new MyRise with the ability to unlock jobber favourites such as Cole Queen and Odyssey Rift, expanded GM Mode, and the returning Universe – oh, for that mode to have been given the resources ploughed into The Island – and this remains a colossal package even if you never go anywhere near VC.

But it's there, and until we figure out that new two-tier scoring system, it means The Island and MyFaction have to factor into the final rating. Where in-ring action is concerned, this is right on the cusp of being a five-star wrestling sim. But it has to lose a star for its cash-grab modes, which land as snugly as a Logan Paul brass knuckle shot to the jaw. In which you're the recipient, rather than the mega-rich Youtuber.

WWE 2K25 was reviewed on PS5, with code provided by the publisher.

WWE 2K25 DLC saw 2K offer a traditional add-on content schedule for one final time, before switching to the new Ringside Pass model for WWE 2K26. The publisher did a sterling job too, supplementing the initial launch line-up with surprises such as Nikki Bella, Goldberg, Brock Lesnar, and El Grande Americano. Look back on them all with our WWE 2K25 DLC guide and Season Pass release schedule.

How to get WWE 2K25 DLC characters

As with previous years, there are two ways to add DLC. Five standard packs were added to the game between May 2025 and November 2025, and you can buy each one individually. They're priced at $9.99 / £8.99 per pack. Alternatively, you can grab the WWE 2K25 Season Pass, which grants you all packs for $39.99 / £32.99.

An additional bonus from the Season Pass is the SuperCharger, which unlocks legends, arenas and titles without you having to grind through gameplay modes to get them. New this year is the Ringside Pass, which adds the SuperStar Mega-Boost – bolstering your MyRise wrestler, and adding 100K VC into the bargain. For all available versions of the game, visit our WWE 2K25 Special Editions guide.

WWE 2K25 DLC Legends

We scored an impressive 16 WWE 2K25 DLC Legends, including one monstrous surprise: longstanding TNA favourite Abyss. He’s never appeared in a WWE game before, because he’s never been an official WWE superstar – although he is now a backstage producer for the company. He landed in June 2025, alongside The Great Khali, as part of the Dunk & Destruction Pack.

July’s Fearless Pack added another two wrestlers we’ve never seen in the series, in ECW bruiser New Jack and Japanese icon Bull Nakano. It was followed with more familiar additions in September. The Attitude Era Superstars Pack sees D’Lo Brown, Billy Gunn, Road Dogg, Victoria and Mark Henry all return to the series. Yep, the New Age Outlaws are back.

Goldberg and Nikki Bella were also added as DLC in September, with a complication: you had to spend 50,000 VC in The Island to acquire them.

Five more legends arrived in the final DLC drop. The Saturday Night’s Main Event Pack landed in November, and saw a quintet of old-school grapplers added to the WWE 2K25 roster. They are Jesse Ventura, Mr Wonderful Paul Orndorff, Tito Santana, Junkyard Dog, and Sid Justice.

WWE 2K25 DLC Raw and Smackdown wrestlers

As far as WWE 2K25 DLC from Raw and Smackdown goes, the numbers are limited – but that’s because most of those rosters are already in the base game. The notable exceptions are former Smackdown tag-team champs the Motor City Machine Guns, and Raw newcomer Penta. Thankfully, that trio are all on their way.

Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin are now here, as part of the New Wave Pack. We had to wait a little longer for Penta: he arrived in July, within the Fearless Pack. Given he only debuted in January, that’s an impressive inclusion. Like Cody Rhodes, Jade Cargill and Andrade, it means he’s in WWE 2K25 as well as being on the AEW Fight Forever roster. As is Aleister Black, who was a surprise release in the WWE 2K25 WrestleMania 41 Pack.

Further surprises arrived in October. As part of the Farewell Tour DLC we got Brock Lesnar, R-Truth alter-ego Ron Cena, and two old-school versions of John Cena.

WWE 2K25 NXT DLC characters

Infamously, we only got Lyra Valkyria from NXT last year – and thankfully, 2K learned a bit of a lesson. This time out three WWE 2K25 NXT DLC characters were added to the roster, and they’re all ladies who’ve been high on fan wishlists. First up were Giulia and Stephanie Vaquer, as part of May’s New Wave Pack. They were joined in July by Jordynne Grace, who lines up next to Penta in the Fearless Pack.

The only disappointment is the lack of Joe Hendry, likely due to being contracted to TNA. To play as the super Scot, you’ll instead need to use Community Creations – and we have a WWE 2K25 CAWs guide to explain how to do that.

WWE 2K25 DLC celebrities

There are four celebrity WWE 2K25 DLC additions. Three of them are from the NBA, and formed 60% of the Dunk & Destruction Pack in June: Shaquille O'Neal, Tyrese Haliburton, and Jalen Brunson. There was also one celeb assigned to May’s New Wave Pack, and one locked into July’s Fearless Pack.

Weirdly, we never received the New Wave celeb, long rumored to be Travis Scott. Instead, 2K gave every player 12,500 VC by way of an apology for the delay, then announced that we'd instead be getting Chad Gable's alter ago El Grande Americano – but not until September.

Full WWE 2K25 DLC release schedule

The full WWE 2K25 DLC release schedule, which has now been completed, is as follows. All packs are listed in chronological order.

WWE 2K25 DLC New Wave Pack (May 14, 2025)

• Alex Shelly (Motor City Machine Guns)
• Chris Sabin (Motor City Machine Guns)
• Giulia
• Stephanie Vaquer
• El Grande Americano

WWE 2K25 DLC Dunk & Destruction Pack (June 25, 2025)

• Abyss
• The Great Khali
• Jalen Brunson
• Shaquille O'Neal
• Tyrese Haliburton

WWE 2K25 DLC Fearless Pack (July 23, 2025)

• Bull Nakano
• New Jack
• Jordynne Grace
• Penta
• KSI

WWE 2K25 DLC WrestleMania 41 Pack (July 23, 2025)

• Aleister Black
• Cody Rhodes (WM 41)
• Jey Uso (WM 41)

WWE 2K25 DLC Attitude Era Superstars Pack (September 17, 2025)

• Billy Gunn (New Age Outlaws)
• D’Lo Brown
• Mark Henry
• Road Dogg (New Age Outlaws)
• Victoria

WWE 2K25 DLC Hall Of Legends Pack (September 17, 2025)

• Goldberg (combined cost of 50,000 VC)
• Nikki Bella (combined cost of 50,000 VC)

WWE 2K25 DLC Farewell Tour Pack (October 16, 2025)

• Brock Lesnar
• Ron Cena
• John Cena (WrestleMania 41)
• John Cena (Dr Of Thuganomics)

WWE 2K25 DLC Saturday Night’s Main Event Pack (November 12, 2025)

• Jesse 'The Body' Ventura
• Junkyard Dog
• 'Mr Wonderful' Paul Orndorff
• Sid Justice
• Tito Santana

© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission.

The complete WWE 2K25 roster looks significantly different to the one that accompanied its original release. Nikki Bella, Goldberg, Brock Lesnar and El Grande Americano are just a few of characters who arrived in WWE 2K25 as post-launch surprises, with most WWE 2K25 DLC expected to carry over to the WWE 2K26 roster. Every grappler and manager is sorted by brand on your complete WWE 2K25 roster list.

WWE 2K25 Raw roster

• AJ Styles
• Akira Tozawa
• Asuka
• Austin Theory
• Bayley
• Becky Lynch
• Brock Lesnar (DLC)
• Bron Breakker
• Bronson Reed
• Brutus Creed
• Chad Gable
• CM Punk 
• Cruz Del Toro
• Dominik Mysterio
• Dragon Lee
• El Grande Americano
• Erik
• Finn Balor
• Grayson Waller
• Gunther 
• Ivar
• Ivy Nile
• Iyo Sky
• JD McDonagh
• Je'Von Evans
• Jey Uso
• Joaquin Wilde
• Julius Creed
• Kairi Sane
• Kofi Kingston
• LA Knight 
• Liv Morgan
• Logan Paul
• Ludwig Kaiser
• Lyra Valkyria
• Maxxine Dupri
• Naomi
• Natalya
• Nikki Bella (DLC)
• Oba Femi
• Otis
• Pat McAfee
• Penta (DLC)
• Pete Dunne
• Raquel Rodriguez
• Rey Mysterio
• Rhea Ripley 
• Roxanne Perez
• Seth Rollins
• Sheamus
• Stephanie Vaquer (DLC)
• Tyler Bate
• Xavier Woods
• Zoey Stark

WWE 2K25 Smackdown roster

• Alba Fyre
• Aleister Black (DLC)
• Alex Shelley (DLC)
• Alexa Bliss
• Angel
• Angelo Dawkins
• Apollo Crews
• Axiom
• B-Fab
• Berto
• Bianca Belair
• Candice LeRae
• Carmelo Hayes
• Charlotte Flair
• Chelsea Green
• Chris Sabin (DLC)
• Cody Rhodes
• Damian Priest
• Dexter Lumis
• Dexter Lumis Wyatt Sicks (DLC)
• Drew McIntyre
• Elton Prince
• Erick Rowan (DLC)
• Giulia (DLC)
• Ilja Dragunov
• Jacob Fatu
• Jade Cargill
• Jimmy Uso
• Joe Gacy
• Joe Gacy Wyatt Sicks (DLC)
• Johnny Gargano
• Jordynne Grace (DLC)
• Kevin Owens
• Kiana James
• Kit Wilson
• Lash Legend
• Michin
• The Miz
• Montez Ford
• Nathan Frazer
• Nia Jax
• Nikki Cross
• Nikki Cross Wyatt Sicks (DLC)
• Omos
• Piper Niven
• R-Truth
• Randy Orton
• Roman Reigns
• Sami Zayn
• Santos Escobar
• Shinsuke Nakamura
• Solo Sikoa
• Tama Tonga
• Tiffany Stratton
• Tonga Loa
• Trick Williams
• Uncle Howdy (DLC)
• Zelina Vega

WWE 2K25 NXT roster

• Andre Chase
• Brooks Jensen
• Channing Lorenzo
• Charlie Dempsey
• Ethan Page
• Fallon Henley
• Jacy Jayne
• Jaida Parker
• Josh Briggs
• Kelani Jordan
• Lexis King
• Lola Vice
• Nikkita Lyons
• Noam Dar
• Shawn Spears
• Sol Ruca
• Tatum Paxley
• Thea Hail
• Tony D'Angelo
• Wendy Choo

WWE 2K25 Free Agents roster

• Akam
• Andrade
• Ashante Thee Adonis
• Baron Corbin
• Blair Davenport
• Braun Strowman
• Carlito
• Carmella
• Cedric Alexander
• Cora Jade
• Dakota Kai 
• Duke Hudson
• Eddy Thorpe
• Gigi Dolin
• Giovanni Vinci
• Elektra Lopez
• Indi Hartwell
• Isla Dawn
• Jakara Jackson
• Joe Coffey
• Karrion Kross
• Karl Anderson
• Katana Chance
• Kayden Carter
• Luke Gallows
• Mark Coffey
• Oro Mensah
• Rezar
• Ridge Holland
• Scarlett
• Shayna Baszler
• Shotzi
• Sonya Deville
• Tamina
• Tommaso Ciampa
• Valhalla
• Wes Lee
• Wolfgang

WWE 2K25 Elite roster

• Bray Wyatt 'Elite'
• Cody Rhodes 'Elite'
• Jade Cargill 'Elite'
• Jimmy Uso 'Elite'
• Jey Uso ‘Elite’ (DLC)
• John Cena 'Elite'
• Hulk Hogan 'Elite'
• Liv Morgan 'Elite'
• Rhea Ripley 'Elite'
• The Rock 'Elite'
• Roman Reigns ‘Elite’ (DLC)
• Seth Rollins 'Elite'
• Trish Stratus 'Elite'
• Undertaker ‘Elite’ (DLC)

WWE 2K25 Legends roster

• Abyss (DLC)
• Afa
• Alundra Blayze ’94
• Andre The Giant
• Batista
• Big E
• Billy Gunn (DLC)
• Boogeyman
• Booker T
• Bray Wyatt
• Bret Hart
• British Bulldog
• Bruno Sammartino
• Bubba Ray Dudley
• Bull Nakano (DLC)
• Cactus Jack
• Chyna
• D-Von Dudley
• Diamond Dallas Page
• Diesel
• D'Lo Brown (DLC)
• Doink The Clown
• Dude Love
• Dusty Rhodes
• Eddie Guerrero
• Eric Bischoff
• Eve Torres
• Faarooq
• The Fiend Bray Wyatt
• George 'The Animal' Steele
• Goldberg (DLC)
• The Great Khali (DLC)
• The Great Muta
• Haku
• Harley Race
• Headbanger Mosh
• Headbanger Thrasher
• Headshrinker Fatu
• Headshrinker Samu
• Hollywood Hogan
• Honky Tonky Man
• Hulk Hogan
• Hunter Hearst Helmsley
• The Hurricane
• The Iron Shiek
• Islander Tama
• Jake 'The Snake' Roberts
• Jamal
• JBL
• Jesse 'The Body' Ventura (DLC)
• Jim 'The Anvil' Neidhart
• John Cena
• Junkyard Dog (DLC)
• Kane
• Ken Shamrock
• Kevin Nash
• Kurt Angle
• Lex Luger
• Lita
• Macho Man Randy Savage
• Mankind
• Mark Henry (DLC)
• Maryse
• Michelle McCool
• Mighty Molly
• Molly Holly
• Mr Perfect
• Mr Wonderful Paul Orndorff (DLC)
• New Jack (DLC)
• Peter Maivia
• Ravishing Rick Rude
• Razor Ramon
• Rick Steiner
• Ricky Steamboat
• Rikishi
• Road Dogg (DLC)
• Rob Van Dam
• The Rock
• The Rock (National Of Domination) (DLC)
• Rocky Maivia
• Rosey
• Rowdy Roddy Piper
• Sandman
• Scott Hall
• Scott Steiner
• Sensational Sherri
• Shawn Michaels
• Sid Justice (DLC)
• Sika
• Stacy Keibler
• Stardust
• Stephanie McMahon
• Stone Cold Steve Austin
• Superstar Billy Graham
• Syxx
• Terry Funk
• Tito Santana (DLC)
• Triple H
• Trish Stratus
• Tyler Breeze
• Ultimate Warrior
• Umaga
• Undertaker
• Undertaker ’90 (DLC)
• Vader
• Victoria (DLC)
• Wade Barrett
• William Regal
• X-Pac
• Yokozuna

WWE 2K25 Managers roster

• Adam Pearce
• Armando Estrada
• Ava
• Bobby Heenan
• Brother Love (DLC)
• Cathy Kelley
• Captain Lou Albano
• Jimmy Hart
• Mick Foley
• Miss Elizabeth
• Mr Fuji
• Nick Aldis
• Paul Ellering
• Paul Heyman
• Theodore Long

WWE 2K25 Celebrities

• Jalen Brunson (DLC)
• KSI (DLC)
• Shaquille O'Neal (DLC)
• Tyrese Haliburton (DLC)

WWE 2K25 MyRise roster

• Ava Moreno
• Chase
• Chosen
• Cole Quinn
• El Mago
• El Ordinario
• Hector Flores
• Josie Jane
• La Cangejita Loca
• Manifestation
• Meilee 'Fanny' Fan
• Odyssey Rift
• Paragon Jay Pierce
• Psycho Sally

© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission.

Our WWE 2K25 guide features all you need to get started with this year's brawler – and a bunch of essential tips for devoted fans, too. From locker codes to MyRise unlockables, via a detailed look at this year's roster – complete with DLC, and the best CAWs – we've covered every inch of the digital ring, and got into a brouhaha backstage too. Master the best wrestling game since the Stardust era with your WWE 2K25 guide.

Review

Wondering whether this year's annual wrestling sim is worth your cash? Our WWE 2K25 review has the answer. It's another improved year in the ring, while new match types such as Underground live up to the billing – and Showcase is brilliant. As for The Island – well, as you can read on that link, it's a bit of a misstep.

Gameplay

Roster

The latest entry in the series that started out as WWF Smackdown has its biggest list of wrestlers ever, with NXT newcomers including Oba Femi, Lola Vice and Lexis King. A few departed faces such as Baron Corbin and Indi Hartwell still cling to a spot, too. See the full wrestler catalogue in our WWE 2K25 roster guide.

Unlock all wrestlers

There's one small catch to that supermassive roster: a number of grapplers, including veteran newcomers such as Afa and Sika, are locked until you complete certain objectives in MyRise or MyFaction. Annoying. However, you can find out how to unearth them all in our look at how to unlock all wrestlers in WWE 2K25.

DLC

Every year a handful of WWE signings arrive too late to make the game's cut-off point, and are later added as part of the Season Pass. This year, excitingly, Penta, Motor City Machine Guns and Stephanie Vaquer are among those included. They're joined by legends such as the New Age Outlaws. See them all in our WWE 2K25 DLC guide.

CAWs

Community Creations enable dedicated fans to create wrestlers (or celebrities!) omitted from the game, and as ever there are myriad options to download into your 100 available slots. See the best versions of AJ Lee, Joe Hendry and the Hardy Boyz in our WWE 2K25 CAWs guide.

Special editions

There are three different versions of WWE 2K25 available, if you're still considering a purchase: the standard edition, the Deadman edition, and the Bloodline edition. They come with an escalating variety of goodies, such as new skins for The Undertaker. Compare them all in our WWE 2K25 special editions guide.

MyFaction

MyFaction tips

Despite its justified reputation for siphoning players out of their cash, MyFaction is actually strong this year – with a variety of ways to grind up the ladder using time, rather than your wallet. Discover them all in our comprehensive list of WWE 2K25 MyFaction tips.

Locker codes

There are a variety of ways for you to progress through MyFaction without spending real cash – and the best are WWE 2K25 locker codes. Released sporadically by the dev team, these enable you to score free VC, packs, and other treats. Hit that link to grab them all throughout the game's annual cycle.

MyRise

MyRise walkthrough

There are three different paths through this year's story mode, and four possible endings – and yes, you need to experience them all to unlock everything. Don't make that face. Everything you need to know is a click away, in our WWE 2K25 MyRise walkthrough.

© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission.

