5 Things You Need to Know about WWE 2K16

We opened up a can of whoopass with some early access to WWE 2K16.

Image via WWE

Alongside the likes of EA SPORTS FIFA and Grand Theft Auto, WWE video games became a staple of every kid's Christmas wish list in the noughties and 15 years on from the end of the Attitude Era, Stone Cold Steve Austin graces the over of WWE 2K16, giving wrestling fans old and new another chance to open up a nostalgic can of whoopass.

The latest title in the WWE franchise represents 2K Sports' second effort at bringing the blood, sweat and tears of Monday Night Raw to PS4 and Xbox One and when you look beyond the game's beautiful aesthetics (ignoring close up shots of Big Show, obviously), there's enough creativity, online functionality and depth on offer here to make us believe that developers are starting to maximise the potential of the current generation of consoles.

After getting hands on with WWE 2K16, we've got some news that's going to draw even more 'this is awesome' chants than a trip to Suplex City: we've got a wrestling game that's actually better than Smackdown! 2.

Here's everything you need to know before copping WWE 2K16.

1. There's over 120 wrestlers on the game's roster

WWE 2K16 packs the biggest roster ever seen a wrestling game, with over 120 characters available when the game drops – and that's excluding the DLC add-ons that will come later in the year.

As ever, the game's roster spans four decades of in-ring action and will showcase the best legends from the 80s and 90s, from the legendary likes of Bam Bam Bigelow and Mankind down to the almost-forgotten ranks of Colonel Mustafa and Kama.

It's become a bit of tradition for WWE games to give away one 'bonus character' on launch day – we've previously had The Rock, Mike Tyson and Ultimate Warrior all feature as giveaways – and this year, it's taken a left-field turn with the inclusion of The Terminator.

For those who aren't full-time residents of the WWE Universe, Arnold Schwarzenegger was actually inducted into WWE's Hall of Fame in 2015 and Triple H themed his Wrestlemania 31 entrance on the newest Terminator film. That being said, seeing a T-800 suplex John Cena is something we'll never really get used to.

WWE Brand Director at 2K, Bryce Yang, says developers have managed to perform full body scans of "ninety-something percent" of the in-game characters, which means Sheamus' haircut will look just as stupid as it does on TV.

2. Create-a-Superstar mode is back to its best

One of the major gripes that fans had with the WWE 2K15 was the highly-restricted creation suite on offer, which was stripped of features in comparison to the previous game and a blow to those who thought next-gen consoles could offer even more creativity when it came placing your own figure in the WWE universe.

This year, 2K Sports has listened and acted upon those requests. The Create-a-Superstar mode offers more customisation modes than ever before and an option to add your own photo into the game, which gives the game engine a chance to create a photorealistic representation of your actual self.

In addition to that, fans also now have the opportunity to create their very own pay-per-view from start to finish, including name, graphics and ring canvas.

In fitting with the #DivasRevolution, there's an also an opportunity to Create-a-Diva, too. Charlotte, Sasha Banks, Becky Lynch and Bayley won't feature on the main roster so this is a feature you'll need to take advantage of.

3. The NXT takeover is alive

In the past two years NXT has become the coolest and most credible thing in wrestling, so it's only right that WWE 2K16 reflects that.

No fewer than 13 NXT stars or graduates make their video game debut this year including Kevin Owens, Finn Balor, Hideo Itami, Baron Corbin, Enzo and Cass, Blake and Murphy and Samoa Joe.

Bryce Yang says you simply can't ignore NXT:


"NXT itself is growing so much, it’s such a big part of WWE now so naturally it has to be a bigger part of the game. The NXT roster has grown and it’s even on tour in the UK before the end of the year so it’s growing very quickly, we can’t ignore it.


I love it when guys see themselves in the game for the first time – a guy like Finn Balor or Kevin Owens. They always say your first video game character and your first action figure are big moments for them. He [Finn] actually came in and did his entrance for motion capture himself because some things just can’t be replicated."  

4. MyCareer changes based on the decisions you make in-game

5. WWE superstars actually take the game really seriously

In the case of FIFA 16, we already know that scores of Premier League players are addicted to the game when they're not on the pitch for real and according to Bryce Yang, it's the same for WWE superstars and their own virtual world:


"They love it. The guys who have been in it are always curious – what gear am I in this year? If you're Sheamus, you'll be dying to see what you look like because you've changed since last year...


A lot of the guys play it – a guy like Xavier Woods, hardcore gamer – he could beat me any day. There’s a crew of them that take it seriously. He has one of those portable games consoles in a suitcase that you can take everywhere, and the guys play the games backstage."

And they also really care about their in-game ratings:


"There’s a running joke for many years with The Miz. One year he was famously rated lower than a Diva, and we definitely got feedback on that! You’ve got guys who are more hardcore gamers and they get deeper into the attributes, so Mark Henry’s a big gamer and he provides us with his feedback on certain parts of his attributes but we do take note of feedback from fans or talent themselves.

And that's the bottom line.

WWE 2K16 is available from October 27th on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

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