WWE 2K22's cover star has reportedly been leaked

WWE 2K22's cover star has reportedly been leaked, and it's Rey Mysterio.

Though entirely an unsubstantiated rumor for now – even the most impressive cover art turns out to be fakes from time to time –  the Twitter account of TechnikNews shares what it purports to be an "exclusive first look" at the PS5 cover image.

We've also learned details of an alleged pre-order bonus – more on that in a tick – plus details of an Early Access period that will reportedly be open to pre-orderers of certain (usually the more expensive) "editions" of the sports sim, which is rumored to kick off on March 8, 2022 - just in time for that undated release sometime in March.

As for that pre-order freebie? That'll be the Undertaker Immortal Pack which allegedly includes three additional Undertaker personas - Phantom Mask Undertaker, Lord of Darkness Undertaker, and Boneyard Match Undertaker - as well as unspecified MyFaction Perks and Bonuses, plus MyFaction EVO cards for Undertaker.

The Undertaker Immortal Pack will also reportedly be available in the deluxe and nWo 4-Life editions of the game, too, with the former also bundling in the Season Pass (thanks, VGC).

For the first time in the game's 20-year-long history, 2K did not release a WWE game in 2021. The decision followed woeful reviews of WWE 2K20, prompting 2K to bring Patrick Gilmore onboard in the hope of refreshing the series and avoiding another bug-tastic release that spawned more memes than fans.

"WWE 2K22 retains 30,000 moves, and adds 5,000 new ones, while all existing strikes have been recaptured and retimed," we said in our first-look WWE 2K22 preview. "Footage of Kofi Kingston thumping Jeff Hardy in the ribs, then bulldogging his face into the mat, certainly looks impactful. But will it feel that way, and – more importantly – translate to an exciting, realistic video game?"

Wondering what changes WWE 2K22 may bring to the roster? Check out our WWE 2K22 roster guide tracking every confirmed wrestler so far. As Ben summarizes in his guide, many of the company's biggest names have been released or jumped ship to the AEW roster so while we know we're getting new faces with fighters like Austin Theory, Kay Lee Ray and Raquel Gonzalez, we also know veterans like Daniel Bryan, Chris Jericho and Bray Wyatt will be MIA this time around. 

There are plenty of big titles on our upcoming PS5 games and upcoming Xbox Series X games lists that you can get stuck into while you wait for WWE 2K22.