While half the sporting genre cries out for reinvention, the WWE 2K series has turned itself into one of the most fun, replayable sims around. Going hands-on with WWE 2K25 hours before this year's Royal Rumble is therefore an experience I've been excited about for weeks. There's no need for a total overhaul here, as was necessitated by the dismal WWE 2K20. Deliver more match types, an updated roster and a few other surprises, and 75% of the job is done.

Mercifully, developer Visual Concepts is in sync with that approach. New match types such as intergender and underground bouts freshen up your day-to-day options. Roster additions include Kelani Jordan and Sol Ruca from NXT, and some welcome yesteryear names I'll get to shortly. And those surprise elements include neat twists to the long-standing Showcase mode, new backstage areas to fight in, user-defined camera angles during entrances, and myriad additional details.

It's the intergender matches that many will hone in on, following the rise of dominant female grapplers such as Rhea Ripley and Nia Jax. Putting them in the ring against the likes of The Rock – or Dominik Mysterio, who our Ripley enjoys slinging around with glee – is really satisfying. Blood is turned off for these bouts, but otherwise anything goes. The game's weight detection keeps things believable – Bianca Belair can't powerbomb Bronson Reed – and it's possible to have thoroughly immersive bouts across the sexes. Cool.

One factor fans may weigh in concerns ratings. For instance, while we can't specify numbers, Belair is rated higher than the majority of male wrestlers – making her the favourite to win any match, even against male Hall Of Famers. Creative director Lynell Jinks says that's the magic of gaming, likening it to Chun Li vs Ken: "The ratings are the ratings. The things that make Bianca special are her speed and her power, and those things matter in our game. It's like playing Street Fighter when you take a female character and play against a male character. It just works."

The Big Show(case)

2K always places a huge focus on Showcase mode pre-launch, which can feel like a diversionary tactic. After all, this is an element most fans tick off within a fortnight of release, just to get all the unlockables. Longevity comes elsewhere. Even so, this year's instalment feels like a step up from previous iterations. It's based around The Bloodline – the Samoan dynasty who've dominated WWE over the last half-decade – and has given Visual Concepts license to shake things up.

Showcase now utilises three different match types: you can revisit history, change history, or create history. Past contests such as Nia Jax vs Lyra Valkyria from Queen of the Ring 2024 see you reliving the bout as it was, while Roman Reigns vs Seth Rollins at Royal Rumble 2022 is resuscitated – but with a different finish, unique to the game. Rather than being disqualified, this time around Reigns spears Rollins out of his boots for the win.

Those are examples of revisiting and changing history; it's creating history within Showcase that's most novel. The example I get my grapple-ready mitts on is the Wild Samoans vs the Dudley Boyz, in a tag-team tornado tables match. With two generations between those legendary pairings it would never have been possible in reality, but really is a formidable experience in game form. Paul Heyman's pre-match intro sets the scene perfectly, and being able to deploy Afa and Sika in a videogame for the first time will delight veteran fans. I won't spoil the match objectives, but it certainly delivers.

Ah yes, Showcase objectives. Here's another component that is going to cause fan consternation. Some objectives are now timed – such as using Jax to samoan drop Valkyria twice in 45 seconds. Fail, and you don't get your unlockable at the end of that match. Ouch. "It's for challenges and for replayabliity," says Jinks of this decision. "[In Showcase], some people don't like to do all the objectives, and some do. [We want to] give people a reason to either play it again or have an extra challenge. I think back to the old school days of Gran Turimso, where you had to do all these things to get your licence."

Afa and Sika (along with Captain Lou Albano, as a manager) aren't the only welcome additions to the roster. Naomi returns after an three-year absence, monstrous Bloodline lieutenant Jacob Fatu gets a debut and feels brilliantly bulky and heavy hitting, while the new NXT contingent includes Ethan Page, Kelani Jordan, and Sol Ruca. A 2K rep tells us the final list will surpass 300, and be the series' deepest ever. We'll have a guide to all those names as soon as it's unveiled.

Hart of Glass

It's important to understand that, to the WWE 2K community, gameplay is only part of the puzzle. Whether it's new CAW parts, belt options or other finer details, longstanding players comb the series' intricacies each year. Even at pre-release stage, these feel encouraging. For instance, a new backstage brawl area incorporates the WWE Archives, with a ton of easter eggs to find. You can leap off an old WrestleMania sign, tussle around Bret Hart and Lita standees, or sling an opponent into a glass cabinet containing the legendary WWE winged eagle title belt – smashing it to pieces in the process.

Even cooler is the option to manually adjust camera angles during entrances. Tap X (on Xbox) to bring up the Spectate view, Y for a third person camera, or B for an animated view whereby you can free roam with the left and right sticks. In this way you end up playing director yourself, watching each intro to a finish. It's very cool, although some will notice similarities to AEW Fight Forever.

Jinks round things off by admitting that it's been great to have a rival to complete against over the past 18 months. "Competition is healthy," he says. "I come from NFL 2K and NBA 2K, where there was always competition pushing us to go further every year. [Yuke's] did an honorable job of trying to put out a game that reflects their IP [with AEW Fight Forever]. There are some cool, interesting things that they've done, and we still have a lot of respect for Yuke's. Now we're like: let's see what we can do and take it a step further." We'll find out how much further in GR's upcoming WWE 2K25 review – which you can expect in early March.

Want back in the ring? Our best fighting games can help!

2K has lifted the veil on WWE 2K25, and this year's edition of the game finally lets you pit male and female wrestlers against each other in intergender matchups - something WWE itself rarely allows onscreen - when it launches on March 14.

"WWE or player-created Superstars from the men’s and women’s divisions can now compete against each other to set up limitless matchups across all game modes," 2K explains in a press release. Intergender matches were once a staple of WWE games in wrestling's rowdier days, but it's long since been excised from the 2K series that's accompanied the show in its modern family-friendly incarnation.

Rumors and speculation had always suggested that WWE shied away from intergender wrestling for fear that it might be seen as promoting violence against women, scaring away potential advertisers. Whatever the reasons why, intergender competition is now exceedingly rare in WWE - and when it happens, it's almost always one of the most physically imposing women on the roster giving a one-sided beatdown to one of the weakest men. Now, at least, we can get some properly egalitarian wrestling in WWE 2K25.

Another big addition this year is The Island, "an interactive world made up of a series of areas built around different WWE themes" where you'll work to impress Roman Reigns and earn a WWE contract. You'll have a bunch of quests and challenges to undertake, and it looks like this'll host the big story mode for custom superstars.

It sounds a bit like NBA 2K's The City, though that open-world mode has proven controversial for basketball fans. Here's hoping The Island works a little better in the more colorful context of WWE. Either way, the mode will be exclusive to current-gen consoles - while the game itself is available on PS4, Xbox One, and PC, The Island is only available on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.

Check out our guide to WWE 2K25 Special Editions and pre-order bonuses if you're trying to decide which version is right for you.

All WWE 2K25 Special Editions and pre-order bonuses have been revealed – and there are some big decisions to be made if you’ve already decided to grab this year’s wrestling sim. The WWE 2K25 Bloodline, Deadman, and Standard Edition all offer up unique covers and treats, such as a usable Undertaker urn, or Nation of Domination version of The Rock, and you can get started with them on March 14 – or a week earlier if you opt for one of the Special Editions. Find out all the different options and prices below, in your WWE 2K25 Special Editions guide.

WWE 2K25 The Island explained

Before we get into all the key info, a quick note on The Island. This element of WWE 2K25 is exclusive to PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, and forms an interactive world based on various WWE themes. You can explore, challenge rival players, complete quests and customise your MySuperstar. Hence a variety of the bonuses offered below being part of The Island. Goddit? Then let’s reveal those big old treats, and special editions…

WWE 2K25 Pre-order bonuses 

Anyone who orders WWE 2K25 early, regardless of the specific edition, receives the Wyatt Sicks pack. Included inside are five playable characters, and two cosmetic items for The Island. They are as follows:

• Uncle Howdy
• Dexter Lumis
• Joe Gacy
• Erick Rowan
• Nikki Cross
• Uncle Howdy mask (The Island)
• Nikki Cross mask (The Island)

WWE 2K25 Standard Edition details

The WWE 2K25 Standard Edition costs $69.99 / £64.99 and features Roman Reigns and his ‘Wiseman’ Paul Heyman on the cover. Buying it gives you dual-gen entitlement across PS5 and PS4, or Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One. It’s also available on PC.

WWE 2K25 Deadman Edition details

The WWE 2K25 Deadman Edition costs $99.99 / £89.99 and comes out on Friday, March 7 – a full seven days ahead of the standard edition. As that name suggests, it features WWE Icon The Undertaker on the cover, and delivers you everything below:

• Uncle Howdy
• Dexter Lumis
• Joe Gacy
• Erick Rowan
• Nikki Cross
• Uncle Howdy mask (The Island)
• Nikki Cross mask (The Island)
• Mattel Elite “Greatest Hits” Undertaker
• Original Undertaker ('90)
• Mattel Elite “Greatest Hits” Undertaker Persona Card
• Original Undertaker ('90) Persona Card
• Urn
• Brother Love manager
• Undertaker ’95 mask (The Island)
• 15,000 VC
• 5x DLC character packs (post-launch)

WWE 2K25 Bloodline Edition details

The WWE 2K25 Bloodline Edition is the biggest of the lot. You get all the Standard and Deadman Edition stuff, plus a whole load more themed on Roman Reigns and co. It costs $129.99 / £119.99. Reigns again features on the cover, with Solo Sikoa, Jey Uso, Jimmy Uso, Paul Heyman, Sami Zayn, Jacob Fatu, Tama Tonga, and Tonga Loa. Here’s everything contained within – and it’s a long list! Again, this version is out on Friday, March 7, a week ahead of the standard edition.

• Uncle Howdy Dexter Lumis
• Joe Gacy
• Erick Rowan
• Nikki Cross
• Uncle Howdy mask (The Island)
• Nikki Cross mask (The Island)
• Mattel Elite “Greatest Hits” Undertaker
• Original Undertaker (‘90)
• Mattel Elite “Greatest Hits” Undertaker Persona card
• Original Undertaker (‘90) Persona card
• Urn
• Brother Love manager
• Undertaker ’95 mask (The Island)
• 15,000 VC
• 5x DLC character packs (post-launch)
• Season Pass
• Superstar Mega-Boost
• The Rock Nation Of Domination
• The Rock Nation Of Domination Persona card
• Mattel Elite Series 114 Jey Uso
• Mattel Elite Series 114 Jey Uso Persona card
• Mattel Elite ‘Greatest Hits’ Roman Reigns
• Mattel Elite ‘Greatest Hits’ Roman Reigns Persona card
• Family Above All Hoodie (The Island)
• OTC Shirt (The Island)
• Yeet Tank Top (The Island)
• Yeet Sunglasses (The Island)
• Additional 32,500 VC (Steam Only)
• WrestleMania 41 Arena
• 2x WrestleMania 41 playable characters (TBC)
• 2x WrestleMania 41 Personal Cards (TBC)
• Superstar Persona Card (TBC)

WWE 2K25 Bloodline Dynasty Showcase details

The big reason behind the WWE 2K25 Bloodline Edition is that its characters are the main focus of Showcase mode this year. It’s hosted by Paul Heyman, and throws up classic matches featuring Bloodline and Anoa’i family members, along with some dream bouts too. We’ll have a full match list in a guide here soon, once WWE 2K25 is released.

WWE 2K25 new match types

The most exciting entry on the list of WWE 2K25 new match types is inter gender wrestling. Stars from both the male and female divisions can now compete against one another – so you can pit Rhea Ripley against Dominik Mysterio, or throw Nia Jax into the ring with LA Knight. Bloodline Rules Matches and Underground Matches are also in, along with the return of chain wrestling. We’ll have more details on all of these in our upcoming WWE 2K25 hands-on.

© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission.

The WWE 2K24 Bray Wyatt Edition DLC sees developer 2K pay tribute to a creative genius taken long before his time. The standard edition of WWE 2K24 already features five different versions of Wyatt – and this newcomer adds two more, along with an updated likeness for Uncle Howdy, AKA Bo Dallas. Find out everything included, and how to get it, in GR's WWE 2K24 Bray Wyatt Edition guide.

WWE 2K24 Bray Wyatt Edition The Fiend DLC: what’s different?

Wyatt’s alter-ego of The Fiend was already included on the WWE 2K24 roster. The Bray Wyatt Edition and Bundle adds a new version of The Fiend which was never seen on WWE TV. This version of the character was dreamed up by Windham Rotunda – the man who portrayed Wyatt – before his untimely death aged just 36, working in tandem with Callosum Studios designer Jason Baker. He boasts a reworked mask, and new lantern – which itself shows off The Fiend’s signature grimace in all its terrifying glory. 

What is the WWE 2K24 Bray Wyatt Edition price?

As you’ll see below, the WWE 2K24 Bray Wyatt Edition contains a host of content already released for the game, along with 82,500 VC. Remember you can top this up further using WWE 2K24 locker codes. The price is £119.99/$139.99. Even the Season Pass, for DLC characters such as Lyra Valkyria and CM Punk, is included. For full details on that one, hit our WWE 2K24 DLC guide. 

How do I get Bray Wyatt DLC if I already own WWE 2K24?

In this case, you simply need the Bray Wyatt Edition Pack. It costs £8.99/$9.99 and includes all of the following:

• Alternate playable version of The Fiend
• Playable in-game Bray Wyatt action figure
• Updated playable Uncle Howdy featuring Bo Dallas
• The Fiend themed championship belt
• Firefly Funhouse MyFaction manager card
• 15,000 VC

What’s included in the WWE 2K24 Bray Wyatt Edition?

This is everything contained in the mammoth WWE 2K24 Bray Wyatt Edition. Note that Bo Dallas' stable the Wyatt Sicks isn't included – for the likes of Erick Rowan, you need GR's WWE 2K24 CAWs guide.

• WWE 2K24 Base Game
• Alternate playable version of The Fiend
• Playable in-game Bray Wyatt action figure
• Updated playable Uncle Howdy featuring Bo Dallas
• The Fiend themed championship belt
• Firefly Funhouse MyFaction manager card
• Forty Years Of WrestleMania Bonus Pack (Triple H (WM 30), Rhea Ripley (WM 36), ‘Macho King’ Randy Savage (WM 6), Charlotte Flair (WM 33), and Rey Mysterio (WM 22))
• Deluxe Edition Bonus Pack (Rhea Ripley (NXT) and Bianca Belair (NXT))
• Nightmare Family Pack (Undashing Cody Rhodes, Dusty Rhodes, Billy Graham, Action Figure Bruised Cody Rhodes, Stardust)
• Season Pass (All WWE 2K24 DLC, MyRise Mega-Boost Pack, SuperCharger Pack)
• Showcase Superstar Unlock
• 82,500 VC

What about the WWE 2K24 Bray Wyatt bundle?

Yep, there’s even a third way to unlock all this new stuff, and that’s the WWE 2K24 Bray Wyatt Bundle. This one costs £79.99/$89.99. Here’s what you get:

• WWE 2K24 Base Game
• Alternate playable version of The Fiend
• Playable in-game Bray Wyatt action figure
• Updated playable Uncle Howdy featuring Bo Dallas
• The Fiend themed championship belt
• Firefly Funhouse MyFaction manager card
• 47,500 VC

It's looking like we're done when it comes to WWE 2K24 locker codes, but what a journey it's been. And it isn't quite over: there's still time to deploy CASHINGITIN in WWE 2K24 for a cool 15,000 VC. That one expires on March 31, 2025, when you'll likely be playing WWE 2K25 anyway. Keep on scrolling for all current codes, along with ones you may have missed, in GR’s expired and active WWE 2K24 locker codes guide.

Active WWE 2K24 locker codes

Let’s cut straight to the good stuff: current active WWE 2K24 locker codes, as of Wednesday, February 5. Below is each code, what it gets you, and when it expires.

• CASHINGITIN – 15,000 VC [Expires March 31, 2025]
• HESEESYOU2K24 – Amethyst Night Bird Manager [No Expiry]
• CANYOUSMELL – The Rock Faction Wars Boss Free Agent, Stone Cold Steve Austin Faction Wars Boss Free Agent, FW Ticket, Heat Series 1 Pack [No Expiry]
• HEADOFTHETABLE – 2x Legend Series Packs, Sapphire Roman Reigns Free Agent [No Expiry]
• SECURETHEBAG – 7,500 VC [No Expiry]

How to use WWE 2K24 locker codes

All 2K24 locker codes are applied in MyFaction, although some of the unlocked content can be used elsewhere in the game – such as Persona cards. Once these are activated the respective character is added to the WWE 2K24 roster and playable across all modes. To apply a code, start up the game then select the large MyFaction panel on the left of the home screen. Now select the Locker Codes panel. Finally enter the locker code you want to redeem in the text box. 

Expired WWE 2K24 locker codes

The following expired WWE 2K24 locker codes were available earlier in the game’s lifetime, but sadly no longer work.

• GAMEAWARDS24 – 20,000 VC
• WARGAMES – Galaxy Opal Free Agent Liv Morgan, Deluxe Singlet Supreme II Pack, 15,000 VC
• CROWNJEWEL – Deluxe Eras Pack & Deluxe Masked Mayhem Pack
• HALLOWEEN2K24 – Deluxe Eras Pack
• SINGLTLIFE2K24 – Deluxe Singlet Supreme II Pack
• LAMASCARA2K24 – 1x Deluxe Masked Mayhem Pack
• BEASTMODE2K24 – Deluxe Beast Series 2 Pack 
• INYOURHOUSE – Deluxe Beast Series Pack, Deluxe Legends Series II Pack, and 15,000 VC
• BEASTLY2K24 – Deluxe Beast Series II Pack
• GOINGGLOBAL – Diamond Andre The Giant, Diamond Eddie Guerrero ’05, Amethyst British Bulldog
• BASHINBERLIN – 2x Deluxe Head Series II Packs, Amethyst MITB Ilja Dragunov, Pink Diamond Seth Rollins Free Agent
• WWE2KATSMMRSLM – Deluxe Summerslam Pack, Single Supreme Pack, Deluxe Heat II Pack
• SUMMERWWE2K24 – 15,000 VC, 2x Deluxe Summerslam Packs
• PATSMMERGIFT24 – Amethyst Extreme Series Drew McIntyre, Deluxe Punches & Promos Pack, Faction Wars Tickets
• MITBBRIEFCASE – Singlet Supreme Deluxe Pack, WrestleMania 40 Ruby Bayley, WrestleMania 40 Austin Theory, Diamond Free Age
• WWE2KATIGNLIVE – Deluxe Beast Pack, Basic Punches & Promos Pack
• ODDSANDENDS – Oddities: Boxing Gloves, Torch, The People’s Elbow Pads, Just Bring It T-Shirt, Rikishi’s Sunglasses
• KINGANDQUEEN – 2x Faction Wars Tickets, 7,500 VC
• ECWCHAMPS – Bobby Lashley, Rob Van Dam, Kane
• MONFACTION – Beast Series Deluxe Pack, Superstar Series 1 Kofi Kingston, Superstar Series 1 Xavier Woods
• SUPERCARD2K24 – SuperCard Enigma Pack
• WWEDRAFT2K24 – WrestleMania Deluxe Pack, Sole Providers Deluxe Pack
• WRESTLEMANIAXL – Gold Series 1 Cody Rhodes, Silver Series 1 Bayley
• YOURSTORY2K24 – Mattel John Cena Persona Card

Where to find WWE 2K24 locker codes

We plan to update this WWE 2K24 locker codes guide throughout the game’s life cycle. For live WWE 2K24 locker code releases, keep tabs on the game’s assorted social media feeds. These are the main ones:

• WWE 2K Community Discord
• TikTok
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Youtube

Why is my WWE 2K24 locker code not working?

