Even after putting out a new game each year, 2K always manages to bring something new to the table in their WWE titles beyond being a simple roster update. WWE 2K20 looks to be one of the most expansive titles in the series yet, as it brings new game types, revamped controls, and a focus on women’s wrestling. There is a lot that you need to know about the pro wrestling title, which releases on Oct. 22, 2019, for PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
One of the biggest reasons for WWE 2K20 bringing so much to the table is that it is being done entirely by Visual Concepts this year. The studio, which is most famous for their excellent work on the critically acclaimed NBA 2K series, had previously helped out Japanese game developer Yuke’s with the series after 2K picked up publishing rights for the games from THQ. Clearly the team at Visual Concepts had plenty of new ideas for the series, as it has made some meaningful changes, and this is the first step in a bright future for WWE games going forward.
WWE 2K20 Everything You Need to Know | The Women’s Evolution is in Full Effect
This year’s installment features two cover stars: Becky Lynch and Roman Reigns. Not only are these two superstars the most popular faces of the company, but they also are heavily featured in one of WWE 2K20’s main modes. For Lynch, she is featured in this year’s 2K Showcase, which focuses on the women’s evolution that has enraptured the pro wrestling world over the past couple of years.
If you aren’t an avid pro wrestling fan, then you might be surprised to know that women were once largely relegated to short matches on RAW and SmackDown and were rarely featured on pay-per-view events. Rather than being on equal footing, they were often treated as the “bathroom break” by fans. This has all changed over the past five years and this change in attitude largely started in NXT, which is WWE’s developmental brand. At the first NXT TakeOver event, Charlotte Flair and Natalya Neidhart stole the show in their match. This kicked off an exciting time period that saw the likes of Sasha Banks, Paige, Bayley, and Lynch all establish themselves as incredible performers that were capable of putting on the best matches of any card.
As these women started to get called up to the main roster, female wrestlers started to get more of a showcase on television. They constantly grabbed at the proverbial brass ring as they took advantage of every opportunity they were given. The women began to become just as popular as the men and kept receiving more support from the company as a result. A number of firsts were had such as the first women’s Hell in a Cell match, a Royal Rumble for women, an all-female card called Evolution, and then earlier this year we saw the first-ever women’s match main event WrestleMania.
What’s awesome about WWE 2K20’s 2K Showcase is that all of this will be explained and playable. 15 historic matches are featured in the mode, including classics like Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka at WrestleMania 34, and the emotional NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn bout between Sasha Banks and Bayley. Fans will get to relive these moments and also get insight from the wrestlers themselves with live-action clips.
WWE 2K20 Everything You Need to Know | New modes and features
One of the biggest improvements under 2K has been the MyCAREER mode, which has implemented a full-blown story mode to complement the in-ring action. Typically, these modes follow the career of a new wrestler trying to make his mark inside the squared circle. This time around, it will focus on two characters, one of which is a female wrestler. Judging by the quality of the past couple years, this is poised to be one of the most exciting additions. There are even real WWE Superstars voicing their characters in-game, and they’ll interact with your created pros and either give them advice or become a rival to them.
Pro wrestling is a complicated form of entertainment, as it’s filled with complicated maneuvers and various rules, and that is all represented in WWE 2K20. Thankfully, this is poised to be the most beginner-friendly title in the series thanks to Visual Concepts adding new options to streamline the controls. That means less time fumbling around with a controller, and more time pulling off all of AJ Styles’ phenomenal moves against the computer A.I. and your friends.
Like past games, you’ll be able to engage in a ton of different match types. These range from pay-per-view signatures like the Elimination Chamber and Royal Rumble to match stipulations like submission-only matches and falls count anywhere.
A brand new match type is being added this year in the form of mixed tag matches. It’s a fitting addition considering that WWE has been running the Mixed Match Challenge on Facebook Watch, and we recently had a mixed tag match main event featuring Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch taking on Lacey Evans and Baron Corbin. All of those matches can now be recreated in-game, so you can make The Miz and Asuka team up again if you miss “Awe-suka.”
One returning mode from last year is the 2K Towers, and this is where Roman Reigns comes into play. All of the towers will feature a series of opponents to face off against to test players’ skills, but Reigns’ will have a special story-based tower for fans to check out. It will allow players to relive his legendary career so far and have Reigns face off against some of his most iconic foes. It’s a great way to celebrate “The Big Dog” as he’s been quite the inspiration this year since battling back from leukemia.
WWE 2K20 Everything You Need to Know | Awesome extras and special editions
One of the new additions this year is in the form of 2K Originals, which are compilations of content that are a bit outside the box. The first is called Bump in the Night and is a pre-order bonus for the wrestling title. As the name suggests, it’s a horror-themed collection of content that includes a Frankenstein-inspired Braun Strowman and Bray Wyatt as The Fiend. It promises to also have a new showcase episode that’ll feature new arenas, characters, character parts, and more.
Beyond the regular game, which will cost $59.99, there are two special editions of the game that will give consumers more bang for their buck. The first is the Deluxe Edition, which is slightly pricier at $89.99 and is available both digitally and physically.
You’ll get a lot for the extra 30 bucks, though, as it includes an accelerator that will give you access to all content at launch without having to unlock it through in-game currency, all of the 2K Originals content that releases in the future, Chyna as a character, Hulk Hogan, “$500 Shirt” The Rock, and Rock ‘n’ Sock Connection Mankind. There’s also a Kickstart in MyCAREER that will give your character 25 additional attribute points and 8 skill points, 25,000 virtual currency, and you get all boost slots unlocked plus 15 boosts, 2,000 tokens, and 400 deluxe tokens. Those that buy the physical copy will also get some WWE SuperCard limited edition cards as well, featuring Becky Lynch and Roman Reigns.
Meanwhile, the Collector’s Edition is $130 and is designed to celebrate SmackDown’s 20th Anniversary. It includes all of the aforementioned content in the Deluxe Edition and you’ll also get several cool collectible pieces and exclusive packaging as well. Included is an actual piece of the SmackDown ring skirt and a limited-edition plaque that is autographed by one of three SmackDown legends (Kurt Angle, Rey Mysterio, or Edge). All three of the performers have been staples of the blue brand and will be a great addition to any wrestling fan’s collection. This edition also includes limited edition WWE SuperCard content featuring Becky Lynch, Roman Reigns, The Rock, and Mankind.
Whether you picked up last year’s edition or haven’t played a WWE game in a few years, WWE 2K20 looks to be a great time to get back into pro wrestling games. The developer change has inspired a lot of change, and 2K isn’t shying away from celebrating all of the WWE’s most inspiring figures from Becky Lynch to Roman Reigns. With a ton of new features and a great pre-order bonus, this is a release to keep an eye on.
