Even though WWE 2K22 has taken a more arcade-like approach to its speed and mechanics, it is still possible to have a technical match-up between two wrestlers that use submission moves to wear down their opponents. The game provides the player with lots of ways to wear down specific body parts to make a finisher more effective or even damage the opponent to the point of making them bleed.
In the past, many wrestling games needed to have certain submission moves assigned to their main moveset. However, in WWE 2K22, the submissions can be triggered in addition to their light and strong wrestling maneuvers, signatures, and finishers.
Wrestlers like Bret Hart and Ric Flair have submission moves stored as their finishers, with the Sharpshooter and Figure Four Leg Lock doing massive damage when performed. However, the opponent needs to have their specific body parts worn down for the submission finishers to work successfully.
One of the best ways is to execute basic submission holds during the match. It's also worth noting that submissions are more effective on some wrestlers than others as it depends on their stats in WWE 2K22. Here is how to perform the submission moves at any point in the match:
How To Perform Basic Submissions
Standing Opponent
- Stand in front of the opponent and press RT/R2 and B/Circle at the same to execute a standing submission.
Grounded Opponent Legs
- To work on a wrestler's legs, press RT/R2 and B/Circle near their legs to perform a basic leg submission hold. Grounded submissions are best used in modes where pinfalls and submissions can win a match. They aren't suited to matches like the Royal Rumble as it can leave the player's wrestler vulnerable.
Grounded Opponent Arms/Side
- To work on the wrestler's arms or side, press RT/R2 and B/Circle near the side of the wrestler's body. This can perform a submission on an opponent's arms like a keylock or another body submission variation such as the camel clutch depending on a wrestler's move-sets.
Grounded Opponent Upper Body
- To perform a submission on a wrestler's head or neck, press RT/R2 and B/Circle when standing near their head. This will perform moves to wear down the head, neck, body, and even the legs combined depending on their move-sets.
Foot Catch Reversal Into A Submission
- A foot catch reversal into the submission is a little trickier than the other submissions here because it requires timing for one to catch their opponent's kick before executing it.
- When an opponent attacks with a kick to the stomach, press Y/Triangle at the right time to catch the foot. This will leave the opponent vulnerable for a brief moment.
- The window to attack is very short, so quickly press RT/R2 and B/Circle to execute a reversal submission move.
- This works well on wrestlers like Steve Austin, who uses his WWE 2K22 finisher, the Stunner, which has an animation that starts with a kick to the gut.
Letting Go Of A Submission
- If an opponent is looking likely to get out of a submission hold, it's always better to let go of the submission first; otherwise, it will trigger an automatic reversal move for the opponent. To let go of a submission move, press LB/L1 just before the submission meter runs out to cancel it.
The submission moves are a great way to wear down an opponent for the finishers. It's also a great way to end a match early as a badly beaten opponent will tap out before a finisher is applied.
WWE 2K22 is available for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.