The three most likely scenarios for a locker code not working are that it’s expired, you’ve misspelled it, or you’ve already used it before. If you’re certain that the problem is something else, try raising a ticket directly with 2K Support. For more wrestling goodness, jump on our WWE 2K24 CAWs and WWE 2K24 DLC guides.

WWE superstar Windham Rotunda - better known by his in-ring name Bray Wyatt - died in 2023 from a heart attack, the result of an existing condition that had been exacerbated by a COVID-19 infection. He was only 36, and the sudden death of a beloved performer hit the wrestling world hard at the time. Now, just over a year later, WWE 2K24 is paying tribute to Bray by recreating the character he never got the opportunity to bring to the ring.

After Rotunda's death, the Bray Wyatt: Becoming Immortal documentary gave us a look at what would have been the next iteration of his Fiend character. Makeup effects artist Jason Baker revealed that he and Rotunda had been collaborating on a new iteration of the Fiend costume that was effectively complete, including a creepy lantern shaped like the character's mask, complete with animatronic eyes.

On the October 4 edition of Smackdown, a brief teaser trailer for a WWE 2K24 update debuted, showing this new version of the Fiend, which had never previously appeared on WWE TV. Today, the devs have shown the character's full entrance video. It's unclear if this is set to be a free update or paid DLC, but either way the devs are teasing an October 16, 2024 release date.

While Rotunda's character gimmicks over the years tended to effectively be slasher movie villains, he was keen on including some very sweet details. This final iteration of the Fiend includes stitches around the mouth - gruesome at a glance, but they're actually in the shape of Roman numerals, representing what would have been his December 6 wedding anniversary with fiancé JoJo Offerman. The pinstriping on his pants also includes the names of his children. It's a little difficult to tell in the grainy social media videos 2K has provided so far, but these details appear to be faithfully recreated in the game.

"If I can give this to his fans, which meant the world to him, then not all of him is completely gone," Baker said when showcasing Windham's Final Creation, as it's labeled in the documentary. "So if I get to help my friend live on in some way or capacity, I'll be okay with that. I can do that."

Today, Baker's response to 2K's introduction of this version of the Fiend is elated. "I can't stop crying at this! It is so beautifully bittersweet seeing @Windham6 in the new Fiend gear & knowing how excited he was about bringing his iconic character back to WWE," he says on Twitter. "You’ve given all us fireflies  an amazing look at what should have been. Best Birthday present ever!" 

The WWE 2K24 CAWs servers are still going strong despite the recent release of its sequel. If you're looking to pick up WWE 2K24 for a bargain price rather than switch to WWE 2K25, this is the way to expand your roster. Community Creations enable you to add missing wrestlers, and we've profiled 17 here. Find them all in Online > Community Creations > Downloads, then bookmark your WWE 2K24 CAWs guide.

1. Akam & 2. Rezar

The Authors of Pain returned to WWE in December 2023 after a three-year absence, linking up with WWE 2K24 roster members Karrion Kross and Scarlett. Collectively the stable is known as The Final Testament, and you can complete it in-game using these excellent creations by ByecawzZ. Both Akam and Rezar come with two outfits.

3. Andrade

Another excellent piece of work from ByecawzZ here. In the gaming world Andrade remains a member of the AEW Fight Forever roster, but he switched back to WWE in January 2024, via a surprise appearance at the Royal Rumble. That surely makes him a must-add from this WWE 2K24 CAWs list.

4. Charlie Dempsey

This year’s entry in the series happily saw the return of British bruiser and four-time European champion William Regal. Sadly there was no place for his son, Charlie Dempsey, who had a promising year on NXT after aligning with Drew Gulak. Make that right by downloading this strong MandoYo76 doppelgänger.

5. Demon Finn Balor

Weirdly, Visual Concepts no longer includes Finn’s face-painted alter-ego on the default roster. Step forward WhatsTheStatus, whose skills at unlocking hidden assets within the game’s code have made him a legend in the community. This demonic version of Balor is his work, and can also be set as an alternate attire to regular Finn.

6. Elektra Lopez

When Santos Escobar’s Legado del Fantasma stable was called up from NXT to Smackdown, WWE made the curious call to replace manager Elektra Lopez with Zelina Vega. Two years on, she’s finally returned to the role – even if the faction’s make-up is a little different, with Angel and Humberto operating as Escobar’s henchmen. This CAW is by BrandonRbr – and he’s also made a decent Jade Cargill, in case you don't want to pay for WWE 2K24 DLC.

7. Erick Rowan

While October's WWE 2K24 Bray Wyatt Edition is excellent, there's still no official way to play as his tribute stable, the Wyatt Sicks. You can change that by downloading alternate attires for Nikki Cross, Joe Gacy and Dexter Lumis to accompany Uncle Howdy. The finishing touch is then grabbing this fine Erick Rowan CAW, by WhatsTheStatus.

8. Gangrel

Christian and Adam 'Edge' Copeland's Brood stablemate gatecrashed AEW Double Or Nothing in May 26, attacking the latter on behalf of Malakai Black. It made him one of the hottest names on the Community Creations servers – and this XvClutchOz effort is the best version of Grangel you can find on there.

9. Jakara Jackson & 10. Lash Legend

The most surprising exclusions from this year’s NXT roster are unquestionably The Meta-Four. Noam Dar’s faction has been prominent on WWE TV since the summer of 2023, while Legend’s tenure goes back even further. We’re still waiting for a decent Oro Mensah, but in the meantime grab these DivaDadde offerings. Their movesets are by lexveraux, with hair from WhatsTheStatus.

11. Jon Moxley

These days former Shield member Dean Ambrose can be found in AEW under the name of Jon Moxley, but he remains one of modern WWE’s most popular pugilists. That’s reflected in this kamok effort being downloaded more than any other CAW – 126,000 times, as of March 11. Attires are by Kamillon2K, with a moveset from HarvAddy.

12. Kerry Von Erich

The Texas Tornado hasn’t appeared in the series since WWE 2K18, but fans of the new movie The Iron Claw can rectify that with this HonchosLegends muscleman. It comes with a full moveset, entrance, and victory motion, and the same creator has provided other classics from the era like Greg ‘The Hammer’ Valentine and ‘Hacksaw’ Jim Duggan.

13. Kiana James

In February 2023, James and partner Fallon Henley overcame Katana Chance and Kayden Carter to claim the NXT Women’s tag titles – and immediately sealed her place in WWE 2K24. Or so we thought. While Henley is in this year’s game, James is a mystery omission, meaning you need this BigDivaFann creation to match that pair up again.

14. Lexis King

Remember Brian Pillman? The curly haired high-flyer wowed fans as a face in WCW, then portrayed the loosest cannon in the business during a memorable WWE run. His son Brian Pillman Jr is now in NXT, using the name Lexis King. This version of him is by MyNamesDEADMAN, with a tights texture by PAC_Creates and travisalekz.

15. Naomi

After two years away from WWE, Naomi returned at the Royal Rumble, and was always a certainty for a WWE 2K25 spot – but her neon-tastic comeback came too late to make the WWE 2K24 season pass. Instead grab this CAW by RecluzexTM, who also credits Lucharumblejp for devising her gear.

16. Oba Femi

WWE has always loved a big man, and Oba Femi looks set to receive a big push over the next 18 months or so. Indeed, he’s already captured the NXT North American Championship from Dragon Lee. Bhangra22man made this spot-on creation, with credit to esmec for the face pic, and wolfpac for piecing together Oba Femi’s moveset.

17. Sasha Banks

Mercedes Mone may be contracted to AEW, but the former Sasha Banks recently admitted she’ll be back with her home promotion someday. Mercifully, Community Creations mean you don’t need to wait until WWE 2K29. Banks has been recreated by notzaddik, and must immediately feud with Charlotte Flair in your game. It’s, like, a rule.

WWE 2K24 keeps getting stronger, with the recent addition of CM Punk as DLC, and a host of more general improvements over last year's edition. Ongoing MyFaction concerns held GR back from awarding WWE 2K24 a five-star review, but there's still loads to like here. You can get full details below, from casket, ambulance and gauntlet matches, to the WWE 2K24 cover star and trailer. The bell's just rung – it's time to grapple with your WWE 2K24 guide.

WWE 2K24 release date

The WWE 2K24 release date was March 8, 2024. However, those who pre-ordered either the Deluxe or 40 Years of WrestleMania edition got the game three days early, on March 5, 2024. Inevitably they received other goodies for their money, too, such as alternate versions of cover star Cody Rhodes. You can see exactly what's contained in each version below.

WWE 2K24 trailer

The first WWE 2K24 trailer dropped ahead of the Royal Rumble, which saw Cody Rhodes and Bayley win their respective 30-wrestler brawls, and book their tickets to WrestleMania 40. The video offers plenty of footage from the 40 Years of WrestleMania mode, plus a tease of the new casket and special guest referee matches. Hit the image above to watch.

WWE 2K24 cover star

The WWE 2K24 cover star is Cody Rhodes, with the former AEW Fight Forever favorite headed to WrestleMania in the hope of capturing his first WWE world title. That quest has inspired the game's catch line: "finish your story", after Rhodes fell short of this goal last year.

Rhea Ripley and Bianca Belair share the cover of the WWE 2K24 deluxe edition, while the 40 Years of WrestleMania edition features a montage of retro stars such as Hulk Hogan, Steve Austin, and Andre The Giant.

WWE 2K24 Pre-orders

These were the three different tiers of WWE 2K24 pre-order available, with each offering a different set of access and unlockable items. Here's the breakdown of what you could get in each WWE 2K24 edition:

WWE 2K24 Standard Edition

• Dusty Rhodes (with MyFaction card)
• Mattel Cody Rhodes (with MyFaction card)
• Stardust Superstar Billy Graham
• Undashing Cody Rhodes
• Pharaoh card for MyFaction (manager)

WWE 2K24 Deluxe Edition

• 3 Days early access
• All standard edition bonuses
• Rhea Ripley alt attire & MyFaction gold card
• Bianca Belair alt attire & MyFaction gold card Season Pass (5 DLC packs)
• MyRise Mega Boost
• SuperCharger

WWE 2K24 40 Years of WrestleMania Edition

• All standard edition & deluxe edition bonuses
• WrestleMania 40 arena
• Macho King Randy Savage (WrestleMania 6)
• Rey Mysterio (WrestleMania 22)
• Triple H (WrestleMania 30)
• Charlotte Flair (WrestleMania 33)
• Rhea Ripley (WrestleMania 36)
• Gold MyFaction cards for all five above wrestlers

WWE 2K24 new match types

Four new match types are featured in WWE 2K24. They are the ambulance match, casket match, gauntlet match, and special guest referee match. Backstage brawl bouts have also been expanded with interactive vending machines, cars, and even a working elevator. You can read more about those, plus other new features such as super finishers, in GR+'s WWE 2K24 preview.

WWE 2K24 40 Years of WrestleMania matches

In-game, 40 Years of WrestleMania is known as Showcase of the Immortals. These are the matches featured in the mode:

• Ricky Steamboat vs Randy Savage (WrestleMania 3)
• Hulk Hogan vs Andre The Giant (WrestleMania 3)
• Rick Rude vs Ultimate Warrior (WrestleMania 5)
• Hulk Hogan vs Randy Savage (WrestleMania 5)
• Ultimate Warrior vs Hulk Hogan (WrestleMania 6)
• Bret Hart vs Roddy Piper (WrestleMania 8)
• Razor Ramon vs Shawn Michaels (WrestleMania 10)
• Bret Hart vs Steve Austin (WrestleMania 13)
• Steve Austin vs The Rock (WrestleMania 17)
• Eddie Guerrero vs Kurt Angle (WrestleMania 20)
• Kurt Angle vs Shawn Michaels (WrestleMania 21)
• Undertaker vs Shawn Michaels (WrestleMania 25)
• Brock Lesnar vs Undertaker (WrestleMania 30)
• Randy Orton vs Seth Rollins (WrestleMania 31)
• Brock Lesnar vs Roman Reigns (WrestleMania 31)
• Becky Lynch vs Ronda Rousey vs Charlotte Flair (WrestleMania 35)
• Bray Wyatt vs John Cena (WrestleMania 36)
• Steve Austin vs Kevin Owens (WrestleMania 38)
• Charlotte Flair vs Rhea Ripley (WrestleMania 39)
• Bianca Belair vs Asuka (WrestleMania 39)
• Roman Reigns vs Cody Rhodes (WrestleMania 39)
• 30-Man Royal Rumble (Bonus Match)

WWE 2K24 DLC release schedule

There will be five WWE 2K24 DLC drops. CM Punk is the biggest name to make the Season Pass offering, while other intriguing names include the Dudley Boyz, Sandman, and Michelle McCool. Unlike the WWE 2K23 DLC list, only one NXT wrestler makes the cut: women's champion Lyra Valkyria. The release schedule is below, and you can get full details of what's in each pack via our WWE 2K24 DLC guide. 

• WWE 2K24 DLC Pack 1: May 15
• WWE 2K24 DLC Pack 2: June 26
• WWE 2K24 DLC Pack 3: July 24
• WWE 2K24 DLC Pack 4: September 20
• WWE 2K24 DLC Pack 5: November 13

WWE 2K24 new legends

Many icons from previous games are already locked into the WWE 2K24 roster, and have been mentioned above – we're talking Hulk Hogan, Shawn Michaels, Steve Austin, Triple H, and numerous others. However, the recent series of mobile game WWE SuperCard suggested that many new (old!) faces may be set to join them, too. Sure enough, Ken Shamrock and William Regal make long-awaited returns, while we're even getting Japanese icon The Great Muta as DLC. Hit that link for all the names in this year's game, both new and old.

WWE 2K24 MyFaction details

MyFaction is inevitably back, and the biggest news of all is 'Persona' cards. Unlock these and you can take the character they belong to into all modes – meaning we shouldn't see a repeat of last year's Scott Steiner travesty. 2K added his Big Poppa Pump gimmick, but it was exclusive to that mode. Not a good look when it's the only one in the game offering paid-for currency. Also new this year are ranked quickplay, a revamped Faction Wars 2.0, more 4v4 match types, and a Faction Wars specific reward shop.

The WWE 2K24 DLC and Season Pass schedule is all done. It's been a great year for post-release WWE 2K24 additions, too: CM Punk arrived early, and was later supplemented by Jade Cargill, Michelle McCool, The Great Muta, Lex Luger and many more. Read on for a full recap of every available pack and downloadable character, in GR's WWE 2K24 DLC guide.

How do I get the WWE 2K24 DLC characters?

There are two ways, both of which are fairly simple. You can either buy the Season Pass for £32.99/$39.99, or you can purchase individual packs – these cost £8.99/$9.99, which at the end is actually slightly cheaper than WWE 2K23 DLC. Handy.

The bonus of the Season Pass is that, along with the DLC, you get the MyRise Mega-Boost pack, which features an additional 200 Attribute Points, and traditional SuperCharger – which unlocks all base game legends and additional arenas, without you having to grind to earn them.

Who are the WWE 2K24 DLC legends?

There’s a big focus on old school superstars in the WWE 2K24 DLC offering. 14 playable old-school additions dropped in total, and the first four landed as part of the ECW Punk Pack on May 15. They are Bubba Ray Dudley and D-Von Dudley – AKA the Dudley Boyz – along with Terry Funk and Sandman. The latter is an especially cool inclusion, as his last appearance was in WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2008.

June 26’s Post Malone & Friends Pack added another four playable legends, in the Honky Tonky Man, Sensational Sherri, and Headbangers Mosh and Thrasher. They’re joined by famed 1980s manager Jimmy Hart. Michelle McCool then gatecrashed the squared circle as part of the Global Superstars Pack on September 18.

A two-month break followed before the last batch of legends. They are Diamond Dallas Page, Iron Sheik, Mr Perfect, Great Muta, and Lex Luger. Together, that quintet form the WCW Pack, and it hit on November 13. Japanese wrestling icon Great Muta in a WWE game? Oh yes. A big deal indeed.

What about the WWE 2K24 DLC Raw and Smackdown wrestlers?

The contemporary element of the WWE 2K24 Season Pass has been handled somewhat controversially. Let’s start with the good news: CM Punk arrived on May 15 as the first of six current-era stars. You can grab him as part of the ECW Punk Pack and it means that he’s in WWE 2K24 and on the AEW Fight Forever roster.

Things got more curious after that. The list of additional Raw and Smackdown stars being added as DLC is a formidable one: in addition to Punk, we received Jade Cargill, Nia Jax, Carlito, Kairi Sane and Dragon Lee. But we had to wait until September 18’s Global Superstars Pack to play as them. That caused some serious debate among the community, and understandably so.

Is there any WWE 2K24 NXT DLC?

Look away now, NXT fans. After an impressive selection of 12 up-and-comers last year such as Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams, this time around we received… one. No, really.

Former NXT Women’s Champion Lyra Valkyria landed as part of the Global Superstars Pack on September 20, and that’s your lot as far as NXT is concerned. It’s an astonishing decision. Especially as Valkyria won that title in October 2023, and really should have been on the main WWE 2K24 roster.

