Asuka & Kairi Sane
Collectively known as the Kabuki Warriors – you're right, it is an atrocious name – this all-Japanese tag-team was half-confirmed in August with Asuka appearing in a Mixed Match Challenge video. After making her series debut in WWE 2K19 and advancing to the main roster in April, Sane returns too.
Baron Corbin
A nagging 2K weakness is its inability to keep up with current happenings like other sports sims. Corbin changed his look in summer 2018 to match his ‘Constable’ character - lapelled shirts, a shaven head - yet it amounted to fifteen months before we could finally utilise it in game. Better late than never, I guess.
Batista
All hail Drax the Destroyer. The Guardians of the Galaxy star surprisingly went missing from the series for a time - topping our list of nine superstars shockingly removed from WWE 2K17. Fan outrage at that omission ensured that Big Dave is now back for keeps.
Bayley & Sasha Banks
It’s been a mixed few months for the first-ever Women’s Tag Champs after being dethroned by the Iiconics. Bayley captured the Smackdown Women’s title, but Banks went AWOL - although summer rumours reckoned she was working with 2K on the new game. Both feature in this year's 2K Showcase mode, focussed on the Four Horsewomen.
Becky Lynch
The lady nicknamed The Man (really) made wrestling history in April, emerging victorious from the first women’s match to main event WrestleMania. Lynch, AKA Rebecca Knox, has been on first-name terms with GamesRadar since a 2016 interview in which she revealed her love for Ryu from Street Fighter.
Big E, Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods
A fine 2019 for The New Day took a bleak twist in October, as Kofi Kingston dropped the WWE Championship to Brock Lesnar in just nine seconds. Still, all three inevitably return for more virtual brawling – especially happy news for Xavier Woods, as the master of his own gaming Youtube channel.
Beth Phoenix & Lita & Trish Stratus
The three most dominant females of all time? You could certainly make a case for it, despite Stratus being defeated by darling-of-the-moment Charlotte Flair at Summerslam. All have had welcome TV time in 2019, and are deservedly entrenched as 2K series regulars.
Bianca Belair
Belair debuted in WWE 2K19, ahead of ascending from NXT to Smackdown - or at least, that's what many fans assumed would happen. Instead the twirly haired Tennessean is still in developmental, having spent the last 12 months honing her craft in matches with Shayna Baszler, Kairi Sane and Io Shirai.
Big Show
One major WWE 2K20 feature is Roman Reigns' Tower, where you have to see off a succession of opponents using the former Shield member and cover star. Reigns' largest foe – literally – is the Big Show, meaning another WWE series appearance despite not having wrestled since November 2018.
Billie Kay & Peyton Royce
While not on par with Bayley or Becky Lynch with regards to in-ring ability, Kay and Royce - AKA The Iiconics - have been WWE's most entertaining female double act this year, and were rewarded with a tag title run. Expect the pair to keep bringing the Aussie 'bantz' in 2020.
Bo Dallas & Curtis Axel
While Axel's father, Mr Perfect, loses his roster spot this year, these two B-Team buddies cling on for another 12 months. Not only that, we'll finally be able to use the 'new' theme song which they debuted in the summer… of 2018. That level of outdatedness is unacceptable in modern gaming.
Bobby Lashley
Lashley was always a given, but 2K also confirmed former tag partner (and reigning cruiserweight champion) Lio Rush as part of the roster on 10 October - only to remove his render from the official site hours later. For more details, check out our WWE 2K20 Lio Rush story.
