After WWE 2K21 has been discontinued, WWE 2K fans are now looking towards WWE 2K22 as the title that will redeem the franchise. Following a lackluster launch courtesy of WWE 2K20, there will be much pressure for the next installment to perform exceptionally better than previous titles. 2K has skipped a year with their annual release of WWE wrestling simulators, and are therefore expected to deliver with their next installment.
Executive Producer Patrick Gilmore held an AMA on Reddit to answer the WWE 2K fans' hottest questions. His answers were significant data about the team's plans for WWE 2K22. With that being said, here is everything we know about WWE 2K22 so far.
11 WWE 2K22 Will Be Fresh and Totaly Different
Across the WWE 2K games, there are common foundational mechanics that make every WWE 2K game feel similar every year. They're basically the same game every year with some tweaks and more added content with each new release. As for the upcoming WWE 2K22, it will be an entirely new game but still hold on to the wrestling simulator genre. Gilmore has stated in the Reddit AMA that core gameplay will be revamped and overhauled, along with some other major changes that will steer the game in an entirely different direction.
10 Takes Inspiration from Classic WWE Games
Gilmore has also stated that the next installment will take inspiration from previous wrestling classics like WWF No Mercy and Smackdown: Here Comes The Pain; both of which are entirely different games from the 2K lineup. The classic wrestling games are more based around arcade combat mechanics and chaos rather than simulated realism. Additionally, Gilmore also states that other modern wrestling games will be taken into account. This is so that they "combine the best ideas" to create the best WWE 2K game to date.
9 There will be New Match Types
Fans of the WWE 2K games have always been requesting that certain matches like I Quit Match, Special Referee Match, Inferno Match, etc. Are added into the game. Some YouTubers are even passionate about particular matches being added.
As Gilmore stated, the WWE 2K development team has finished a feedback project wherein they got feedback from players on what match types they would like to see in the next game. That feedback is the central element driving the discussions among the team.
8 Gameplay Will Be More Skill Oriented
Gilmore wants combat to be less centered around pushing buttons and more towards players' strategy. This principle is the foundation of overhauling the gameplay, re-creating a WWE 2K game from the ground up. Gilmore tells players to expect a significant evolution to gameplay. The combat mechanics will be more intuitive, lessening the unnecessary complexity of the game. This leaves players to decimate each other with their own strategies, not worrying too much about complicated UI.
7 More Intuitive Combat Mechanics
The development team will be making a ton of changes to this area. The controls will be more consistent across different scenarios, and gameplay will be less oriented around UI prompts and minigames. Gilmore said that they're looking to make a smarter game that understands what the player is trying to do, resulting in new players accidentally pulling off cool moves. Players will feel more in control of their actions given the gameplay the team is going after. This sounds like fixed move animations will be more than just pressing a button.
6 Different Wrestler Archetypes will have a Bigger Impact in Matches
When a match progresses in WWE 2K games, the abilities of different specialists like immovable giants and high flying cruiserweights start to not matter in a match. Spectacular lifting animations can eventually be performed on giants which ruins the simulated nature of the game.
In 2K22, different archetypes will play much differently beyond move animations and abilities. They will require different strategies to be effective than that of strikers and high flyers. This results in a deeper rock-paper-scissors mechanic that will make wrestler choice more significant.
5 More Responsive Crowd
Gilmore stated that the team is planning to improve and modify crowd responses, and sync them better with the big moments. An audio team member working on the game has also stated that they are looking to make the responses sound fuller and richer to better contextualize what's happening in the ring. This is a huge step in improvement since the crowd sounded more like ambient noise in WWE 2K games than a reactive entity in the match. The same improvements will also be made to commentary to make matches feel more bright and spectacular.
4 GM Mode Will Be Returning
General Manager mode is one of the most requested features of any upcoming WWE 2K game. It's a mode where players take the role of a brand general manager to earn the highest ratings possible. Players will hire superstars, book narratives, and attempt to outshine the opposite brand. The mode, unfortunately, hasn't been given much priority in later games. However, for the next installment, Gilmore emphasized that "top minds" are thinking about adding GM mode and making it better than what it was in 2008.
3 Superstars Will Look Better
Gilmore stated that character is one of the core areas that the development team is striving to improve on right now. The goal is to make the best looking superstars of all time. This is so that the wrestlers in the game will look as identical as possible to what they show on WWE TV.
This will make the wrestling experience more authentic and bring the gameplay closer to a life-like spectacle. This is a great improvement considering how some superstars, especially those with long hair, would look awkward and horrendous in previous WWE 2K games.
2 WWE 2K22 Will Offer Better Mod Support
WWE 2K20 had very little support for mods. This upset a lot of players considering that fans of the franchise are very creative. As a wrestling game, it is important that everything in the game is updated towards the current state of the company it represents. This means updating entrance music, adding superstars, etc. This is possible through mods. Gilmore said that he and his team are looking into better mod support for the next installment of WWE 2K. Gilmore credits the modding community as a huge flourishing one and looks to make big commitments to allow modding for 2K22.