Who are the WWE 2K24 DLC celebrity inclusions?

Two intriguing celebrities do at least fortify the WWE 2K4 DLC roster. There’s a series debut for Post Malone as part of the Post Malone & Friends Pack, after the rapper curated this year’s soundtrack. Former NFL punter, and WWE favourite, Pat McAfee followed him into the fray on July 31.

The one-time Indianapolis Colts man forms part of the Pat McAfee pack, which also delivered AJ Hawk, Boston Connor, Darius Butler, and Ty Schmitt. McAfee has been on fan ‘most wanted’ lists for the last two years, but seeing his buddies added to the game when we could have had Lash Legend or Lexis King from NXT is a huge gamble. Again, this feels like a mis-step.

Where can I see the full WWE 2K24 DLC release schedule?

Here we go. All five WWE 2K24 DLC Season Pass packs, along with their release dates, are listed below in chronological order.

WWE 2K24 DLC ECW Punk Pack (May 15)

• Bubba Ray Dudley (Dudley Boyz) 
• CM Punk
• D-Von Dudley (Dudley Boyz)
• Sandman
• Terry Funk 

WWE 2K24 DLC Post Malone & Friends Pack (June 26)

• Honky Tonk Man
• Mosh (Headbangers)
• Post Malone
• Sensational Sherri
• Thrasher (Headbangers)
• Jimmy Hart (manager)

WWE 2K24 DLC Pat McAfee Pack (July 31)

• AJ Hawk
• Boston Connor
• Darius Butler
• Pat McAfee
• Ty Schmitt

WWE 2K24 DLC Global Superstars Pack (September 18)

• Carlito
• Dragon Lee
• Jade Cargill
• Kairi Sane
• Lyra Valkyria
• Michelle McCool
• Nia Jax

WWE 2K24 WCW Pack (November 13)

• Diamond Dallas Page
• Great Muta
• Iron Sheik
• Lex Luger
• Mr Perfect

The WWE 2K24 roster surpassed expectations, and was expanded further in October 2024 with a brand new edition of the grapple sim. The Bray Wyatt Edition of WWE 2K24 gave us two fresh Wyatt gimmicks, along with an Uncle Howdy update in line with his recent TV appearances. That'll be that until WWE 2K25 now. Even so, you can revisit every playable character in the game using GR's in-depth WWE 2K24 roster guide.

AJ Styles & Karl Anderson & Luke Gallows & Michin

Mia Yim made a shock return to WWE in November 2022, and there were further surprises to come. First she took on a new ring name of Michin. Then came a link up with The OC: AJ Styles, Karl Anderson, and Luke Gallows, who are upgraded from DLC this year. 

Akira Tozawa & Chad Gable & Maxxine Dupri & Otis

Former LA Rams cheerleader Sydney Zmrzel has had an intriguing WWE run. She debuted as valet to Von Wagner under the name Sofia Cromwell. A change to Maxxine Dupri followed as she was paired with now-departed tag-team MNM, before a surprise face turn to join Alpha Academy. 

Alba Fyre & Drew McIntyre & Isla Dawn & Nikki Cross

Scottish stars Fyre and Dawn were called up to the Smackdown roster together in May 2023, having held tag gold in WWE’s developmental division. However, only Fyre was already in the series. She’s joined by Dawn this year, adding to a list of Scots that also includes Drew McIntyre and Nikki Cross.

Alexa Bliss & Braun Strowman & Ricochet

The Mixed Match Challenge, pairing male and female wrestlers for tag bouts, may be long forgotten – but Bliss and Braun were a major highlight. Their 'little-and-large' chemistry was repeated in more traditional fashion as Strowman buddied up with Ricochet last year.

Andre Chase & Duke Hudson & Thea Hail

We got a tease of popular NXT faction Chase U when its leader, Andre Chase, arrived as WWE 2K23 DLC, but there was no such digital graduation for Thea Hail or Duke Hudson. After a prominent year on NXT that changes in WWE 2K24, with the male pair having claimed tag-team title gold.

Andre The Giant & Harley Race & Randy Savage & Undertaker & Yokozuna

Four yesteryear legends were confirmed in one hit ahead of this year’s Royal Rumble, before being joined by Race. They’re all familiar inclusions in the series, with a new twist for WWE 2K24: each plays a role in the new 40 Years of WrestleMania mode.

Angel Garza & Humberto Carrillo & Santos Escobar

Santos Escobar made Legado del Fantasma the most watchable faction on NXT, which meant his turn on partners Cruz del Toro and Joaquin Wilde was all the more shocking. He's now reformed the stable with the gents formerly known as Los Lotharios. Alas, valet Elektra Lopez doesn't make the cut – instead grab her from our WWE 2K24 CAWs guide.

Angelo Dawkins & Bobby Lashley & Montez Ford

It didn't last long thanks to Karrion Kross, but the Street Profits' brief heel run alongside Bobby Lashley proved staggeringly entertaining. The shock turn saw both Dawkins and Ford get immaculate glows-up, and display nefarious sides we never knew they had. There's plenty of scope for those personas to be revisited in WWE 2K24, should you wish.

Apollo Crews

The man once known as Uhaa Nation has scarcely been seen since a brief 2023 feud with the Judgment Day, but he nonetheless sneaks onto the 2K24 roster. The same can't be said for ex-partner Titus O'Neil, who misses out for the first time since WWE 13.

Ashante Adonis & Cedric Alexander & MVP & Omos

WWE 2K23 DLC competitor Top Dolla may by gone, but his Hit Row band-mate Ashante Adonis is back, along with brief tag partner Alexander. His previous success came alongside MVP in Hurt Business – but Shelton Benjamin is sadly no longer with the company. You could, however, reform the troupe using MVP's more recent client, Omos.

Asuka

Asuka, Kairi Sane and Io Sky make for a strong Japanese contingent in current-day WWE, and there were hopes of seeing them joined by experienced campaigner Meiko Satomura. She held the NXT UK Championship for an astonishing 451 days, and astonishingly also made sporadic appearances for WCW back in the late 1990s! However, it wasn't to be.

Axiom & Nathan Frazer

NXT's pair of supreme high flyers are long overdue a main roster call-up. They've put on spectacular matches against one another, and also worked brilliantly as a duo against the likes of Chase U. WWE has been seeking a masked successor to Rey Mysterio for years. It's time the brilliant Axiom was given a shot at the gig.

Austin Theory & Grayson Waller

A-Town-Down wrestled on the Indies for four years before signing with WWE in 2019. He’s held the United States Championship twice, and kicked off 2024 as one half of a new tag-team with Grayson Waller, known as A-Town-Down-Under.

Bad Bunny & Logan Paul & Muhammad Ali

Stunner! Just when it looked like Bad Bunny and Logan Paul were going to be the biggest celebrity names in the game, 2K announced that boxing's greatest of all time, Muhammad Ali, is a brand new addition to the series. Ali was special guest referee for the main event of the very first WrestleMania.

Baron Corbin

After ditching his naff Happy Corbin gimmick and returning to the Baron name under which he debuted, this NXT bruiser is back on track in WWE – even claiming tag gold with Bron Breakker in early 2024. Corbin returned to the main roster early in the summer.

Batista & Randy Orton & Triple H

Evolution was the most powerful stable of the early 2000s, and WWE 2K24 enables you to unite three quarters of the faction, to add to their two tag titles and host of world championships. Alas, Ric Flair is not along for the ride.

Bayley & Dakota Kai & Iyo Sky

Kairi Sane was last seen in WWE 2K20, which formed her second series appearance after 2K19. Following a two-year absence she returned at Crown Jewel to assist countrywoman Iyo Sky, which set her up for a WWE 2K24 appearance – although it turned out to be as DLC. Damage Control members Bayley and Dakota Kai are at least in.

Becky Lynch & Blair Davenport & Nikkita Lyons

GR interviewed Becky Lynch back in 2016, ahead of her meteoric rise to the top of WWE – and now a fellow Irish lass kicker is primed to follow in Lynch’s footsteps. Lyra Valkyria defeated Big Time Becks to become NXT Women’s Champion in October 2023, and was considered a strong roster contender – but instead set aside as DLC. Boo! At least NXT rivals Blair Davenport and Nikkita Lyons are in.

Beth Phoenix & Eve Torres & Lita

Most fans expected Phoenix to be axed this year, after husband Edge departed for AEW – and exited the series as a result. But pleasingly she's back, along with three-time Divas champ Torres, and groundbreaking high-flyer Lita – who famously also once dated The Rated R Superstar. Lita gets a long-overdue new model this year. 

Bianca Belair & Charlotte Flair

These two Smackdown stalwarts were confirmed together in January 2024. Flair is currently sidelined with tears to her ACL, MCL, and meniscus, but will be good to go in WWE 2K24, where you can add to her 14 world title victories.

Big E & Kofi Kingston & Tyler Breeze & Xavier Woods

The New Day are another faction who the series would feel weird without, even though Big E hasn’t wrestled since May 2022 due to injury. We’ve grouped Breeze in with New Day as he’s a regular on Woods’ UpUpDownDown gaming channel. 

Big Boss Man & Boogeyman & Booker T & Bruno Summartino & Doink

A quarter of B-based names from the legends roster here, along with dastardly clown Doink. Sammartino is the most notable of the five, having once held the WWWF Championship for 2,803 days – almost eight years!

Bray Wyatt & Uncle Howdy

Bray Wyatt passed away in August 2023, aged just 36 – and WWE fans have been mourning his untimely loss ever since. In tribute, an amazing seven different Wyatt gimmicks are in WWE 2K24, following the release of the Bray Wyatt edition. They including dastardly alter-ego The Fiend. Mysterious sidekick Uncle Howdy, portrayed by little bro Bo Dallas, is also in.

Bret Hart & British Bulldog & Jim Neidhart & Natalya

Three members of the expanded Hart Foundation feature in WWE 2K24, along with Jim Neidhart's daughter Natalya. There's hope for the future, too. With Brian Pillman's son Lexis King now in NXT, we may see the Harts' wildest ally make a shock series appearance alongside his offspring come WWE 2K25.

Brock Lesnar* & John Cena

Two of the biggest names in the business contested a memorably controversial match at Extreme Rules 2012, when Lesnar dominated Cena – only to lose after being hammered with a steel chain. However, Brock was 'unrevealed' from the roster in mid-February – and is now only playable in Showcase of the Immortals mode.

Bron Breakker & Carmelo Hayes & Rick Steiner & Scott Steiner & Trick Williams

The first NXT stars confirmed were Hayes and Breakker, which is fitting given that they featured in the brand’s best rivalry during 2023. Hayes is joined by longtime sidekick Trick Williams, while Breakker’s dad Rick Steiner and uncle Scott are in too.

Bronson Reed & Maryse & The Miz

Raw powerhouse Reed had his model created for inclusion in WWE 2K22, only for it to be removed from the final game when he was axed by WWE in August 2021. He returned to the company in December 2022, so this overdue series debut is welcome. Miz, the man who brought him back in storyline, is also confirmed, alongside wife Maryse.

Brooks Jensen & Josh Briggs

Remember the NXT UK Tag-Team Championships? Gallus and Pretty Deadly are among the names to have held them, but it was the American pair of Briggs and Jensen who enjoyed the final reign. They’re now established members of the NXT’s Stateside roster, and deserve their videogame debut. 

Brutus Creed & Damon Kemp & Ivy Nile & Julius Creed

Ivy and the Creeds may be called Diamond Mine, but did you know none are original members? It was actually formed by Roderick Strong and Malcolm Bivens in June 2021. Thanks to WWE 2K24 CAWs, you can reinstall them as a quintet should you please, along with short-term member Damon Kemp.

Butch & Ridge Holland & Sheamus & Tyler Bate & Wade Barrett

The Brawling Brutes may be over, but WWE 2K24 enables you to reunite them for one last hurrah – and add Butch's 'New Catch Republic' tag partner Tyler Bate into the bargain. Fellow Brit veteran Wade Barrett is upgraded from DLC to the main roster, too.

Cactus Jack & Dude Love & Mankind & Vader

Yessss! All three faces of Mick Foley are back in the series, after we were limited to Cactus Jack alone in WWE 2K23. Why have we paired him with Vader here? Because it was during a match contested between the two back in 1994 that Foley got caught up in the ropes, and lost half his ear.

Candice LeRae & Dexter Lumis & Johnny Gargano & Indi Hartwell & Tommaso Ciampa

A bunch of Raw superstars connected to Johnny Gargano here. Candice LeRae is his wife, while Dexter Lumis and Indi Hartwell combined with that pair to form celebrated NXT faction The Way. Ciampa, meanwhile, was recently reunited with the babyfaced one as fan-favourite tandem DIY.

Carmella & Kane & Robert Roode & Scrypts & Tamina

What do this unlikely quintet have in common? They're all former 24/7 Championship holders – yes, even Kane, who held the belt under his real-life alias of Mayor Glenn Jacobs. Scrypts, meanwhile, was known as Reggie. R-Truth scored the most overall reigns, with 53.

Cameron Grimes

As well as snaring the North American Championship during his NXT run, Grimes also holds the honor of being the final Million Dollar Champion – after an unlikely link-up with Ted DiBiase. 2023 was a quiet year for the bearded one, and he was released in 2024.

Channing ‘Stacks’ Lorenzo & Tony D'Angelo

The tandem known as The Family claimed NXT’s tag-team championships last July, but you couldn’t emulate this feat in WWE 2K23. Tony D’Angelo made that game as DLC, but there was no spot for his tag partner Stacks. Instead they're finally paired together in WWE 2K24.

Chelsea Green & Piper Niven & Sonya Deville

Green was on and off with WWE from 2018 to 2021, but finally found her niche in 2023 playing a role inspired by ‘Karens’ of the Internet. She’s sampled tag title glory with both Sonya Deville and Piper Niven, and is married to former star Matt Cardona – AKA Zack Ryder – in real life.

Chyna & Shawn Michaels & X-Pac

We’ve covered Triple H as part of Evolution, and his DX bandmates Chyna, Shawn Michaels and X-Pac are also part of the WWE 2K24 roster. Sadly they won’t be joined by Billy Gunn, as these days he’s contracted to rival company AEW.

Cody Rhodes & Dusty Rhodes & Superstar Billy Graham

Rhodes is the WWE 2K24 cover star, and those who pre-order get playable version of three of his alternative gimmicks: ‘Undashing’ Cody, ‘Mattel’ Cody, and Stardust. Dad Dasty and legend Superstar Billy Graham come as part of the same DLC. 

Cora Jade & Gigi Dolin & Jacy Jayne & Roxanne Perez

The NXT women’s roster is always intriguing, as it teases those ladies who may be called up to Raw or Smackdown in the year ahead. Jade and Dolin were the first two revealed, and former partners Roxanne Perez and Jacy Jayne are back for more too.

Cruz Del Toro & Joaquin Wilde & Rey Mysterio & Zelina Vega

Carlito's last appearance pre-dated 2K taking over the reins from THQ. That was WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2010, so he seemed primed for a return after multiple appearances during 2023. However, we were initially left without him – although the rest of the LWO are here. Carlito later arrived as DLC, after turning on his team-mates.

Damien Priest & Dominik Mysterio & Finn Balor & JD McDonagh & Rhea Ripley

The Judgment Day faction got its own entrance in WWE 2K23, and expanded to include Dominik Mysterio and JD McDonagh following the game’s release. Three members were confirmed ahead of the Royal Rumble, and we now know they're all in. Although these days Ripley and Priest are at war with their former friends…

Dijak & Ilja Dragunov & Wes Lee

Along with Bron Breakker and Carmelo Hayes, this trio featured heavily in NXT's main event scene throughout 2023. Dijak finally sheds the label of T-Bar from WWE 2K23, and Lee continues to prosper solo. Dragunov, meanwhile, started off the year as NXT Champion.

Drew Gulak

This in-ring stalwart was one of WWE's unsung heroes – entertaining on the mic as both a face and heel, and capable of top-drawer matches when given time. Recent times saw Gulak mentoring Charlie Dempsey and Damon Kemp, as the No Quarter Catch Crew, before he was released in 2024.

Eddie Guerrero & Kurt Angle

The Olympic gold medallist most definitely does not suck, but even after two decades it’s fun to hear live audiences proclaiming otherwise. This pair have their brilliant match from WrestleMania 20 recreated in Showcase of the Immortals mode.

Elton Prince & Kit Wilson & Tiffany Stratton

Smackdown heels Pretty Deadly and Stratton debuted together as the WWE 2K23 DLC Pretty Sweet Pack, and they're on the roster from the outset this year. Sadly, not all last year's add-ons return, however, with no place for Zeus or Top Dolla.

Eric Bischoff & Hulk Hogan & Kevin Nash & Scott Hall

The NWO is back for another year, giving you to chance to establish feuds with DX or Evolution, or simply run roughshod over the roster just as they did with late-‘90s WCW. This is icon Hogan’s ninth appearance in the WWE Smackdown/2K series.

Erik & Ivar & Valhalla

Even by their standards, the Viking Raiders have experienced an unusual 18 months. They were drafted to Raw in 2023, but Erik is out of action indefinitely due to neck fusion surgery. In his absence, Ivar has established himself as one of Raw's most threatening heels. Their manager, Valhalla, is Erik's wife in real life.

Faarooq & JBL

In a word: Damn. Oh, you need more? Fair enough. As the APA, these two powered through the tag ranks in the early noughties, enjoying three different title reigns. The former Bradshaw then reinvented himself as money obsessed JBL, and famously dethroned Eddie Guerrero for a shock WWE Championship run.

Fallon Henley & Katana Chance & Kayden Carter

The unlikely coupling of Henley and Kiana James shocked Chance and Carter in February 2023 by ending their NXT tag title reign after 186 days. They’ve since gone their separate ways, with James heeling it up in a rivalry with Roxanne Perez. However, she curiously misses out on the WWE 2K24 roster.

George Steele & Jake Roberts & Jerry Lawler & Ken Shamrock & Roddy Piper

Five legends revealed at the very last minute here, two of whom are especially noteworthy. Ken Shamrock's last series appearance was in WWE 2K16, while George 'The Animal' Steele has been absent since WWE Smackdown: Here Comes The Pain – back in 2003!

Giovanni Vinci & Gunther & Ludwig Kaiser

With Vinci and Kaiser both showing plenty of individual talent, 2K24 is Imperium's last hurrah as a trio. They're going out on a high – the pair played a key role in Gunther's dominant Intercontinental Championship reign, which was finally ended by Sami Zayn after 666 days.

