WWE 2K22 is out now and does a lot of legwork in bringing the franchise back up to par. It’s not perfect by any means, but WWE 2K22 is the perfect building block for WWE 2K23. Of course, taking a year off also seemed to work well for the video game franchise, and it could repeat this—meaning the next game could be WWE 2K24. Not to mention, WWE 2K22 isn’t over yet and is set to release multiple DLC characters, potentially more.
In past games, Showcase Modes have appeared as WWE 2K DLC. It seems unlikely to happen in WWE 2K22, especially given the depth of Rey Mysterio’s Showcase Mode, but whether it’s DLC or in the next core game, who the next featured superstar should be is pretty clear: The Undertaker.
WWE: Undertaker’s Retirement and Legacy
In November 2020, The Undertaker formally announced his retirement from WWE. Superstars have “retired” before, just to return in some dramatic way, but this certainly feels final. The last few years saw Undertaker’s age majorly impact him, yet he still put iconic and memorable matches like Wrestlemania 33 vs. Roman Reigns and his boneyard match with AJ Styles. WWE would even spend quite some time focusing on Undertaker, preparing for his official retirement announcement that month.
The Final Farewell at WWE Survivor Series 2020 was the end of a long, hard-fought road, and it was an emotional moment for fans and, undoubtedly, the superstar. The Undertaker’s legacy is felt throughout the WWE, and he even plays a major role in one of WWE 2K22’s MyRise storylines. It was a classic Undertaker story, but it’s a classic for a reason. There have been plenty of tributes paid to The Undertaker since then, but the next Showcase Mode installment should focus on the Deadman.
WWE 2K23: What Matches Should Appear in an Undertaker Showcase Mode
Where WWE 2K22’s Rey Mysterio Showcase Mode shines is the raw emotion it was able to capture, and the developer should capture that same spirit with the Undertaker. However, it should go big and attempt to capture as much of the Undertaker’s history as possible with its match list.
For Rey Mysterio, there were some missing matches, although his most iconic were there. It may be due to Superstars who couldn’t appear on the in-game roster, but either way, there’s a lot to unpack with the Undertaker’s long history. Some great matches and storylines could include…
- Undertaker’s Debut (Survivor Series 1990) – Go back to the beginning.
- Undertaker vs. The Ultimate Warrior, Rivalry 1991
- Undertaker vs. Jake “The Snake” Roberts, Rivalry 1991
- Undertaker vs. Hulk Hogan Rivalry for the WWE Championship, 1991
- Undertaker vs. Undertaker (Summer Slam 1994) – For the fun of it.
- Undertaker vs. Mankind, Rivalry—Ending in a Buried Alive match 1996
- Undertaker vs. Kane, Rivalry—Ending in an Inferno Match 1998
- Undertaker vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin, 1999
- Undertaker vs. Kurt Angle vs. The Rock (Vengeance 2002) – Pure star power
- Undertaker vs. Vince McMahon, Buried Alive Match at Survivor Series 2003
- Undertaker vs. Randy Orton, Rivalry 2005
- Undertaker vs. Batista, Rivalry 2007
- Undertaker vs. Edge (Summer Slam 2008)
- Multiple Matches vs. Triple H
- The Undertaker vs. AJ Styles, Boneyard Match 2020
There’s obviously a ton more than this, but it depends on how the overall showcase mode was approached. The final match, however, has a ton of potential, especially if it has to be unlocked like Rey and Dominick’s Mysterio’s match. Throughout the above matches, there could be multiple Wrestlemania matches—especially considering Undertaker’s 25-2 streak.
What could be more interesting, however, is having Undertaker discuss his Wrestlemania streak and legacy, while players play through a match that is an amalgamation of other matches—using its strong transitions for players to battle part of the way (the most iconic moments) of every Undertaker Wrestlemania match.
When and if the Deadman is given his due in a WWE 2K Showcase remains to be seen, but there’s little doubt that with so much history and such a huge legacy, it would continue WWE 2K’s stride in the right direction.
WWE 2K22 is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.