WWE 2K22 and WWE 2K23 put the franchise back on track after the disastrous launch of WWE 2K20, and many fans will be looking for WWE 2K24 to carry this momentum in 2024. The game is currently unannounced, but given the annualization of the franchise as well as the ongoing success of the WWE at large, WWE 2K24 seems like a safe bet (almost like Solo Sikoa and Jimmy Uso helping Roman Reigns win his matches).
In fact, WWE 2K24 recently got a rating from the Brazil ratings board suggesting the game's development is ongoing. The big question on many minds is not if WWE 2K24 happens, but when, and luckily, WWE 2K22 and WWE 2K23 can be a good gauge for everything from its reveal to its actual content.
WWE 2K24 Reveal in 2024
WWE 2K20 and prior games used to be revealed at SummerSlam before being released in the latter months of the year, but WWE 2K22 and WWE 2K23 both bucked this tradition. Likely due to the development changes that took place after WWE 2K20, both games would instead be revealed at the Royal Rumble and released sometime in March. This is arguably the perfect timing for a WWE game. Not only does the Royal Rumble kick off the road to WrestleMania, but WrestleMania takes place in early April. This means the hype around WWE is at an all-time high and so too with the products surrounding it. Getting a new WWE game a few weeks before WrestleMania goes a long way for those who love wrestling and video games. Because of this, it is not likely to change. WWE fans can expect WWE 2K24 to be revealed at the Royal Rumble, with a release date following in March 2024.
In fact, it's entirely plausible to narrow it down further. Annualized games stick to certain schedules, which are often tighter than other games in development, so they are often released in the same periods. WWE 2K22 was released on the second Friday of March 2022, while WWE 2K23 was released on the third Friday. The first Friday is likely out, as well as the last Friday since it is perhaps a little close to WrestleMania. Therefore, the likeliest dates for WWE 2K24's release dates are:
- March 8
- March 15
- March 22
What to Expect From WWE 2K24 Gameplay
Where it gets dicey is the actual content of the video game, and this is the area where fans should keep their expectations in check. It's one thing to hope for a fantastic video game that takes everything and dials it to 11, but as an annualized series, the game is likely to see more incremental improvements. This doesn't mean they won't be game-changers or drastically impact WWE 2K24's gameplay experience, but fans shouldn't expect major overhauls.
WWE 2K24 Cover Star - Who Will It Be?
Perhaps the biggest question is which WWE superstar will be represented on the cover, as well as appear in the Showcase Mode. Prior WWE games would sometimes have differing cover stars and showcase modes, but given that both WWE 2K22 and WWE 2K23 put their cover stars (Rey Mysterio and John Cena) in the Showcase, it's likely to continue. Notably, Mysterio and Cena both have long careers and have been associated with the WWE for quite some time, therefore that might be a metric to consider. Although this is just pure speculation, the most likely WWE 2K24 Cover Stars feel like...
- Stone Cold Steve Austin
- The Undertaker
- Randy Orton
- Triple H
- Shawn Michaels
- Brock Lesnar
Of course, it would not be surprising to see Visual Concepts throw a curveball here, but it all remains to be seen.
WWE 2K24's Big Gimmick
While WWE 2K22's return was the "special" element of the game, it didn't really have any major gimmicks. WWE 2K23 put its new WarGames game mode front and center, however, and it would be interesting to see if this continued in some way. It would be great if the games put major emphasis on certain new gameplay elements to help sell the game. It's impossible to predict what this could be, but given that WarGames was put on par with John Cena in many ways, it would be great to see a new big match type introduced alongside WWE 2K24's Cover Star.
WWE 2K24's MyRise Game Mode
WWE 2K23's MyRise Game Mode saw players pursue two personal stories, where they had a few dialogue choices and a few choices that dictated which way their careers would go. Hopefully, WWE 2K24 keeps this up by adding more depth to the story, adding more impact to the choices, and complementing these with several other quality-of-life improvements. It's fair to say, however, that WWE 2K23 improved on WWE 2K22's MyRise Mode, and hopefully that continues.
WWE 2K24's MyGM Mode
WWE 2K23's MyGM Mode is addicting, but hopefully, Visual Concepts takes the concept a little bit further. It would be great if the calendar of PPVs made more sense than being seemingly random every four weeks leading into WrestleMania, and it would be great if events like Elimination Chamber and The Royal Rumble were entirely possible as well. Either way, WWE 2K23's MyGM Mode has the fundamentals, so WWE 2K24 needs to add the flair.
WWE 2K24 All Game Modes
In general, players can probably expect
- General gameplay improvements and tweaks
- Maybe a few new match types
- An Expanded MyFaction Mode
- Improvements to Universe Mode
- An updated roster
Again, the thing to keep in mind here is that WWE 2K24 is likely to feature several incremental improvements across the board, with maybe there being a huge focus on one certain element, but it's not going to be a completely different game. Fans can expect WWE 2K24 to be better than WWE 2K23 for sure, but they shouldn't expect every single thing they want in the game, as many developers at Visual Concepts likely want the same thing but face many time constraints.
WWE 2K24 DLC Season Pass
Of course, WWE 2K24 will likely continue its Season Passes that add more wrestlers to the roster every year, but WWE 2K24 has an interesting opportunity. CM Punk's return at Survivor Series no doubt sent waves throughout the community, and WWE 2K24 adding CM Punk would be the first game in ten years to do so. However, it's hard to know for sure if there is enough time between then and the release to get CM Punk into the base roster or, from 2K's perspective, if that would be the best move here. If he's not on the base roster, it feels like there's a solid chance he's in DLC, and that's surely going to sell well. Either way, CM Punk seems bound for WWE 2K24 given the hype around his return.