With just a week to go before WWE 2K22 launches, developer Visual Concepts is showing off the game’s new MyRise Mode and Rey Mysterio-focused 2K Showcase campaign. WWE’s line of wrestling simulation titles took a two-year hiatus following the disastrous launch of WWE 2K20, but the developers behind WWE 2K22 have promised that the newest wrestling game is going to hit harder and play better than what came before.
In the many months since WWE 2K22 was first revealed at last year’s Wrestlemania event, 2K Games and Visual Concepts have been pulling back the curtain on the many new modes and features coming to the game. Fan-favorite modes like MyCareer and WWE 2K22's GM Mode will be returning from past WWE titles, as well as a new MyFaction mode that will let players build their own power stable to dominate the ring. WWE 2K22’s roster was also revealed at a steady pace in the lead-up to the game’s launch next week, as well as revealing that Machine Gun Kelly will be featured as a DLC character.
The developers behind WWE 2K22 have recently posted the third installment of their “WWE 2K22 Ringside Report” series on the official WWE 2K22 cover star Rey Mysterio himself is coaching you on how to defeat legendary opponents like Eddie Guerrero and The Undertaker. This year’s 2K Showcase will also include actual full-motion footage from the real matches the mode draws inspiration from, with these cutscenes fading into the game as players complete certain objectives and unlock rewards.
See the original video on YouTube here.
The second topic of today’s “WWE 2K22 Ringside Report” video is the new MyRISE mode, in which players will take the role of a rookie wrestler looking to climb the ranks of WWE. WWE 2K22 Senior Narrative Designer Andrea Listenberger, Senior Story Chris Schroyer, and Story Designer Cuahtemo Marquez go through a Top Ten list of details and features surrounding WWE 2K22's MyRISE, such as the WWE 2K franchise’s first-ever standalone female division storyline, players competing across all three major WWE television brands, and even the ability to switch between playing as a heroic Face and villainous Heel at will. MyRISE will also let players pick between four different character backgrounds for their wrestler, shaping their fighting style as a former MMA athlete or star of the indie wrestling circuit. All of these choices lead to different story branches and narrative content, ensuring that players will create their own path to championship glory in MyRISE.
The road to WWE 2K22 hasn’t been an easy one. In addition to the bad impression left by the glitch-ridden WWE 2K20, WWE’s recent wave of firings and layoffs have caused havoc with Visual Concept’s plans for WWE 2K22’s in-game roster, with rumors suggesting that the develop team was forced to abandon its previous plans of focusing the game around the rookie-centric NXT brand. In fact, WWE 2K22 developer Visual Concepts has stated that featuring Rey Mysterio as the game’s cover reflected the feeling of overcoming the odds to produce a worthwhile wrestling game for fans young and old.
Only time will tell if WWE 2K22 can deliver on this promise, but the new game’s MyRISE and 2K Showcase modes look promising. Fans will be able to step into the arena as either Rey Mysterio or a brand-new star when WWE 2K22 hits the mat next week.
Source: WWE 2K/YouTube