The Hurricane & Molly Holly & Stacy Keibler

As well as earning a pinfall victory over The Rock, Shane 'Hurricane' Helms expanded his spoof super-hero act over the years with two ace female partners: 'Mighty' Molly Holly and 'Super' Stacy Keibler. 2K24 sees both standard Holly and her Mighty persona included. While we only get Keibler's normal gimmick, you can bet there'll be a 'Super' alternate attire on Community Creations soon enough. 

Jey Uso & Jimmy Uso & Rikishi & Roman Reigns & Solo Sikoa

The Brotherhood lost Jey Uso in one of 2023’s most enduring storylines, but cousins Reigns and Jimmy Uso remained united in the build to WWE 2K24 – with younger Uso sibling Solo Sikoa still in tow. Their gradual implosion after WrestleMania made for a sublime storyline. The Usos' dad Rikishi is back too.

Jinder Mahal & Sanga & Veer Mahaan

There was no place on the WWE 2K23 tag team entrances list for Indus Sher, although two of its members – Jinder Mahal and Veer Mahaan – could be grouped together manually. WWE 2K24 finally provides the chance to complete the trio with series newcomer Sanga.

Joe Coffey & Mark Coffey & Wolfgang

The trio of Gallus have been among the most prominent – and dominant! – characters in NXT across 2023, and are rewarded with debuts in WWE 2K24. All three were born and raised in Glasgow, Scotland, with Wolfgang a former foe of Drew Galloway – AKA McIntyre – on the independent scene north of the wall. 

Joe Gacy & The Rock

What do you do when you sign Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson’s daughter? Promote her in a way that mostly ignores that illustrious heritage, apparently. Despite that curious decision, Ava gradually made a name for herself in NXT alongside Joe Gacy – although weirdly she misses out on the on-disc roster. Shame.

Karrion Kross & Scarlett

2023 was largely quiet for Kross following his return to WWE along with manager Scarlett. That changed when be brought in Akam and Rezar, AKA Authors of Pain, to form the Final Testament. Sadly, you’ll need 2K24 community creations for those guys.

Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn

Owens and partner Zayn closed out one of 2023’s best storylines by capturing WWE’s tag titles from The Usos at WrestleMania, exacting Zayn’s revenge on the Bloodline faction in the process. They’re both long-established 2K roster members.

LA Knight

The former Max Dupri – let’s never speak of that gimmick again – was WWE’s breakout star of 2023. He came up short in a world title tilt with Roman Reigns, but remains Smackdown’s most popular grappler. Let’s see keep rising skywards in 2025. 

Liv Morgan & Raquel Rodriguez

Morgan made a welcome return at the 2024 Royal Rumble after missing six months of action due to a shoulder injury, and finished runner-up in the match for the second year running. She's joined by Raquel Rodriguez, with the pair having scored tag-title glory twice in 2023.

Noam Dar

Scottish wrestler Noam Dar returned for WWE 2K23 after a curious absence from 2K22, and had a big year on NXT – forming his own Meta-Four faction with Jackson, Legend and Mensah. It's therefore a shock that his team members miss out, even as WWE 2K24 DLC. Jackson offers great potential, while Legend has been on our screens for two years

R-Truth

A fun year for Ron Killings' alter-ego continues with yet another 2K series appearance. His comical attempts to join Judgment Day – and their desperate efforts to stop him – provided some of Raw's best bits at the outset of 2024.

Rick Rude & Ricky Steamboat & Ultimate Warrior

The second batch of matches confirmed for Showcase mode include Steamboat's classic tilt with Randy Savage at WrestleMania 3, and Rick Rude's contest with Ultimate Warrior from WrestleMania 5 – one of the few bouts Warrior lost during his WWF career.

Rob Van Dam

RVD! RVD! The longstanding ECW favourite scores another series appearance despite recently wrestling Swerve Strickland and Jack Perry in rival organisation AEW. Rumour has it that this is the last of a three-year deal with 2K, so make the most of his Five-Star Frog Splash while you can.

Ronda Rousey & Shayna Baszler

Baszler is back, and most expected former partners Nia Jax and Ronda Rousey to return too. Jax was a series regular until WWE 2K22. She made a surprise cameo at the 2023 Royal Rumble, then returned full-time in September of the same year to feud with Rhea Ripley. However, she was held off the original 2K24 roster, and instead delivered as DLC.

Seth Rollins & Shinsuke Nakamura

Having held the newly minted World Heavyweight Championship throughout 2023 there was no chance of Rollins being omitted from WWE 2K24. It's the latest addition to a trophy cabinet that also includes two WWE Championship wins, and two Universal Championship reigns. Summer rival Nakamura also returns.

Shotzi & Tegan Nox

When Candice LeRae and Mia Yim returned to WWE in 2023, Visual Concepts patched their WWE 2K22 models into WWE 2K23 as free DLC. Many expected Welsh scrapper Nox to receive the same treatment, but it wasn’t forthcoming. Thankfully, she's on the WWE 2K24 roster instead, along with former partner Shotzi.

Shane McMahon & Stephanie McMahon

With controversy brewing around former owner Vince McMahon, this will be the first series entry since WWE 2K16 in which he won't feature as a playable character. That leaves son Shane and daughter Stephanie – real-life wife of company CCO Triple H – to represent the family name.

Steve Austin

Austin has three bouts in 40 Years of WrestleMania mode, beginning with his submission match with Bret Hart at WrestleMania 13. Once you're done with those, feel free to enact dream 'greatest of all time' contests with Hulk Hogan or John Cena. 

Ted DiBiase

'Million Dollar Man' Ted DiBiase is a series mainstay these days, and rightly so given his past as one of WWE’s greatest heels. Money Inc tag partner IRS, however, has never appeared in a 2K console game. His inclusion in WWE Supercard suggests that may change in any upcoming entry.

Trish Stratus & Zoey Stark

Utah pugilist Stark was called up from NXT to Raw in May 2023, and soon formed an unlikely alliance – seconding legend Trish Stratus in her war with Becky Lynch. It came unstuck when Stratus turned on Stark at Payback 2023, converting her into a face for the first time.

Umaga

The Samoan Bulldozer passed away in 2009, at just 36 years old – and wrestling lost one of its most underrated monster heels. There's a strong family connection here. Umaga was uncle to The Usos and Solo Sikoa, and cousin of Yokozuna and Roman Reigns.

Wendy Choo

After making WWE 2K23 as DLC, Choo makes the step up to main-disc roster status for 2K24 – but there are some glaring omissions among her NXT friends and foes. Lola Vice, Kelani Jordan and Sol Ruca can all feel a little hard done by to miss out.

William Regal

Regal is a former WWE favourite who’s been brought back via WWE Supercard, and earns a welcome WWE 2K24 return. Alas there's no spot for son Charlie Dempsey. The Blackpool brawler has followed in his dad’s footsteps with some hard-hitting NXT match-ups, and should score a main roster run in 2024.

Xia Li

After failing to connect with fans during two years on Smackdown, Chinese grappler Li crossed over to Raw in May 2023 and reinvented herself as a heel. An ensuing feud with Becky Lynch had entertaining moments, as did her brief return to NXT to challenge the brand's Women's Champion, Lyra Valkyria.

There's still time to work your way through all the WWE 2K23 Showcase matches and unlockables. It's worth it, too: the traditional mode centres around John Cena in WWE 2K23, and features some intriguing video revelations from the man himself, along with the chance to play as retro stars such as Kurt Angle and Rob Van Dam. Grab those guys and all the other hidden treats using this WWE 2K23 showcase matches and unlockables guide.

WWE 2K23 Showcase essentials

Before we get to the list itself, here’s the essential intel on WWE 2K23 Showcase. As in previous years, it’s a mode dedicated to replaying a WWE legend’s biggest matches. Step forward, John Cena. Only this year there’s a twist: the majority of the mode sees you go up against Cena. Featured WWE 2K23 roster members include The Rock, Undertaker and Batista. WWE 2K23 DLC additions and WWE 2K23 CAWs aren’t featured in the mode – but those guides are still worth a look if you’re looking for fresh combatants to go up against Angle, Van Dam and co.

The complete WWE 2K23 Showcase matches and unlockables list

Match 1: John Cena vs Rob Van Dam (ECW One Night Stand 2006)

• Rob Van Dam 
• John Cena ‘06 
• WWE Championship ’05-’13 
• ECW One Night Stand ‘06 arena
  

Match 2: John Cena vs Kurt Angle (Smackdown 2002)

• Kurt Angle 
• John Cena ’02
• Smackdown ‘02 arena

Match 3: John Cena vs The Undertaker (Vengeance 2003)

• Undertaker ‘03
• U Can’t See Me entrance
• Vengeance ‘03 arena

Match 4: John Cena vs The Undertaker (WrestleMania 34)

• The Undertaker ‘18
• John Cena ’18
• WrestleMania 34 arena

Match 5: John Cena vs Triple H (Night of Champions 2008)

• Triple H ‘08
• John Cena ’08
• Night of Champions ‘08 arena

Match 6: John Cena vs AJ Styles (Summerslam 2016)

• AJ Styles ‘16
• John Cena ’16
• Summerslam ‘16 arena

Match 7: John Cena vs Edge (Summerslam 2006)

• Edge ‘06
• Lita ’06
• John Cena ‘06 (alternate attire)
• Summerslam ‘06 arena

Match 8: John Cena vs Edge (New Year’s Revolution 2006)

• Edge ‘06 (alternate attire)
• Lita ‘06 (alternate attire)
• John Cena ‘06 (alternate attire)
• New Year’s Revolution ‘06 arena

Match 9: John Cena vs Roman Reigns (Summerslam 2021)

• Roman Reigns ’21
• John Cena ’21
• Summerslam ‘21 arena

Match 10: John Cena vs The Rock (WrestleMania 28)

• The Rock ’12
• John Cena ’12
• WrestleMania 28 arena

Match 11: John Cena vs Brock Lesnar (Summerslam 2014)

• Brock Lesnar ’14
• John Cena ’14
• WWE Championship ’13-’14
• World Heavyweight Championship
• Summerslam ‘14 arena

Match 12: John Cena vs Brock Lesnar (Backlash 2003)

• Brock Lesnar ’03
• John Cena ’03
• WWE Undisputed Championship
• Backlash ‘03 arena

Match 13: John Cena vs Batista (Summerslam 2008)

• Batista ’08
• John Cena ’08
• Summerslam ‘08 Arena

Match 14: John Cena vs Randy Orton (Hell in a Cell 2009)

• Randy Orton ’09
• John Cena ’09
• Hell in a Cell ‘09 arena

Match 15: John Cena vs a wrestler of your choice

• Super Cena

Match 16: John Cena vs Stone Cold Steve Austin vs Hulk Hogan vs Bruno Sammartino

• Hulk Hogan
• Bruno Sammartino

The full WWE 2K23 DLC catalogue is now fully available, and feels all the more poignant following the death of Bray Wyatt. Real name Windham Rotunda, the former world champion passed away in August at the age of 36 – and his last tweet showcased the WWE 2K23 Revel With Wyatt Pack. It heralded a return to the series which had been heavily requested by fans, and hopefully means Wyatt also makes the WWE 2K24 roster in tribute. Below we look back at everything else offered this year, in GR’s WWE 2K23 DLC guide. 

How do I get the WWE 2K23 DLC characters?

There are 25 playable wrestlers in total, not including pre-release content like Bad Bunny. The first arrived one month after the WWE 2K23 release date of Friday, March 17, while the final instalment dropped in mid-August. As well as all those playable stars, we also got Hit Row member B-Fab as a manager.

Individual packs cost £8.99/$9.99. Alternatively you can grab the season pass, covering all five packs, for £32.99/$39.99. As a bonus, it grants you the MyRISE Mega-Boost, which includes an additional 200 Attribute Points, and Supercharger, which unlocks all base game WWE Legends and throwback arenas. 

Who are the WWE 2K23 DLC legends?

Six yesteryear favourites are added to the game as WWE 2K23 DLC as part of the five packs. 

DLC Pack 1, AKA the Steiner Row Pack, lives up to its name. It sees Scott Steiner make his first 2K appearance since WWE 2K14, and delivers Rick Steiner for the first time ever. This isn’t a coincidence: Rick’s son, Bron Breakker, was NXT Champion for most of 2022 and makes his debut on the WWE 2K23 roster.

There’s no DLC legend in Pack 2, but Pack 3 – the Race To NXT pack – saw Harley Race added to the game. (See that they’ve done with that name?) The grizzled grappler had a four-year stint in what was then the WWF, but is best known for his eight NWA World Heavyweight Championship reigns. 

Hulk Hogan’s 1980s rival Zeus was next to land, in the Revel With Wyatt Pack. He was followed up by two more modern retirees: Wade Barrett and Eve Torres. That pair arrived in the final DLC release, which is called the Bad News U pack.

What about the WWE 2K23 DLC current stars?

Eight members of the Raw and Smackdown roster get the nod as DLC – in most cases because they returned to WWE in 2022, but were too late to make the on-disc roster.

The trio of B-Fab, Top Dolla and Ashante Adonis – collectively known as Hit Row – joined the Steiner Brothers in the first DLC pack. However, note that B-Fab is an NPC. Another tag-team, comprising Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson, arrived hot on their heels in the following month’s Pretty Sweet Pack.

DLC Pack 4 delivered the words every fan has been entering into search engines for months: WWE 2K23 Bray Wyatt. Joining him is onscreen family member Uncle Howdy, as a surprise bonus. The Viking Raiders’ valet, Valhalla, also arrived as part of same pack – you may recognise her by her former name of Sarah Logan.

Is there any WWE 2K23 NXT DLC?

Third brand NXT is the big winner when it comes to WWE 2K23 DLC. It’s scored no fewer than 12 additional superstars – almost half of the full DLC selection.

First up are Tiffany Stratton, Elton Prince and Kit Wilson as part of the Pretty Sweet Pack. The latter pair are known as Pretty Deadly, and have already captured the NXT and NXT UK tag-team belts during their short time in WWE.

Two ladies and two men landed as part of the following month’s Race To NXT Pack. We got Ivy Nile and Wendy Choo on the female side, and Trick Williams and Tony D’Angelo on the male one. There’s sadly no place for D’Angelo’s long-time sidekick Channing ‘Stacks’ Lorenzo. You’ll need our WWE 2K23 CAWs guide for him.

Blair Davenport and Joe Gacy continued the NXT drops in the Revel With Wyatt Pack. We then got three more newcomers in the final Bad News U Pack: Damon Kemp, Nathan Frazer, and Andre Chase. It’s an impressive selection which neatly fleshes out the roster with young talent.

Where can I see the full WWE 2K23 DLC pack list?

Right here. All five packs, and 26 wrestlers, are listed in chronological order below:

WWE 2K23 DLC Steiner Row Pack (April 19)

• Ashante Adonis (Hit Row)
• B-Fab (Hit Row) [NPC]
• Top Dolla (Hit Row)
• Rick Steiner (Steiner Brothers)
• Scott Steiner (Steiner Brothers)

WWE 2K23 DLC Pretty Sweet Pack (May 17)

• Karl Anderson (The OC)
• Luke Gallows (The OC)
• Elton Prince (Pretty Deadly)
• Kit Wilson (Pretty Deadly)
• Tiffany Stratton

WWE 2K23 DLC Race To NXT Pack (June 14)

• Ivy Nile (Diamond Mine)
• Harley Race
• Tony D’Angelo
• Trick Williams
• Wendy Choo

WWE 2K23 Revel With Wyatt Pack (July 19)

• Valhalla (Viking Raiders)
• Blair Davenport
• Bray Wyatt
• Uncle Howdy
• Joe Gacy
• Zeus

WWE 2K23 Bad News U Pack (August 16)

• Andre Chase (Chase U)
• Damon Kemp (Diamond Mine)
• Eve Torres
• Nathan Frazer
• Wade Barrett

WWE 2K23 CAWs are even more important following the shock return of CM Punk at Survivor Series. As we'll explain below, this ace WWE 2K23 feature enables you to download him right away – along with other roster returnees such as Nia Jax and Kairi Sane. To grab them, head to Online > Community Creations > Downloads and search for their respective creator – then come back for even more names soon in GR's WWE 2K23 CAWs guide. 

1 Ava

You may not have heard of this budding NXT talent yet – but you’re going to in the coming years. Why? She’s Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson’s daughter! Ava was surprisingly paired up with Joe Gacy on her company debut, and he arrived in July as WWE 2K23 DLC. Be sure to grab this creation by rowdydivatwo too.

2 Bronson Reed

The big lad known as Jonah outside of WWE was surprisingly let go following an encouraging NXT run, only to debut on Raw at the back end of last year. Alas, he was too late to make the WWE 2K23 roster. This effort from LoganSaib features Reed’s current attire and his gear from NXT Takeover XXX. The same creator has also produced classic versions of Mankind, Dude Love and NWO-era Randy Savage.

3 Channing ‘Stacks’ Lorenzo

Creator HacksawHouseDLC is building quite the reputation on the WWE 2K23 CAWs front. He’s produced exceptional versions of NXT newcomers such as Charlie Dempsey (son of UK legend William Regal!), Edris Enofe, and Malik Blade. Stacks is the best of the bunch, meaning you can finally team him with fellow NXT tag-team champion – and DLC inclusion – Tony D’Angelo. 

4 Chelsea Green

Green returned to WWE this year playing the character of an internet ‘Karen’ - and was tossed from the women’s Royal Rumble within five seconds. She’s nailed down the role with self-effacing humor, and is an essential add for your Smackdown roster. BlenkKrieger is the mastermind behind this WWE 2K23 CAW, in a collaboration with thatboiblunty.

5 CM Punk

Punk made an astonishing return to WWE at Survivor Series after nine years away, and having been a prominent member of the AEW roster. This excellent creation is by WhatsTheStatus, but there are other options too. Weigh them up in our WWE 2K23 CM Punk guide. 

6 Duke Hudson

Receiving Andre Chase as WWE 2K23 DLC was a pleasant surprise when the extra content was announced – but sadly we didn't get Chase U tag-team partner Andre Chase. That's especially frustrating given that the pair snagged NXT tandem gold in October 2023. Fix the problem with this cool BaddestHotelDE creation.

