WWE 2K23 and cover star John Cena were unveiled last week, and now 2K and developer Visual Concepts are rolling out a full gameplay trailer for this year’s grappling game. We get a look at a variety of new and returning faces, from Cody Rhodes, to Bianca Belaire, to Stone Cold Steve Austin, and a first peek at the new WarGames match. Overall, the visuals are definitely a notch above WWE 2K22, which was a step in the right direction, but still needed some additional polish. You can check out the trailer for yourself, below.
Meanwhile, here’s a look at WWE 2K23’s John-Cena-focused Showcase mode.
Need to know more? Here’s a rundown of WWE 2K23’s key features…
- 2K Showcase Starring John Cena: Conquering John Cena in the ring is an accolade few Superstars can claim. In an unprecedented twist on the 2K Showcase, players will step into the boots of several of Cena’s toughest competitors with one goal in mind: defeat the man who will “Never Give Up.” Spanning his 20-year WWE career and narrated by Cena himself, this interactive sports entertainment documentary uses 2K’s unique Slingshot Tech for a seamless transition from gameplay to live-action footage to bring pivotal moments in each match to life.
- WarGames: The fan-favorite, chaotic and action-packed WarGames makes its debut in WWE2K23 and delivers heart-pounding 3v3 and 4v4 single player or multiplayer mayhem inside two side-by-side rings, surrounded by a double-steel cage.
- MyGM: Now featuring more GMs to choose from – or a player’s own custom GM creation – as well as additional show options, multiple seasons, expanded match cards, and more match types for up to four players. Players draft a roster, manage budgets, sign free agents, choose various match types, arena locations, production elements and more, with the goal of beating a rival GM in weekly ratings battles.
- MyFaction: Now featuring online multiplayer, the team-building mode in which players collect, manage, and upgrade an array of WWE Superstars and Legends to create their ultimate four-person factions returns. Players can now take their faction online and compete for dominance, or compete in Weekly Towers and Faction Wars, while new themed card packs and goals roll out regularly throughout the year.
- MyRise: Aspiring Superstars walk through the curtain for their WWE debut in MyRise and shape their career with the decisions made along the way. Featuring distinct men’s and women’s division storylines and the ability to import custom created Superstars, players journey from the humble beginnings of a Rookie, to being immortalized as a WWE Legend.
- Universe: The ultimate WWE Universe sandbox that puts players in charge of their own version of WWE, from Superstar rosters, feuds, champions, weekly shows, and Premium Live Events! Updates to Universe include a reworked story system and more.
- Creation Suite: A signature feature of the WWE 2K franchise, the creation suite returns with cross-platform community creations, including the ability to design custom Superstars, GMs, arenas, entrances, move sets, championships and more. Custom arenas are now playable online, and advanced customization has been added to created entrances.
The Deluxe and Icon Editions of WWE 2K23 launch on PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, and PS5 on March 14, while the standard editions launch on March 17. I recently had the opportunity to go hands-on with WWE 2K23 – you can expect full impressions, additional footage, and more tomorrow.
