2K Sports
It’s pretty well known that major sports gaming franchises are released annually.
Sports sims such as Madden, NBA 2K, FIFA, NHL, and Pro Evolution Soccer always try to improve upon everything it’s done before. That train of thought also applies to 2K Sports, Yuke’s, and Visual Concepts as they work on the WWE 2K games. WWE 2K18 featured a massive roster, amazing visuals, and an open-ended creation suite. But it was also hampered by myriad of technical issues and a disappointing Career Mode made fans sour on the franchise as a whole.
I get the feeling that the developers behind the next WWE 2K game have taken its criticisms to heart. A WWE 2K19 reveal seems to be imminent, so here’s what to expect from it and when to expect its announcement.
Note: This article is speculative only. We are not claiming to have any official WWE 2K19 news, we are making educated estimations and speculating about the next WWE 2K game.
Why We Should Expect a WWE 2K19 Reveal
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It’s common knowledge that wrestling fans and gamers alike can look forward to another WWE 2K once the new year begins. For the Winter and Spring months, there usually isn’t a whole lot of legitimate news about the next game in the series.
But once the Summer season starts picking up, that’s when we can all expect to get some sort of announce trailer and cover star reveal. I’d place my bets on WWE 2K19 being unveiled sometime in June 2018.
When You Should Expect It
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Ever since the SmackDown vs. Raw series transitioned into WWE 2K back in 2013, it’s been released on a yearly schedule. The publishing rights for the series switched hands from THQ to 2K Sports once WWE ’13 released in 2012. While WWE ’12 launched on November 22, 2011, the successors that followed it have all seen a release within October ever since. WWE 2K18 landed on PS4, Xbox One, and PC on October 17, 2017 (it saw its release in December of that year for the Nintendo Switch).
You should all expect to see WWE 2K19 follow that same release schedule – it’ll more than likely hit stores in October 2018 for the PS4, Xbox One, and PC. After seeing how terrible the Switch port of WWE 2K18 turned out to be, I foresee the developers behind WWE 2K19 taking some extra time to fine tune it before release in January 2018. An extra month of work is certainly required to make sure the mistakes made with the last Switch version aren’t repeated.
What We Should Expect From WWE 2K19
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WWE 2K18 was seen as a massive disappointment; it may have looked amazing, but its MyCareer mode structure left a lot to be desired. And let’s not even talk about the horrid Switch version (the less said about it, the better).
With WWE 2K19 on the horizon, I get the feeling that Yuke’s and Visual Concepts will do everything in their power to make wrestling fans happy again. The already impressive graphics engine will get some minor adjustments and the in-ring mechanics should be streamlined for a better gameplay experience.
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The WWE 2K games have always been brought down by constant bugs and technical issues. I don’t see that element getting completely removed from WWE 2K19, but there should be less of them this time around. The massive creation suite from WWE 2K18 will return, of course.
On the audio front, it would be awesome if WWE implemented its massive theme library into this next entry. The option to feature your own music from a console’s hard drive is sorely missed. The best way to rectify that missing feature is by making sure even more official WWE, WCW, and ECW themes become usable.
New movement animations should also implemented and many of the signature moves/finishers from new WWE roster members should make it into the game.
WWE 2K19 Cover Star
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WWE 2K18 put the cover spotlight on Seth Rollins, which was well deserved. Now that Raw and SmackDown Live have further established their roles as competing brands, it would be cool to see WWE 2K19 feature one major Superstar from both shows. When I think about the main individual that represents the Red Brand, Roman Reigns immediately comes to mind. Reigns’ mega push has been going strong for years and it makes sense to make him the Raw cover representative.
As for the Blue Brand, AJ Styles is still “The Face That Runs the Place.” If my prediction rings true, then you can all expect to see a bluer rendition of the WWE 2K19 cover that’s all about the “Phenomenal One.”
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The Collector’s Edition will definitely focus on a legendary figure in the sport. John Cena got the nod for that honor in 2017. Past Collector’s Editions placed their focus on Hulk Hogan, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, and The Undertaker. It would be fitting for WWE 2K19 to honor either The Rock, Shawn Michaels, or Triple H for that Collector’s Edition distinction.
The developmental NXT brand is hotter than ever, so an NXT Edition of the game should also be announced at some point.
WWE 2K19 Roster
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After adding several NXT talents and legends as DLC, WWE 2K18’s total roster count ballooned to over 200 wrestlers. I can totally see that number being even bigger for WWE 2K19 and getting close to 220+ playable Superstars. Everyone that was seen in the last game should make their return for this upcoming sequel (except for those who’ve been released, of course). A lot of the newer talent that have signed on with the sports entertainment giant should make their grand debut. It’s going to be awesome to see guys like Ricochet, Velveteen Dream, Andrade “Cien” Almas, Pete Dunne, Adam Cole etc. get the WWE 2K treatment.
Modes & Match Types
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A lot of the legacy modes that make WWE 2K what it is shall return, such as MyCareer, MyPlayer, WWE Universe, WWE Creations, WWE Online, and My WWE. For years, fans have lamented the fact that a proper GM Mode hasn’t been available. WWE 2K19 should be the game to mark the welcome return of such a highly requested feature.
Another missing component of WWE 2K18 that deserves to make a comeback is Showcase Mode. While last year’s “Road to Glory” mode tried to offer a replacement for playing out historic matches, fans still had a yearning for that missing component. Not only should Showcase Mode return for WWE 2K19, it should also let us play out the biggest matches and moments associated with NWA/WCW, ECW, and NXT.
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As for match types, don’t be surprised to see a bunch of match types that were exclusive to the men being opened up for the women. The Women’s Revolution will be finally be playable as WWE 2K19 should feature a women’s Money in the Bank, Royal Rumble Hell in a Cell, and Elimination Chamber match options. It would blow my mind if War Games ended up being the newest WWE 2K match type, too!
MyCareer should be the one mode that gets a complete overhaul since it was arguably the worst part of WWE 2K18. The following improvements would do wonders for WWE 2K19’s take on the long-running mode – better promos, voice acting, the option to play as a female, and much better stories to get invested in.
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