After the release of WWE 2K20, fans have their apprehensions about the next game. It bodes well that the company announced it was skipped WWE 2K21 to focus on what improvements it could make, but regardless of how that goes, a new WWE 2K title for the end of next year seems likely. These gameplay improvements and new additions have to be the focus, but of course, there's going to be other design choices for the game as well.
One of the most prestigious will be the cover star of WWE 2K22, as this is a highly respectful decision often made based on one of the current or biggest faces of the brand. As such, it's a bit surprising that The Undertaker has not appeared as the cover star of a 2K title. With the recent announcement of The Undertaker's retirement from the WWE, there's not a better time that with a re-vamped game to launch with him on the cover.
It should be noted that WWE 2K20 began what could be a pattern, with there actually being two featured cover stars, but whether it's a solo or a duo again, The Undertaker is the perfect star to appear.
WWE Cover Stars
With that in mind, it's worth looking at the covers that the Undertaker has graced, which quite frankly, is a bit surprising. Since the very first franchise game in 1989, there's been 50+ released. He's actually appeared on 13 of these, although most are to a small degree. He appears alongside a variety of other stars, well before the concept of the cover star was fully a thing, on several of them, and only takes front and center in a few of these. He's never appeared alone, but here's every game that features The Undertaker on the cover to some degree.
- WWF Wrestlemania Steel Cage Challenge
- WWF Superstars 2
- WWE Road To WrestleMania X8
- Here Comes the Pain
- Smackdown vs Raw 2010
- WWF Road to WrestleMania
- WWF Wrestlemania 2000
- WWF Attitude
- WWF Royal Rumble
- WWF Raw 1994
- Smackdown vs Raw 08
- WWF SmackDown 2: Know Your Role
- WWF/WWE Raw (2002)
What's clear is that many of these are the older games as well. His most recent appearance was Smackdown vs. Raw 2010 where he shared the cover with John Cena (center), Randy Orton, Rey Mysterio, and Edge. His most dominant depiction is the centered position in Smackdown vs. Raw 2008 where he was flanked by John Cena and Bobby Lashley. In short, despite the Undertaker's incredibly legendary career, he has never held a cover star position on his own.
What better way to re-invent a series (what it desperately needs) than to also give honors to the Deadman, the Phenom, The Undertaker. It remains to be seen what becomes of the game, but giving this honorable position to this legendary superstar, who is unlikely to disappear from future WWE games anyway, will help cement
WWE 2K22 is in development.