7 Emma

Another piece of outstanding work from BlenkKrieger here. Australian bombshell Emma returned to WWE in 2022 following a five-year absence, and while her use on TV has been sparing, she’s an incredibly solid hand. In real life she’s dating ponytailed powerhouse Madcap Moss, a long overdue addition to the on-disc roster this year. Alas, Emma was released in September 2023.

8 Finn Balor (Demon)

The Irishman’s demonic alter-ego has long been a fixture of the WWE 2K series – but it was bafflingly removed this year after Balor’s commitment to the Judgment Day faction. This caused fans and developers alike a headache when he brought the gimmick back for a WrestleMania clash with Edge. WhatsTheStatus is the dude to credit here. The model comes with bespoke Demon Finn commentary and crown signs.

9 The Giant

Paul Wight hasn’t appeared in a series entry since WWE 2K20, and won’t be back anytime soon given his current place on the AEW roster. Amend that using this collab between WhatsTheStatus and KelsCreation. It offers hidden voice taunts and crowd chants for the 7 ft 2 colossus. You need to search for The Giant, but can easily change to his WWE name of the Big Show should you wish.

10 Isla Dawn

This fiery Glaswegian debuted in WWE as Stacy Coates, but has since established herself under a much more memorable name – first on both NXT UK and NXT, then most recently as Alba Fyre's tag partner. This creation is by DivaDadde, with a moveset made by lexveraux.

11 Jeff Hardy

The most downloaded WWE 2K23 CAW as of late April belongs to the ‘charismatic enigma’, AKA Jeff Hardy. It was made by VirtualAK, and has been imported more than 114,000 times since the game’s March 17 release date. It offers his full moveset from WWE 2K22, and two attires: one with paint, and one without.

12 Kairi Sane

The Japanese veteran is one of the first names linked to the WWE 2K24 roster, after returning to the company and aiding countrywoman Iyo Sky at Crown Jewel 2023. However, that was in October, so it may need to be as DLC. For now enjoy her comeback in WWE 2K23 using this StoneColdBroEU creation.

13 Lyra Valkyria 

Ireland’s latest grap export is looking to follow in the footsteps of names such as Becky Lynch and Finn Balor. She’s had an encouraging start on NXT, falling just short of title glory in a decent tilt with Tiffany Stratton, before capturing the belt from Lynch in October 2023. This creation lives up to its creator’s monicker – Fantastic by name, fantastic by nature.

14 Mandy Rose

WhatsTheStatus is again your boy here, having resuscitated a hidden Mandy Rose model. The long-time NXT Women’s Champion was removed from WWE 2K23 at the last minute, following her surprise pre-Christmas release from the company. Gigi Dolan and Jacy Jayne are both on this year’s roster, in case you wish to reunite the once-dominant trio of Toxic Attraction.

15 Matt Hardy

This veteran scored plenty of search traffic over the summer, after appearing as a pre-order bonus for WWE's new rival game. Hit our AEW Fight Forever Broken Matt Hardy guide for all the details, or download this WorldsFinest and Azorthious collab to deploy him in 2K23.

16 MJF

Maxwell Jacob Freidman is a key element of AEW Fight Forever, having captured that company’s world title in November 2022. However, he’s rumored to be on WWE’s radar in the longer term. This Iconic creation enables you to see how he’d fare against Roman Reigns and Randy Orton. The same creator has also made great versions of Samoa Joe, Billy Gunn, Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler.

17 Odyssey Jones

This fresh face made the leap from NXT to Raw in the most recent WWE Draft, and so immediately becomes a name you need to add. His man-mountain sized doppelgänger is the work of creator HeadBussr, who also has three different versions of NXT newcomer Dragon Lee to chose from. Pick up Jones and then grab one of those too.

18 Ric Flair

This classic take on Charlotte’s legendary daddy is a collaboration between three creators: WhatsTheStatus, KelsCreation and SkyMovesets. It’s based on his 1988 WCW run, and features authentic entrance chants, crowd chants and voice taunts for the Nature Boy. Woo!

19 Roderick Strong

Strong may have been the most baffling WWE 2K23 omission of all – he was the leader of NXT faction Diamond Mine, and has been a series regular since WWE 2K18. No matter: this fine Ikeakarl effort enables you to reinstall the veteran. Turns out being left off the roster was prescient: Strong showed up in AEW in late April to side with former Undisputed Era buddy Adam Cole.

20 Sanga

Two existing roster members, Jinder Mahal and Veer, were joined by Veer’s former partner Sanga in spring 2023 to reform NXT stable Indus Sher. Their promise as a trio was rewarded with a call-up to Raw, where Mahal is flourishing in a manager role. Now you can bring them together in-game with this excellent Yarliixx CAW.

21 Thea Hail

One of the best models we’ve seen in this or any other year belongs to spritely NXT starlet Hail. It has two outfits, and a render to display on menu screens too. Illitegaming made this one, in collaboration with XayPlays2K and Lexveraux. Looking to bring Naomi back to WWE after her departure in 2023? The same creator has made her, too.

22 Tegan Nox

Yet another lady who was released in 2022 only to be brought back by Triple H just too late for the WWE 2K23 roster cut-off. IoShinice has done us a service by not just getting her face right, but also including all the Welsh lady’s tattoos from WWE 2K22. Nox’s moveset, meanwhile, is credited to WolfpacPrinxe.

23 Xyon Quinn

Daniel Vidot spent eight years as a professional rugby league player in his home nation of Australia before trying his hand as a wrestler. After debuting in NXT back in 2020, he finally received a main roster call up earlier this year. This model is by LRitchie, using logos and face textures from Iconic2K. It has a bespoke moveset, entrance, victory and render.

WWE 2K23 alternate attires enable you to update current stars with new looks – such as Dominik Mysterio’s 2023 gimmick as a member of Judgment Day. It means that WWE 2K23 stays accurate even while the on-screen product evolves across the calendar year. You can find alt attires by visiting Online > Community Creations > Downloads. Once downloaded, edit the custom superstar and go to ‘personal information’. Now toggle the ‘Use an alternate attire’ option from No to Yes. Here are 15 you need to grab, in your WWE 2K23 alternate attires guide. 

1 Asuka

The Japanese veteran returned to the WWE 2K23 roster with a new face-painted look in January, which has made it into MyFaction mode – but not the main game. Naughty 2K. Popular creator WhatsTheStatus has rectified that, in this excellent collaboration with Tha_Great_Muta. 

2 Austin Theory

Another WhatsTheStatus effort here, made using logos from well-known CAWs mastermind GameVolt. The main outfit is from Theory’s WrestleMania 39 bout with John Cena, and there’s a second one thrown in for good measure.

3 Becky Lynch

The community isn’t that impressed with Becky Lynch’s heel look in this year’s edition - so jsnmrrll got together with qwertiak to recreate two of Lynch’s classic face attires. She also has longer hair. Want some throwback Lass Kicker? Enjoy GamesRadar’s Becky Lynch interview from way back in 2016.

4 Cody Rhodes

Rhodes made the leap from the AEW Fight Forever roster in 2022, and a massive impact – and it’s gear from his return to WWE that’s used here by Gamevolt. Specifically, his WrestleMania 38 comeback, and memorable Hell In A Cell 2002 appearance where Rhodes wrestled with a torn pec. 

5 Cora Jade

With 1916 upvotes and 65,000 downloads, this version of NXT upstart Jade is one of the most popular going. That’s because her in-game character is a face, whereas in late 2022 she turned heel on long-time best friend Roxanne Perez. Creator dfiregirl is the one to praise for this updated Jade. 

6 Dominik Mysterio

Reckon Cora Jade’s numbers were impressive? Heel Dom is even more essential, at least going by the stats. It was made by DemonZeroM based off his Royal Rumble 2023 look, and has notched 167,310 downloads and 9361 upvotes as of late May. 

7 Kurt Angle

Along with WWE 2K23 DLC additions Wade Barrett and Zeus, Angle is one of the most popular old schoolers to return this year – and that’s meant a wealth of WWE 2K23 alternate attires celebrating his classic red, white and blue look. This one was put together by Petchy, with additional help from GameVolt and King69.

8 Macho Man Randy Savage

We’re going even more retro than Angle now, with two incredible looks for Randy Savage. The first pays homage to his Ultimate Maniacs tag team with UItimate Warrior, while the second is his Macho King gimmick. WhatsTheStatus is again the man of the hour, in collaboration with PHENOMCAWS and Bhangra94877286.

9 Queen Zelina 

In one of the year’s most surprising performances, Zelina came within seconds of claiming the Smackdown Women’s Championship from Rhea Ripley at Backlash 2023. Part of the magic was a Puerto Rican crowd cheering on their hometown girl wearing the nation’s colours – and that’s what we have here, courtesy of dontitello.

10 Rey Mysterio

Zelina wasn’t the only member of the Smackdown roster to have a memorable night at Backlash. Fellow Latino World Order colleagues Rey Mysterio, Santos Escobar, Cruz del Toro and Joaquin Willde also had a great evening, humiliating the Judgment Day during Damien Priest’s match with Bad Bunny. This JUSTROYD creation toasts Rey’s new look, as part of that faction. 

11 Shotzi

Another MyFaction exclusive here, which WhatsTheStatus has successfully recreated for use across all other modes – with some help from 2kattiresbyme. Former partner Tegan Nox isn’t on this year’s roster, but you can add the Welsh lady, and reunite her with Shotzi, using GR’s WWE 2K23 CAWs guide.

12 Stone Cold Steve Austin

Austin’s return to the ring in 2022 for a WrestleMania match with Kevin Owens was – forgive the pun – a stunner, and it’s his ageing look from that show which Petchy has added to WWE 2K23. The T-shirt is spot on too. His excellent creation was drummed up with some help from WhatsTheStatus and King69.

13 T-Bar

While he’s still listed under his old gimmick of T-Bar, this is of course NXT muscle man Dijak – and DemonZeroM has brought him right up to date with two immaculate attires. 2K updated him for free as part of patch for WWE 2K22 – so there’s still a little bit of hope that they do the same again this year.

14 Trish Stratus

If Trish’s early 2023 return was itself a surprise, she then outdid herself further by turning heel on Becky Lynch. Stratus’ in-game model is agonisingly old, and hasn’t been updated across multiple editions of the game. Kudos, then, to WhatsTheStatus and stratusfied96 for coming together and unleashing this modern take on Trish.

15 Ultimate Warrior

Hey, we couldn’t give you the Ultimate Maniacs version of Randy Savage and leave you hanging without a partner, could we? As with Macho Man, a trio of creative minds came together for this one: WhatsTheStatus, PHENOMCAWS and Bhangra94877286. Top work, all.

WWE 2K23 is here, and fantastically playable – meaning you should be hooked long past this year's WrestleMania. Don't believe us? Check out our WWE 2K23 review. Once you've done that, pop back here for everything you need to know about this year's game. You can view the first trailer, a rundown of gameplay features, and loads of other key intel. All your wrestling needs are covered in GR's complete WWE 2K23 guide.

What will be the WWE 2K23 release date?

Historically WWE sim games were an annual pre-Christmas event. That changed following the dreadful feedback to WWE 2K20, and subsequent cancellation of WWE 2K21. WWE 2K22 moved to a release window shortly before WrestleMania, the biggest annual event on the wrestling calendar. Sure enough, that new precedent remains in place this year.

The official WWE 2K23 release date is Friday, March 17. However, those who pre-ordered the Deluxe or Icon Editions got to play it three days early, on Tuesday, March 14. More on those very shortly…

Where can I see the WWE 2K23 trailer?

Right here! The WWE 2K23 trailer is focussed on gameplay, and gives glimpses at John Cena, Roman Reigns and Bad Bunny. Yes, we said Bad Bunny. Again, all will be explained imminently. You can watch it in the window above.

What are the WWE 2K23 pre-order bonuses?

Okay, now we can explain the references above. The main pre-order bonus is Bad Bunny: the Puerto Rican rapper who has made sporadic, yet impressive, appearances in WWE over the past two years. He's fully playable, and the standard edition comes with him for use across the game, along with Bad Bunny's Ruby Edition MyFaction card.

There are also two special editions available to pre-order. Here's what you get in each, in addition to those Bad Bunny goodies…

WWE 2K23 Deluxe Edition

• Early Access – Access to the game three days early.
• Full Season Pass – All five post-launch DLC character packs, MyRise Mega-Boost pack, 200 additional Attribute Points, and the Supercharger pack that instantly unlocks all base-game WWE Legends and old-school arenas.
• Deluxe Edition Bonus Pack – John Cena EVO card, Emerald-tier Bianca Belair, and Gold-tier Asuka and Edge cards. It also comes with additional three Basic Day 1 MyFaction card packs

WWE 2K23 Icon Edition

• Early Access – Access to the game three days early.
• Ruthless Aggression Pack – Old-school versions of John Cena, Randy Orton, Batista, and Brock Lesnar with the additional WrestleMania 22 arena, and John Cena Legacy Championship.
• Full Season Pass – Same as the Deluxe Edition – all five post-launch DLC character packs, MyRise Mega-Boost pack, 200 additional Attribute Points, and the Supercharger pack that instantly unlocks all base-game WWE Legends and old-school arenas.
• Deluxe Edition Bonus Pack – Includes a John Cena EVO card, Emerald-tier Bianca Belair, and Gold-tier Asuka and Edge cards, plus three Basic Day 1 MyFaction card packs.
• Icon Edition Bonus Pack – Comes with a Paul Heyman Emerald tier Manager MyFaction Card and additional three Deluxe Premium Launch MyFaction Packs

Who is the WWE 2K23 cover star?

16-time world champion John Cena scores his first series cover since fronting WWE 2K14, almost ten years ago. Indeed, he has three covers in total: one for the standard version of WWE 2K23, one for the Deluxe Edition, and another for the Icon Edition. 

As well as scoring the box art, Cena is the focus of the returning Showcase Mode. Like in previous years, you replay famous matches introduced by the man himself – but with a twist. This time around, you have to defeat Cena in every contest to advance, and unlock past legends and arenas. That ensures variety as you control Rob Van Dam, Kurt Angle, Batista and more, in memorable bouts against Mr You-Can't-See-Me. 

What WWE 2K23 gameplay features are new?

As you can read about in our WWE 2K23 preview, the new game largely focuses on building upon the solid foundations of WWE 2K22. That means matches feel similar, but with some neat incremental additions. For instance, you can now kick out of pin attempts by flicking the right stick up at the correct point on a timing bar. It's a subtle yet smart way of mimicking reality.

The biggest new addition, in every sense, is WarGames. This new match type sees two teams of three go head-to-head inside two rings, held within a single elongated steel cage. Team-mates enter in staggered intervals and can bring weapons in with them, making for sheer mayhem once all six combatants are inside. It's playable online and off, in two different arenas: NXT and Survivor Series. 

The dev team says squeezing WarGames in was a colossal challenge. “Having two rings doesn’t seem like it would cause a problem: copy, paste, put it in the other spot,” explains lead gameplay designer Derek Donahue. In fact it meant retooling the entire engine. “The assumption that the ring is at the centre of the world, and the ropes are a certain distance away, with four corners, are all baked into the game. Anything [you did] broke as soon as you put another ring in there. We had to revamp every interaction in the game, to get two rings to work. And then you’ve got a [larger] cage…”

Who’s going to be on the WWE 2K23 roster?

A whole load of fresh blood. Visual Concepts did a tremendous job with WWE 2K22 DLC, adding many new faces whose rise to Raw or Smackdown occurred late in the development process. As such Omos, Rick Boogs, Piper Niven (AKA Doudrop) and Commander Azeez (AKA Dabba-Kato) are all in WWE 2K23 from launch.

They’re joined by the company’s biggest signing of 2022, Cody Rhodes, and a selection of goodies and baddies who’ve shot to prominence in NXT. Rick Steiner’s son Bron Breakker heads the pack, while upcoming female starlet Cora Jade is also confirmed. You can keep tabs on all wrestlers as they're confirmed using our WWE 2K23 roster guide.

2K is also committed to unleashing five DLC packs post-release. Karl Anderson, Luke Gallows, and Valhalla – the lady formerly known as Sarah Logan – are all on this magic list, along with 21 other stars. See them all in GR's WWE 2K23 DLC guide.

Which wrestlers have been cut from WWE 2K23?

While some old favorites return – welcome back, Kurt Angle! – this year’s entry also bids a fond farewell to a significant chunk of the last game's line-up. Eleven of those who featured in WWE 2K22 have since joined the rival AEW roster, and will therefore be gone from the series. They are:

• Ariya Daivari (M, 70)
• Cesaro (M, 84)
• Isaiah Scott (M, 80)
• Jake Roberts (M, 85)
• Jeff Hardy (M, 85)
• Keith Lee (M, 80)
• Kyle O’Reilly (M, 81)
• Murphy (M, 77)
• Samoa Joe (M, 86)
• Ember Moon (F, 81)
• Toni Storm (F, 80)

In total, almost 50 wrestlers who made WWE 2K22 are no longer with the company. That means it's goodbye to Mickie James, Lana, Fandango and many more from the WWE 2K23 roster.

Was WWE 2K23 ever truly at risk?

That's a very intriguing question. WWE 2K22 saw Visual Concepts overcome the disaster that was WWE 2K20, revitalizing the series with genuine physicality, user-friendly mechanics and huge cosmetic upgrades. GR awarded it 3.5 stars, and patches since have bolstered it further.

Yet rumors circulated post-release that WWE may have quietly cut ties with 2K, with 2K22 acting as the series’ swansong. In March, wrestling publication Fightful reported WWE had even held talks with EA. The company’s May financial call was non-committal, with new boss Stephanie McMahon praising the recent release, without mentioning 2K23.

"After taking a little more than a year off to improve the game engine, we worked hand in glove with our partners at Take Two Interactive, listened to our customers and fans, and earned back their trust by delivering a game that exceeded their expectations," she said. ”WWE 2K22 was a commercial and critical success with the highest Metacritic scores on both Xbox and PlayStation platforms in franchise history.”

However, it's all turned out rosily for now. WWE 2K23 is official – and shaping up promisingly, too.

What made the WWE 2K23 features wishlist?

Brilliant independent fan site Operation Sports had a number of excellent suggestions for WWE 2K23. Luke Skywalker was keen to see sharable rosters. For instance, a fan could create a comprehensive WCW 1996 roster which you could then download in one hit. GM Mode is where he’d like the biggest changes, with evolving rosters the most tantalizing suggestion: “A wrestler gets fired from the company or brought in, [or you] bring in new created players in an existing Season mode. Three years down the line, I don’t expect the roster to be the same. Hell, some people [on the roster] aren’t even in WWE right now.”

