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While Visual Concepts' licensed brawler suffers from myriad issues, one small positive it offers is the WWE 2K20 legends list. Stalwarts of the grap game such as The Rock, 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin, Bret Hart and Batista all return, while 'new' WWE 2K20 faces include Chyna, Mark Henry, and Jerry Lawler. Want to know every retro star included this year? Then read on - the full list can be found at the bottom of this WWE 2K20 legends guide.
Batista
The man you know as Drax from Guardians of the Galaxy reclaims his spot from WWE 2K19, but 14 old-school wrestlers aren’t so lucky. We already mentioned Bam Bam Bigelow, Tatanka and the Rock ’N Roll Express being gone. Also out are British Bulldog, Diamond Dallas Page, Greg ‘The Hammer’ Valentine, Lex Luger, Mr Perfect, Rick Rude, Rick ‘The Model’ Martel, Rikishi, Sycho Sid, and Vader.
Bret ‘Hitman’ Hart
While brother-in-law the British Bulldog is gone, the man known for his pink-and-black attire and incredible in-ring performances returns. It’s something of a surprise too, given his decision to endorse new organisation All Elite Wrestling earlier this year. The start-up of a federation with ambitions to rival WWE has also seen Chris Jericho, Dean Ambrose, Goldust and Tye Dillinger exit the series – all now reside with AEW.
Goldberg
In an exclusive 2016 interview with GamesRadar, the former WCW world champ revealed that he was keen to return to wrestling – and just weeks later, he was back in a WWE ring and defeating Brock Lesnar in less than two minutes to capture the Universal Championship. A title win for which GR can claim credit? He’s never admitted as much publicly, but we’re totally saying so.
Hulk Hogan
He’s back! The most famous wrestling star of the 1980s makes his videogaming return, after being abruptly removed during the development process of WWE 2K16 over a racism row. (Which also brought a temporary end to his business relationship with WWE.) He’s a true stalwart of the genre, having first appeared on the cover of MicroLeague Wrestling for Commodore 64 way back in 1987.
Jerry Lawler
Like Hogan, Lawler has enjoyed a rollercoaster relationship with WWE spanning three decades. A franchise regular on the commentary desk, his in-ring appearances have been sporadic, and he last featured as a playable character in WWE 12 - back when the series was developed by THQ rather than 2K.
Mankind
Mick Foley raises our tally of returning legends to three: he was in WWE 2K18, but missed out on WWE 2K19 - with most assuming that he and 2K couldn’t come to terms on his rights usage. (In 2014 he publicly criticised the royalty payments given to WWE legends for appearing in the series.) The bad news? There’s no Dude Love or Cactus Jack alter-egos this year.
Chyna
Did we say three? Make that four. Chyna appears as a Collector's and Deluxe Edition bonus, the first time she's featured in a WWE videogame since passing away in 2016 at the far-too-young age of 46. She's one of two 'new' women legends added this year, alongside Molly Holly.
Mark Henry
Henry was another wrestler cut from WWE 2K19 after announcing his in-ring retirement. That was a major surprise as, unlike those who’ve signed for other organisations, Henry seemed to remain on excellent terms with the company where he spent two decades and racked up a mountainous Championship hall. Hopefully he’s back in for the long haul.
Molly Holly
The most high profile addition on this list, but not because she’s more famous than Foley or Henry - rather, as a result of an in-game likeness that doesn’t represent Visual Concepts’ best work. It’s been widely mocked across social media, and has to be classed as a missed opportunity given that this is Holly’s first series appearance since 2004’s WWE Smackdown vs Raw.
The Rock
Big dude, won a couple of championships, been in a movie or two… oh, and was the second highest-paid actor in the world in 2018, his reported $124 million earnings topped only by George Clooney according to Forbes. Yeah, Dwayne is fairly famous now. But still not averse to the odd WWE appearance, as demonstrated by his hilarious verbal battering of Baron Corbin in an October episode of Smackdown.
Sting
Goldberg isn’t the only former WCW favourite to turn a 2K appearance into an in-ring gig. Steve ‘Sting’ Borden initially materialised as a pre-order incentive for WWE 2K15 – and that November, he rocked up at Survivor Series to attack Triple H. Despite losing their eventual match and re-retiring soon after, he’s been a series staple ever since.
Ultimate Warrior
Sting’s former tag partner is another who rebuilt bridges with WWE after signing up to appear on the videogame’s legends roster. Warrior was the pre-order bonus a year before the Stinger, in a deal which ultimately lead to him being inducted into the company’s Hall Of Fame at WrestleMania XXX. Sadly he collapsed and died, aged just 54, just two days later.
X-Pac
The seventh and final ‘new’ old face this year is Sean Waltman, former DX tag-team partner to Shawn Michaels and Triple H. His announcement triggered rumours that stablemates Jesse ‘Road Dogg’ James and Billy Gunn might return, to no avail – and Gunn was always an impossible ask, given he’s also now contracted to AEW.
Complete WWE 2K20 legends list
- Andre The Giant
- Batista
- Beth Phoenix
- Big Boss Man
- Booker T
- Bret Hart
- Brie Bella
- Brutus Beefcake
- Christian
- Chyna
- Diesel / Kevin Nash
- Dusty Rhodes
- Eddie Guerrero
- Edge
- Goldberg
- Hulk Hogan
- Jake Roberts
- Jerry Lawler
- Jim Neidhart
- John Cena
- Kane
- Kurt Angle
- Lita
- Mankind
- Mark Henry
- Molly Holly
- Nikki Bella
- Papa Shango
- Randy Savage
- Razor Ramon / Scott Hall
- Ric Flair
- Ricky Steamboat
- Roddy Piper
- Shawn Michaels
- Steve Austin
- Sting
- Ted DiBiase
- The Rock
- Triple H
- Trish Stratus
- Ultimate Warrior
- Undertaker
- X-Pac
WWE 2K20 is out now. Wondering which past greats aren't included? Then check out our list of 15 wrestlers you’ll never see again in a WWE game.
