The Twitter feed for the WWE 2K franchise has confirmed that WWE 2K18 is currently in the works at Yuke’s and Visual Concepts, which means it’s only a matter of time before wrestling fans flood the web with roster hypotheses and requests. But few would argue that WWE 2K17 had larger issues that simply expanding the roster won’t address, like an underwhelming selection of match types and uninteresting storylines. iDigitalTimes’ own Bob Fekete even suggested some fans would be better off buying a used copy of WWE 2K16 than they would a new copy of 2K17 .
Now that 2K has confirmed we’ll be getting another wrestling game this year, we have a few ideas for features and changes we’d like to see in WWE 2K18. Some are changes we believe would be popular with the entire WWE 2K community. Others, like the last entry on the list, are admittedly a bit more self-serving. That said, as someone who’s been playing WWE games for 20-plus years, I’d like to think I have some idea of what would make WWE 2K18 a more interesting experience.
Here’s my WWE 2K18 wishlist:
Fewer WWE Alumni
A lot of the marketing and promotion for WWE 2K17 leaned on the fact that it had the largest roster of any wrestling game in history. But so many of those inclusions were WWE Alumni who can’t wrestle anymore. In some cases, they hadn’t been in-ring performers in decades. And the studio seemed to prioritize those Alumni over current members of the roster, like Rhyno and William Regal, who were conspicuously absent from the game. Let’s focus on getting everybody from the current roster, even the folks who haven’t made TV debuts yet, into WWE 2K18 before ensuring The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin make their 1000th appearance in a WWE video game. The McMahons may continue to lean on aging talent to bolster TV ratings. But it’s probably safe to assume that people spending $60 on new WWE games every year don’t need another reminder of how much more iconic the Attitude Era roster was.
Less Rigid Storytelling
The WWE 2K team continues to make inroads with its storytelling but the situations portrayed in each new game continue to be a bit more rigid than we’d prefer. Being able to (sort of) script your own promos was a nice addition. But we’d prefer to see a story/career mode that’s a bit more responsive to the player’s actions. If I interfere with a handicap match scheduled by the GM, or requested by a specific team, why wouldn’t I get tossed into a tag team match (alongside whoever I saved from a beatdown) the following week? And how many times have we seen someone attack an existing champion to inject themselves into the title picture?
We need more of those moments in WWE 2K18.
Showrunner or GM Mode
WWE 2K17 included the now-standard MyCareer mode and the neverending WWE Universe mode. But as a longtime fan of wrestling booker sims, like Total Extreme Wrestling, it would be nice to see a new mode that focused on booking, roster management and the various other problems facing the fictitious “boss” of Raw or Smackdown. Let me negotiate with Shane O’Mac and Daniel Bryan, or Stephanie McMahon and Kurt Angle, to bring the biggest Superstars in the company under my preferred banner. Let me try to schedule TV and PPV-worthy feuds between new grapplers and veteran performers. And give me the power to seek retribution, just as we’ve seen on TV countless times over the years, when a WWE Superstar(s) tries to oppose me. I don’t just want a WWE Universe mode without the option to participate in matches. I want content, whether that be arguments with specific Superstars or unique backstage cutscenes, designed specifically to make me feel like I’m running Raw, Smackdown or NXT.
Improved Promo System
I don’t have many notes for the Promo system. The original implementation was a great first start, but I’d like to see the system expanded pretty substantially this year. The updated Promo system should include more references to Superstars’ pasts, particularly whatever history they have with one another, and it would also be great to see references to actions from the current feud or story arc. I won’t pretend to understand how difficult it would be to assemble such a system, from a coding perspective, but I’m basically envisioning something akin to the Nemesis system from Middle-earth:Shadow of Mordor . And since that already exists, it should be doable, right?
Fewer Reversals
Reversals continue to play an outsized role in WWE 2K gameplay. It’s time to dial it back a bit. Chain wrestling remains very popular with some wrestling fans and is frequently used during the opening moments of WWE matches. But we’ve reached a point where the average round of a WWE 2K release features more reversals than an entire WWE broadcast. Let’s dial it back a bit.
Match Rating Tweaks
As one of the thousands (perhaps millions) of gamers who prefer WWE games that try to emulate the televised product, I was thrilled to see the match rating system added to the WWE 2K series. But it still needs some tweaks. It was a bit too easy to get five-star matches in WWE 2K16 and 2K17, particularly when you consider how few five star matches we see in real life. But the system also needs other changes, like less harsh penalties for basic offensive maneuvers (like punches, kicks and chops) that form the backbone of most professional wrestling matches. This is probably the system that needs the least amount of work (in my opinion). But it’s still not perfect.
Pipe Dream: 24/7 Hardcore Title Content
This one’s pretty self-explanatory. I don’t just want the ability to reactivate the old WWE Hardcore championship in MyCareer or WWE Universe mode. I want to see it defended under the old rules. I want to see Superstars attacking one another outside the arena. Random wrestlers showing up to title fights and walking away with the belt. Long matches where the belt changes hands multiple times. The APA being hired for constant protection. Guys being pinned while they’re asleep. I want all of it. I don’t care if it’s a pipe dream.
WWE 2K18 is in development for unspecified platforms and expected to debut in fall 2017.
Be sure to check back with iDigitalTimes and follow Scott on Twitter for more WWE 2K18 news in 2017 and however long 2K continues to support WWE 2K18 after launch.