Custom entrance themes always appear high on fan wishlists, but as SmashMan explains, tech restrictions likely render this impossible. “We had custom music on the PS3/360 gen but it disappeared in the PS4/X1 [era],” he writes. “The only games that I know of that support custom soundtracks (Fire Pro Wrestling and MLB The Show) were not on XBOX, and since The Show has gone multiplatform they've dropped it from the PS5 version. This one might be a situation where Xbox doesn't support it in the same way Sony did/does, so it's left off to keep the experience equal across platforms.”

Over on Reddit, wildcharmander1992 wanted Royal Rumbles to be overhauled. "I simply want the AI improved,” he says. “We have a great little thing where we can add allies and rivals to superstars and I think this needs to have a bigger impact. [Let’s say] Triple H and Randy Orton are in Evolution in your game? They’re Level 4 allies – so they shouldn't be attacking one another in the Royal Rumble unless they're the only two in the ring… By the same token, if an ally is at risk of elimination [there could be] an RNG to determine whether they ignore it or take out their team-mate. Basically, add more immersion to those bouts."

Finally, the disaster that was WWE 2K20 can be laid to rest. Following a game so legendarily bad its successor was canceled, developer Visual Concepts has spent three-and-a-half years exhuming this series from the dead, Undertaker style. Last year's outing was solid: not quite main event caliber, but the most playable in half a decade. WWE 2K23 goes one better. The former Smackdown series is finally back on top form.

WWE 2K23 is packed with stellar modes, but the in-ring action is the main reason for that colossal comeback. It eliminates annoyances from WWE 2K22, expands its best bits, and adds some subtle touches for good measure. Sure, some will decry it for not being No Mercy, or Fire Pro, but this series has never tried to be that type of wrestling game. It's a sim brawler, with a few arcade touches that make matches just a little quicker than what you see on TV.

Get your kicks

Engine highlights? The new pin-break mechanic, where you flick the right stick up to mimic a kick-out, with the timing more challenging as you lose energy. Smartly lifelike, but with button tapping also an option if you're not keen. Stamina matters now, with grapplers slower to charge around late in matches, and a host of 'knackered wrestler' animations to match. AI behaviors can be tweaked for every brawler in the game – such as completely stopping a giant like Omos from leaping off the turnbuckles. Some bouts end swiftly, others sway back and forth via finisher reveals and last-ditch kickouts. Exactly what you'd hope for.

The match type everyone is hyped for is War Games. One cage, two rings, teams of three (or four) walloping one another with Stop signs and tables. It's fun. Oh god, it's fun. Team members enter at alternating intervals, giving one squad a numbers advantage early on. The match can't end until everyone is in, lending a neat risk-reward mechanic to its initial stages. Do you tire while damaging opponents, or save big moves until there's a chance for victory? Once the carnage starts, your eyes dart all over the screen. You hit a finisher, but notice your mate being pinned in the other ring… can you dash over in time to save him? Sometimes yes, sometimes no, keeping you on your toes to the end. Brilliant.

Still, you're not going to play one new match type non-stop for 12 months. Visual Concepts knows this, and wants to keep you coming back with a suite of upgraded modes. The traditional career option, MyRise, does away with the old tale of a newbie rising up from scratch. Instead you jump into one of two storylines. The Legacy tracks a rising second-generation star looking to live up to their heritage, while The Lock covers an elite athlete starting afresh in the 'E. It's immersive, with intriguing branching options, and humor too. Sami Zayn nails his whiny heel gimmick, and there are some amusing nods to the main character sounding like a very famous Dwayne.

Challenging Cena

You won't be playing Showcase for as long as MyRise, but it deserves praise too. It's based around John Cena, with candid interviews discussing the biggest matches of his career. In a neat twist, they're all losses! In this way you unlock Rob Van Dam, Kurt Angle, and assorted arenas. The bouts are great – the dirge soundtrack in place of commentary less so. MyGM is bolstered by a swathe of new options such as four-way play and secondary titles. And Universe mode, in which you run every show, contains one massive improvement. As well as matches, you direct cutscenes: specifying that you want one star to cheap-shot another before a match, or have two opponents show mutual respect after.

Solid as these inclusions are, Visuals Concepts is determined to funnel players into MyFaction – the equivalent of Ultimate Team from EA's FIFA series. You collect cards, build teams of four, then take them into Towers, Live Events and other challenges against the AI. Or, new to this year, human opponents. The structure is solid, and opening packs to unearth wrestlers, managers, nameplates, and logos proves as fun as you'd expect if you're a regular FIFA 23 player.

There's a sucker punch, though. The addition of online matches ensures a race to get the top cards – but, unlike FIFA, there's no market or auction house for you to buy and sell. You either find them in packs, or pay a set price from the in-game Store. Across the coming year fans are going to shell out hundreds of pounds or dollars chasing special versions of The Rock or Undertaker, for a game whose Icon edition already cost £104.99/$119.99. It's a hard structure to defend.

Wrestlers caged

There's one more issue with MyFaction. During the latter stages of WWE 2K22, Visual Concepts began dropping alternate looks for wrestlers, exclusive to that mode. Not only is it doing so again this year, it's promising this mode as the only way to stay up to date with onscreen gimmick changes. This doesn't feel right – imagine if FIFA or Madden started locking roster updates to MUT or FUT. If 2K wants to add bespoke gimmicks to a specific MyFaction card, fine. But an owner should be able to use it across all other modes.

Nonetheless, WWE 2K23 is a return to form, even with MyFaction muddying the waters. The new match enhancements deliver, its myriad modes will keep you hooked throughout the year, and the WWE 2K23 roster is well-rounded  too – with loads of surprise NXT additions such as Grayson Waller and Nikkita Lyons to bolster more celebrated names. This series looks set for a strong run on PS5 and Xbox Series X. So long as its annual focus doesn't become milking fans for cash, long after its WrestleMania release date. 

WWE 2K23 was reviewed on PS5 with a code provided by the publisher.

A common criticism of annual sports games is that not enough changes year-on-year. It’s often justified. For WWE 2K23, it cannot apply. This was a series so hamstrung by the bug-ridden WWE 2K20 that its immediate sequel was cancelled. 30 months in the making, WWE 2K22 was about rebuilding a solid foundation. It achieved that goal, and impressed with excellent post-release patches and DLC too. To expect its successor to sway off-course and turn into No Mercy (Redux) would – short of Kofi Kingston leathering Xavier Woods with a steel chair – make for the most senseless heel turn imaginable. 

My takeaway from a two-hour hands-on is that it plays almost identically to WWE 2K22 – and this is a very, very good thing. Indeed, as someone still plowing three or four hours per week into that game, it’s what I’d hoped for. Many moves, such as the spear-into-pin combo, have been reanimated. A new optional pinning mechanic, flicking the right stick up at the correct point of a timing bar, neatly mimics the physical feel of kicking out. Fresh WWE 2K23 roster additions Cody Rhodes and Bron Breakker do not disappoint. Overall, it feels like a safe yet solid extension of last year’s game.

This means WarGames

Not sold on WWE 2K23 for the above reasons? Rest assured the big new match type is a winner, too. WarGames was a WCW favorite back in the late ‘80s, and made its WWE debut in 2017 on developmental brand NXT. After taking its main roster bow at November’s Survivor Series, it’s now in a videogame for the first time ever too. It’s exactly as fun, chaotic and – towards the climax – desperate as you’d hope.

The match type pits teams of three against one another, with one member of each starting out in the rings, and the other two confined to shark cages. In real life these are on the entrance stage; WWE 2K23 places them atop a set of steps in the crowd area. That requires some suspension of disbelief but becomes irrelevant once the action kicks in. You and your opponent duke it out for a minute or so before one of the shark cages opens, and a team-mate heads to the rings. You’ve noticed I’ve written ‘rings’, as in plural? Yep – that’s no typo. The set-up for WarGames is two rings, side by side, in an extended steel cage. It’s an incredible playground for mayhem.

The first team-mate arriving changes the dynamic for two reasons. It affords a brief numbers advantage, and the newcomer is able to collect a weapon before entering the ring. By the time all six combatants have entered it’s full of chairs, tables and Stop signs. The two opponents who started the match are flagging; the two newest additions are fresh. Only at this point can victory be achieved, by pin or submission. Within 30 seconds you can be nailing a finisher in one ring, dashing to the other to save a pin attempt on a team-mate, and climbing the cage to launch a crazy diving move. It’s carnage, and exactly what the match should be.

A few quick character notes from assorted War Games matches: Edge has finally had a haircut after numerous years of the series featuring his long-haired look. Breakker and Rhodes’ models are faultless, right down to them getting unique nameplates during their entrances. Becky Lynch has her stony faced ‘Big Time Becks’ entrance, which feels outdated – let’s hope the Irish lass kicker’s ‘face’ movements are included too. Although it’s also true that advanced entrances, where you can update a character’s ring walk in stages, are back this year – so fixing Lynch shouldn’t be too much of an issue.

The big Showcase

Also returning is Showcase mode, where you relive the career of a popular superstar, unlocking treats along the way. This year it’s devoted to a series mainstay from the Smackdown gaming era: WWE 2K23 cover athlete John Cena. The structure is what you’re used to: Watch intro video. Start match. Complete objectives to trigger cut-ins of real footage. Finish match. Unlock new character and arena.

Some smart design decisions freshen it up, however. For one, Cena’s intro videos feel candid and honest. I love Rey Mysterio, but his interviews for last year’s mode stuck rigidly to ‘kayfabe’, in which wrestlers pretend wrestling is an authentic sporting content. Cena cunningly straddles the line between ‘real’ and ‘choreographed’, offering insightful perspectives on bouts with Rob Van Dam and Kurt Angle. What’s more, in each match you’re tasked with defeating Cena – so you always get to play as a different character, adding variety. Cool.

The knock-on effect is that in-match instructions, which you need to follow to score all unlockables, are delivered from Cena’s perspective: ‘[Rob] used a Hammer Throw to toss me to the floor like a sack of potatoes.’ This too differentiates Showcase from its previous guises, even if there are a few moments where these hints don’t sound as natural as you’d like: ‘He followed me to ringside, where he stunned me with a Light Combo’. But added to the challenge of playing as Cena’s opponents and his bordering-on-honest chats, they should turn the mode into an engaging five hours’ worth of FU-evading and Big-John-bashing.

Still, you’re entitled to want to play this for five months (and more), rather than hours. That’s where GM Mode, in which you build your own super brand, and the card-collecting MyFaction come to the party. They don’t form part of my preview build, so judgment on these key elements will have to wait until our WWE 2K23 review in mid-March. For now, however, I’m truly encouraged. WWE 2K22 was the complete reset that this series so desperately needed. With that achieved, WarGames and a refreshed roster look like launching it another step closer to main event status.

Rumor has it, 2K is holding a big reveal event at the end of the month that will share more details about WWE 2K23 and when it may finally release.

Whilst nothing is set in stone - at least not yet - Insider Gaming reckons 2K is planning on holding a WWE 2K23 event at the Royal Rumble event in San Antonio, TX, on January 28. The site also teases that the event will offer a hands-on gameplay preview for guests as well as pull back the curtain on an all-new mode, too.

Interestingly, the site also believes that more information is expected to be announced on February 1, although it's unclear if that's pertaining to embargoed content from the January Royal Rumble event or something completely new. We'll find out one way or the other soon enough, I guess.

"WWE 2K22 saw Visual Concepts overcome the disaster that was WWE 2K20, revitalizing the series with genuine physicality, user-friendly mechanics and huge cosmetic upgrades," Ben wrote in his feature, WWE 2K23 guide: Everything we know so far. "GR awarded it 3.5 stars, and patches since have bolstered it further."

"The diluted feel of MyGM when compared to its forebears is a blow, and legacy flaws are frustrating, but there’s so much else to like here," Ben said in his WWE 2K22 review. 

"The in-real action feels fresh and weighty. Animations, likenesses, and entrances all blow previous series entries away. And both MyFaction and Universe offer long-term value for money. After two-and-a-half years, developer Visual Concepts finally brings closure to the disastrous WWE 2K20 era. Over to you, AEW."

Ben also touched upon the post-release rumors that suggested that WWE may have quietly cut ties with 2K, with 2K22 acting as the series’ swansong. However, that seems less likely the closer we get to release, which is rumored to be in March 2023, a year after WWE 2K22 hit the mat.

Keep up to date with all the best games set to launch next year with our guide to new games 2023. 

Looking for the best Bray Wyatt WWE 2K22 CAW following his return to the company at Extreme Rules? Welcome! Not only do we have an excellent Wyatt awaiting in the list below, but 18 other essential WWE 2K22 additions too. CAW stands for create-a-wrester, and you can store up to 100 in total. Jump into Online > Community Creations > Downloads > Superstar for a huge database of grapplers created by fellow fans – including those found in your WWE 2K22 CAWs guide.

1 Bryan Danielson / Daniel Bryan

Creator Iconic is a name you’ll get used to seeing in this list. The first of his three entries brings WWE’s most popular face of recent times back to the longstanding series. Danielson departed the company in 2021 to sign for AEW, where he feuded against – and then teamed up with – the artist formerly known as Dean Ambrose. He’s on this list too, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves…

2 CM Punk

The most shocking return of 2021 saw Chicago’s favourite son return after a seven-year absence. His first match back versus Darby Allin was a hit, and things got even better in 2022 with a memorable feud against cocky, bolshy MJF – who’s sure to be added to this guide in due course. This in-game version of punk is the work of DreCAWS.

3 Paige

Having been immortalised by the hilarious Stephen Merchant film Fighting With My Family, the two-time Divas Champion seemed a lock for the roster despite retiring through injury. That turned out not to be the case, and she publicly called out developer 2K for her omission on Twitter post-release. For now, this CAW by Blunty is the best means of using her in-game.

4 Bron Breakker

Rick Steiner’s son has been a sensation since debuting last year, capturing the NXT Championship from Tommaso Ciampa and earning comparisons to uncle Scott Steiner and even Brock Lesnar. As such there are loads of WWE 2K22 CAWs bearing his likeness, but four attires give this MisterFiendX model the edge. The same creator has also uploaded an excellent Wardlow from AEW.

5 Mark Henry

There are a number of excellent World’s Strongest Man doppelgängers on the Community Creations servers, but I’m using the one made by NXTDiscipleTB for two reasons. Unlike most others it has two distinct attires, including Henry’s Bent On Destruction entrance tee, and there’s some very slight variation in its two assigned finishers – Front Slam 1 and Front Slam 3.

6 Lita

This 2014 Hall Of Famer has one of the most recognisable faces in wrestling, making her tricky to get right in CAW form – although plenty have tried. HarryPotterFan’s attempt is the one featured here and definitely scores a 7/10. She’s a particularly surprising omission from the roster having returned earlier this year to battle Becky Lynch for the Raw Women’s Championship.

7 Jon Moxley / Dean Ambrose

As promised in the Bryan Danielson entry, here’s another AEW import whose switch from WWE stunned the wrestling world – especially given that wife Renee Young was also contracted to the company at the time. Now firmly established as a megastar in his new home, he’ll score lots of downloads from Community Creations, and this Iconic effort is the pick of the bunch.

8 Zelina Vega

Axed by WWE in late 2020, Zelina made a surprise comeback the following summer, going on to win the first ever Queen’s Crown tournament. This CAW was made by ConcertContenderMania. Wondering why defeated Queen’s Crown finalist Doudrop doesn’t make the list? You’ll find her alongside Ronda Rousey, Rick Boogs and Omos in our WWE 2K22 DLC guide instead.

9 The Great Khali

Creator WhatsTheStatus is beloved within the community, as he’s fished out attires hidden in other modes, then shared them for use across the game – such as Booker T and Happy Corbin’s King of the Ring gimmicks. Khali is his first bespoke creation in this year’s game, and looks and feels exactly like the lumbering giant who stomped around WWE rings from 2006 to 2014.

10 Aliyah

It took six years for Aliyah to advance from NXT to the main WWE roster, but 2021 finally saw her achieve that ambition by being drafted to Smackdown in October. Sadly, it wasn’t enough to earn the spritely Canadian a video game spot. She’s very popular on the Community Creations servers, however, and this creation by Blunty is the best one so far.

11 Corey Graves

Another appearance on this list for creator WhatsTheStatus, and this is exactly what we mean by mining character models already stashed in the game. Graves is only officially included as a commentator, but WhatsTheStatus has managed to unlock the former NXT grappler for playable use. The only downside is he’s announced as ‘The Superstar’. Still, you can live with that, right?

12 Carmelo Hayes

The third and final appearance from Iconic on this list sees the creator bring reigning North American Champion to life with an exceptional facial likeness and authentic tattoos. Hayes was signed by WWE in 2021 and made his debut in a losing battle for the Cruiserweight Championship against Kushida that June, but has swiftly cemented himself as an NXT roster highlight.

13 Bray Wyatt

He's back! Fans clamoured for The Fiend to be included in WWE 2K22 despite his release in July 2021, but either WWE or 2K wasn’t playing ball with that idea. He first appeared in the series as Husky Harris, back in WWE 12, and was a pre-order bonus for WWE 2K20. This Azorthious creation features three different Wyatt attires for you to choose from, and there are likely to be more soon after his return to WWE in October 2022.

14 Cody Rhodes

The former AEW headliner made a shock return to WWE at WrestleMania 38, overcoming Seth Rollins on his first night back, and picking up wins over The Miz and Kevin Owens in subsequent weeks. Inevitably the Community Creations servers have been inundated with Rhodes CAWs as a result. There are plenty of decent ones, but it's Iconic yet again who just about outdoes the rest.

15 AJ Lee

While CM Punk has made an incredibly successful return to the squared circle, wife AJ Lee remains happily retired – meaning we won't be seeing the three-time Divas Champion in any upcoming videogame. All power to LassKickBoss, then, for coming to the rescue. His WWE 2K22 CAW features two highly realistic outfits, plus an accurate moveset and entrance for the pint-sized scrapper.

16 Nash Carter

Wes Lee's tag partner in MSK was released by WWE in May, and immediately removed from the WWE 2K22 DLC schedule as a result. However, Lee still appeared in the Stand Back Pack. If you're seeking to reunite them in game then Iconic is yet again the guy to credit for this excellent creation. 

