The summer of 2022 has brought massive changes to the WWE, with the in-ring product looking dramatically different now than it did just three months ago and excitement from fans the highest it has been in some time. Starting with the sudden but inevitable retirement of Vince McMahon, WWE has seen a number of departures and returns that have changed what the product looks like and has had the side effect of making WWE 2K22 better as well.
When it first released in 2021, WWE 2K22 was a significant improvement on the disastrous WWE 2K20, fixing a lot of gameplay issues and creating a brand new grappling system that helped match flow in a big way. The addition of new modes added depth to the game as well, with a new MyFaction mode and the long-awaited return of MyGM, which, despite being somewhat bare-bones, gave fans the opportunity to build and run their own wrestling promotion. Despite these improvements, WWE 2K22 suffered from a roster issue as a result of over 70 wrestlers being released by WWE in a 12-month period, and general fan malaise from the action and storytelling of the actual WWE being not up to their expectations.
WWE 2K22 Roster Was Better Than WWE
Because of the immense roster turnover, several wrestlers were in WWE 2K22 and still appearing in MyUniverse and other modes fans played, which caused both frustration and some detachment from the experience. It's hard to get fully immersed in a WWE career when the gamer is consistently facing talent that has been gone from the company for months. Performers like Karrion Kross, Johnny Gargano, Kyle O'Reilly, Io Sharai, Keith Lee, and many more were still in WWE 2K22 even though their real-life counterparts had been released and, in some cases, moved on to competitors like AEW. Playing WWE 2K22 was essentially a reminder of what WWE could be but chose not to.
The Vince McMahon resignation changed the landscape quickly. Formerly released talent started to reappear on WWE television shortly after McMahon left. Iyo Sharai (now Iyo Sky), Karrion Kross, Kakota Kai, and Johnny Gargano are just some of the released talent that has reappeared on WWE television since mid-July. Seeing one of these returned wrestlers appear in WWE 2K22's Universe mode feels a lot more fun and realistic now that they have returned for real this year. Even Braun Stroman, the most recent arrival in WWE, is in the game and available in both Universe and Play Now mode.
Even if a gamer's favorite WWE Superstar isn't yet in the game, WWE 2K22 features a deep creation zone that allows players to create the wrestlers, arenas, and anything else they could need to create the complete wrestling experience. For example, even Cody Rhodes' torn pec version from Hell in a Cell 2022 is available to download in the Creations tab, along with The Fiend Bray Wyatt, rumored to be making his WWE return soon.
Each of these returned Superstars was available to play with in WWE 2K22 before they reappeared in the promotion this year, but it's just more fun to play with wrestlers that are actually seen on WWE television on a weekly basis. Players will likely get a much more rewarding experience playing a battle between Sheamus and Gunther in the ring after watching their classic at the Clash at the Castle Premium Live Event than if Sheamus had left the company months prior, and then were randomly paired in a match in Universe mode. Simulation games that are based on real-life sports or entertainment are more fun when the game reflects the actual product, and the revitalization of WWE along with a deep Creation mode has made WWE 2K22 even better going forward.
WWE 2K22 is currently available on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.