17 Sting

As of Wednesday, 28 September, this doppelgänger by DreCAWS is the most downloaded character on PlayStation since release, having been imported an incredible 360,335 times. To go with the former WCW champ, the same creator has also made strong versions of AEW stars Jade Cargill, Danhausen and Scorpio Sky.

18 Solo Sikoa

Drew McIntyre looked set to send 60,000 UK fans home happy at Clash at the Castle in September, with the Scotsman a split-second away from pinning Roman Reigns for two world titles. Enter Solo Sikoa. Reigns' cousin pulled the ref from the ring to a huge chorus of boos, and McIntyre's moment was lost. Want to seek revenge in WWE 2K23? Iconic is yet again the creator to search for.

19 Chris Jericho

Iconic? Again? Yep! The CAW-maker has had an especially prolific year since the release of WWE 2K22, and the same can be said of former world champion Chris Jericho. Now in AEW, he recently captured the ROH Championship to further a gold collection that also contains three WWE World Heavyweight Championships and a monstrous nine Intercontinental Championship wins. 

Our WWE 2K22 wrestlers list is an essential way of keeping track of the massive roster's current whereabouts. Real-life WWE features three brands (Raw, Smackdown, and NXT) and a huge list of legends, and this guide enables you to work out the correct category for every WWE 2K22 superstar. Not only that, we track the current status of those who've departed for pastures new, such as AEW. Correct as of Monday, September 12, this is the complete WWE 2K22 wrestlers list.

WWE 2K22 wrestler names explained

To ensure this list is completely up to date, we’ve sorted contracted WWE wrestlers according to their current names. Some of these have changed since WWE 2K22 was released – in these instances, we’ve added a note to clarify. For instance, Gunther is known in the game as Walter, Ludwig Kaiser as Marcel Barthel, and Alba Fyre as Kay Lee Ray.

For those Legends and those no longer with WWE, we’ve maintained their in-game name, as it’s usually their best-known moniker from their time wrestling for the company.

All WWE 2K22 Legends

• Andre The Giant (M, 88)
• Batista (M, 88)
• Beth Phoenix (M, 87)
• Big Boss Man (M, 81)
• The Boogeyman (M, 81) [DLC]
• Booker T (M, 88)
• Bret Hart (M, 91)
• British Bulldog (M, 86) [DLC]
• Cactus Jack (M, 82) [DLC]
• Diesel (M, 87) / Kevin Nash (M, 88)
• Doink The Clown (M, 81) [DLC]
• Eddie Guerrero (M, 90)
• Eric Bischoff (M, 69)
• Faarooq (M, 88)
• Goldberg (M, 88)
• Hulk Hogan (M, 91)
• The Hurricane (M, 82) [DLC]
• JBL (M, 88)
• Jerry Lawler (M, 86)
• Jim Neidhart (M, 86)
• John Cena (M, 92)
• Kane (M, 82)
• Mr McMahon (M, 76)
• Papa Shango (M, 79)
• Razor Ramon (M, 84) / Scott Hall (M, 87)
• Randy Savage (M, 88)
• Ric Flair (M, 88)
• Rikishi (M, 86) [DLC]
• Road Dogg (M, 85)
• Rob Van Dam (M, 91) [DLC]
• The Rock (M, 93)
• Roddy Piper (M, 85)
• Shane McMahon (M, 79)
• Shawn Michaels (M, 88)
• Steve Austin (M, 92)
• Ted DiBiase (M, 85)
• Triple H (M, 91)
• Ultimate Warrior (M, 88)
• Umaga (M, 88) [DLC]
• The Undertaker (M, 90)
• Vader (M, 91) [DLC]
• X-Pac (M, 85)
• Yokozuna (M, 90) [DLC]
• Chyna (F, 87)
• Stacy Keibler (F, 75) [DLC]
• Stephanie McMahon (F, 77)
• Trish Stratus (F, 88)

WWE 2K22 Raw wrestlers

• AJ Styles (M, 91)
• Akira Tozawa (M, 75)
• Angelo Dawkins (M, 80)
• Austin Theory (M, 80)
• Bobby Lashley (M, 91)
• Cedric Alexander (M, 76)
• Chad Gable (M, 76)
• Damian Priest (M, 84)
• Dexter Lumis (M, 79)
• Dolph Ziggler (M, 82)
• Dominik Mysterio (M, 79)
• Edge (M, 91)
• Ezekiel (M, 75) [known in game as Elias]
• Finn Balor (M, 87)
• Johnny Gargano (M, 82)
• Kevin Owens (M, 85)
• Logan Paul (M, 80) [DLC]
• The Miz (M, 86)
• Matt Riddle (M, 85) [known in game as Riddle]
• Montez Ford (M, 82)
• MVP (M, 80)
• Omos (M, 82) [DLC]
• Otis (M, 77)
• R-Truth (M, 77)
• Randy Orton (M, 88)
• Rey Mysterio (M, 90)
• Robert Roode (M, 81)
• Tommaso Ciampa (M, 84)
• Seth Rollins (M, 81)
• Shelton Benjamin (M, 81)
• T-Bar (M, 76)
• Titus O’Neill (M, 76)
• Alexa Bliss (F, 84)
• Asuka (F, 90)
• Becky Lynch (F, 92)
• Bianca Belair (F, 87)
• Carmella (F, 79)
• Dakota Kai (F, 79)
• Dana Brooke (F, 74)
• Doudrop (F, 82) [DLC]
• Iyo Sky (F, 82) [known in game as Io Shirai]
• Maryse (F, 79)
• Nikki ASH (F, 82)
• Rhea Ripley (F, 86)
• Tamina (F, 75)

WWE 2K22 Smackdown wrestlers

• Angel (M, 79) [known in game as Angel Garza]
• Big E (M, 87)
• Braun Strowman (M, 90)
• Brock Lesnar (M, 94)
• Butch (M, 81) [known in game as Pete Dunne]
• Drew Gulak (M, 79)
• Drew McIntyre (M, 91)
• Erik (M, 80)
• Giovanni Vinci (M, 80) [known in game as Fabian Aichner]
• Gunther (M, 86) [known in game as Walter]
• Happy Corbin (M, 81)
• Humberto (M, 77) [known in game as Humberto Carrillo]
• Ivar (M, 81)
• Jey Uso (M, 85)
• Jimmy Uso (M, 85)
• Jinder Mahal (M, 77)
• Karrion Kross (M, 84)
• Kofi Kingston (M, 88)
• Ludwig Kaiser (M, 79) [known in game as Marcel Barthel]
• Mace (M, 76)
• Max Dupri (M, 81) [DLC, known in game as LA Knight]
• Mansoor (M, 80)
• Mustafa Ali (M, 77)
• Rick Boogs (M, 81) [DLC]
• Ricochet (M, 82)
• Roman Reigns (M, 95)
• Sami Zayn (M, 80)
• Sheamus (M, 85)
• Shinsuke Nakamura (M, 88)
• Xavier Woods (M, 86)
• Bayley (F, 88)
• Charlotte Flair (F, 90)
• Lacey Evans (F, 81)
• Liv Morgan (F, 77)
• Naomi (F, 79)
• Natalya (F, 84)
• Raquel Rodriguez (F, 81) [known in game as Raquel Gonzalez]
• Ronda Rousey (F, 91) [DLC]
• Sasha Banks (F, 88)
• Shayna Baszler (F, 84)
• Shotzi (F, 77)
• Sonya Deville (F, 79)
• Xia Li (F, 76) [DLC]

WWE 2K22 NXT wrestlers

• Apollo Crews (M, 81)
• Axiom (M, 82) [DLC, known in game as A-Kid]
• Cameron Grimes (M, 79)
• Commander Azeez (M, 77) [DLC]
• Cruz Del Toro (M, 79) [known in game as Raul Mendoza]
• Ilja Dragunov (M, 86) [DLC]
• JD McDonagh (M, 79) [known in game as Jordan Devlin]
• Joaquin Wilde (M, 79)
• Katana Chance (F, 79) [DLC, known in game as Kacy Catanzaro]
• Roderick Strong (M, 80)
• Santos Escobar (M, 81)
• Tyler Bate (M, 82)
• Wes Lee (M, 79) [DLC]
• Alba Fyre (F, 81) [known in game as Kay Lee Ray]
• Indi Hartwell (F, 77) [DLC]
• Mandy Rose (F, 80)
• Sarray (F, 80) [DLC]

WWE 2K22 wrestlers now with AEW

• Ariya Daivari (M, 70)
• Cesaro (M, 84)
• Isaiah Scott (M, 80)
• Jake Roberts (M, 85)
• Jeff Hardy (M, 85)
• Keith Lee (M, 80)
• Kyle O’Reilly (M, 81)
• Murphy (M, 77)
• Samoa Joe (M, 86)
• William Regal (M, 85)
• Ember Moon (F, 81)
• Toni Storm (F, 80)

WWE 2K22 wrestlers now with Impact

• Mickie James (F, 81)
• Mia Yim (F, 79)

WWE 2K22 wrestlers now with MLW

• Lince Dorado (M, 75)

WWE 2K22 wrestlers now with NJPW

• Kushida (M, 79)

WWE 2K22 wrestlers with Pro Wrestling NOAH

• Timothy Thatcher (M, 80)

WWE 2K22 wrestlers now with CMLL

• Gran Metalik (M, 79)

WWE 2K22 wrestlers now with WXW

• Alexander Wolfe (M, 77)

WWE 2K22 wrestlers now with NWA

• Fandango (M, 77)

All WWE 2K22 free agents

• The Brian Kendrick (M, 74)
• Candice LeRae (F, 77)
• Danny Burch (M, 77)
• John Morrison (M, 80)
• Kalisto (M, 74)
• Oney Lorcan (M, 76)
• Slapjack (M, 71)
• Tucker (M, 71)
• Tyler Breeze (M, 77)
• Billie Kay (F, 77)
• Lana (F, 71)
• Nia Jax (F, 82)
• Peyton Royce (F, 79)
• Tegan Nox (F, 79)
• Trent Seven (M, 77)

Playable list of WWE 2K22 Celebrities

• Machine Gun Kelly (M, 80) [DLC]
• Mr T (M, 84) [DLC]

WWE 2K22 managers

• Bobby Heenan (M)
• Mr McMahon (M)
• Paul Heyman (M)
• Triple H (M)
• Scarlett (F)
• Stephanie McMahon (F)

WWE 2K22 alternates

• Dolph Ziggler ’09 (M, 80)
• Eddie Guerrero ’97 (M, 87)
• Finn Balor Demon (M, 90)
• Kane ’08 (M, 90)
• Kevin Nash NWO (M, 88) [DLC]
• Hollywood Hogan (M, 93) [DLC]
• The Miz 11 (M, 90)
• Rey Mysterio ’05 (M, 84)
• Rey Mysterio ’06 (M, 87)
• Rey Mysterio ’08 (M, 86)
• Rey Mysterio ’09 (M, 88)
• Rey Mysterio Dec ’09 (M, 87)
• Rey Mysterio ’11 (M, 88)
• Rey Mysterio Jr (M, 82)
• Rey Mysterio Jr ’96 (M, 82)
• Seth Rollins ’20 (M, 88)
• Scott Hall NWO (M, 90) [DLC]
• Syxx (M, 88) [DLC]
• The Undertaker ’95 (M, 88) [DLC]
• The Undertaker ’98 (M, 93) [DLC]
• The Undertaker WM36 (M, 91) [DLC]
• Reckoning (F, 76)

Want profiles of everyone featured above? Then leap on over to our WWE 2K22 roster guide.

2K has once again quietly delisted old WWE games from digital storefronts, sparking a minor outcry - although this is standard operating procedure for the 2K sports line.

Over the weekend, a user on the PC Gaming subreddit (via PC Gamer) noted that several older WWE games, including 2K17, 2K18, 2K19, and 2K20 had all recently been removed from Steam. Steam-tracker shows that all four of these games were removed from sale on July 13.

These games have also gone missing from the Xbox and PlayStation stores. If you search for them either in your browser or on the consoles themselves, your results will come up empty. DLC has been delisted, too, though for now WWE 2K20's Backstage Pass is still available on the PlayStation Store. Otherwise, your only digital options are WWE 2K22 and WWE 2K Battlegrounds.

2K announced a "server sunset" on June 30, 2022 for games like 2K20 in a series of support articles, mentioning that "you will no longer be able to access any online game mode after this point, however if you already own the game you will be able to continue to play offline modes." There was no clear indication of the planned delisting, however.

Other 2K sports games have similarly been delisted after launch, but their support articles are much clearer about what was set to happen. For NBA 2K20, the publisher said that "as of January 1st, 2022 this game will no longer be available for purchase."

In all cases, you can still download these games if you'd previously purchased them, though you might be disappointed by the lack of DLC purchase options if you're hopping back into an older title.

The delistings are perhaps less notable on consoles, where physical copies of these games are readily available, but with the Steam versions removed from purchase, PC players no longer have any legal means of getting access to the sports (or sports entertainment) they're looking for.

A WWE-branded wrestling RPG is in the works, if you need a break from all those 2K simulations.

The WWE 2K22 DLC schedule is complete, adding 27 new grapplers to the game since its March 11 release date. It's a brilliantly varied selection, from old favourites like Rob Van Dam and Stacy Keibler to newcomers Omos, Indi Hartwell and Xia Li. Surprisingly Bron Breakker doesn't feature in WWE 2K22, but there is a way to get him too. That's outlined below, along with the compete make-up of every downloadable wrestler set. Even Mr T makes the cut in GR’s WWE 2K22 DLC guide.

How do I get the WWE 2K22 DLC characters?

There are 27 in total, not including pre-order additions such as Eric Bischoff, The NWO, and various alternates for The Undertaker and Rey Mysterio. They were released in five different packs, with the first landing on April 26, and the final one dropping on July 19. There’s a complete list of each pack, its contents, and release date, at the foot of this piece.

Individual packs cost £7.99/$9.99. Alternatively you can grab the season pass, covering all five packs, for £32.99/$39.99. As a bonus, it grants you 200 Attribute Points to use in the MyRise career mode, in addition to all the characters below.

Who are the WWE 2K22 DLC legends?

12 legends arrived in WWE 2K22 as part of the five DLC packs.

April’s Banzai Pack featured three Samoan favourites in Umaga, Rikishi and Yokozuna. Yes, while the latter was depicted as Japanese onscreen, he was in fact a member of the Anoa’i family – and cousin to not only Umaga and Rikishi, but also The Rock and Roman Reigns.

May’s Most Wanted Pack is named after Cactus Jack, and also brings The Boogeyman and Vader to the roster, while Hurricane Helms and Stacy Keibler arrived as part of the Stand Back Pack in June. It’s Keibler’s first video game appearance since Smackdown vs Raw 2006, so an impressive signing on 2K’s part.

July’s Clowning Around Pack content drop then added Doink The Clown, British Bulldog, and Hulk Hogan’s WrestleMania 1 partner Mr T, so prepare to pity some fools.

One more former favourite landed with a Five-Star Flog Splash as part of July’s The Whole Dam Pack, and that name is a giveaway. It is, of course, Rob Van Dam.

What about the WWE 2K22 DLC current stars?

Visual Concepts offers an encouraging DLC set of Raw and Smackdown wrestlers, unlike previous years. There are six in total.

The list is headlined by UFC legend and 2022 Royal Rumble winner Ronda Rousey. The only catch was that you had to wait until June’s Clowning Around Pack to get her, along with Scottish brawler Doudrop and Shinsuke Nakamura’s guitar-playing compere Rick Boogs.

Also added is AJ Styles’ tag-partner-turned-foe Omos, via the Banzai Pack in April. His 7ft 3in frame makes for lots of jobber-slinging fun given WWE 2K22’s improved weightiness.

The other main-roster members are recent Smackdown draftee Xia Li, and Apollo Crews’ sidekick Commander Azeez, previously known as Dabba-Kato. That pair dropped in The Whole Dam Pack, in July.

Will there be any WWE 2K22 NXT DLC?

Third brand NXT does fantastically out of the WWE 2K22 DLC, with seven new playable characters coming your way.

First up was the unfathomably athletic Kacy Catanzaro, as part of April’s Banzai Pack, while May unleashed UK champ Ilja Dragunov and Aussie import Indi Hartwell through the Most Wanted pack. Hartwell’s inclusion enables you to reunite The Way in-game, as Johnny Gargano is included on-disc despite leaving the company in December 2021.

Another UK-based grappler arrived via June’s Stand Back Pack in A-Kid, alongside former NXT tag champion Wes Lee. Lee's MSK tag partner, Nash Carter, was also announced for the pack, only to be released by WWE. Instead you get Booker T EVO and Seth Rollins Sapphire cards for MyFaction. Hmmm.

Lee and A-Kid were followed up in July by LA Knight, who previously worked for Impact Wrestling as Eli Drake, and Sarray, who moved to WWE from Japan in 2021.

Sadly there’s no Bron Breakker DLC, but you can instead nab him right now using GR's WWE 2K22 CAWs guide.

Surely we’re not getting WWE 2K22 celebrity DLC too?

We are! Two celebrities landed as part of The Whole Dam pack in July. They are rapper Machine Gun Kelly, who performed at WrestleMania 28 and helped collate the WWE 2K22 soundtrack, along with YouTube personality and new Raw singing Logan Paul.

Where can I see the full WWE 2K22 DLC pack list?

Right here. All five packs, and 27 wrestlers, are listed in chronological order below.

April 26: Banzai Pack

• Yokozuna
• Umaga
• Rikishi
• Omos
• Kacy Catanzaro

May 17: Most Wanted Pack

• Cactus Jack
• The Boogeyman
• Vader
• Ilja Dragunov
• Indi Hartwell

June 7: Stand Back Pack

• Hurricane Helms
• Stacy Keibler
• A-Kid
• Wes Lee

June 28: Clowning Around Pack

• Doink The Clown
• Ronda Rousey
• The British Bulldog
• Mr. T
• Doudrop
• Rick Boogs

July 19: The Whole Dam Pack

• Rob Van Dam
• Logan Paul
• Machine Gun Kelly
• LA Knight
• Xia Li
• Commander Azeez
• Sarray

Just got the game and need some key lessons in and out of the ring? Then jump over to our rundown of seven essential WWE 2K22 tips.