WWE 2K24 (PS5 [Reviewed], PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC)
Developer: Visual Concepts
Publisher: 2K
Released: March 8, 2024
ESRB: T – Teen

As the Road to WrestleMania heats up in WWE, fans can take to the virtual mat and relive 40 Years of WrestleMania in the new WWE 2K24.

Things aren’t always easy for yearly release titles like the WWE 2K series. The 2K19 version of the game was widely praised, but the following year was a bit of a disaster. The result of that? A year hiatus to right the ship.

Since returning with 2K22, which included the long-wanted GM mode and also the MyFaction (ultimate team) mode, Visual Concepts has been killing it with WWE games.

WWE 2K24 does exactly what a yearly release title should do. It improves upon existing content, and also adds enough new stuff to justify buying the new title. It’s not just a roster update, it’s a completely refined experience with both MyGM and MyFaction getting some major overhauls.

The result of all these changes, additions and improvements? A series finally closing in on “perfection.”

40 Years of WrestleMania

I’ll start with my only negative about the game. Showcase mode continues to just not be fun for me. It’s a cool concept, in theory.

The problem with it, in my opinion, is that sometimes the objectives in the match are just downright frustrating. Nothing about it is hard, just frustrating and annoying. Many times, they don’t even line up with the reality of the actual match.

Naturally, the mode features a lot of unlockable legends, alt versions and arenas, so you pretty much have to play it and complete every objective. It’s a bit of a slog, and if you’re like me you’ll do the one time and never both with it again.

The choice of matches to represent 40 Years of WrestleMania is also a bit baffling. Most of the Mania’s don’t even get a match, while some get two.

You can unlock Diesel by completing all objectives in the Razor Ramon vs. Shawn Michaels Ladder Match from WrestleMania X, which also gets you Razor and Shawn Michaels ’94. The Diesel attire for his managerial duties that night is bad and not the Diesel most folks would want to play. Why not include Shawn Michaels vs. Diesel from WrestleMania XI?

Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels from WrestleMania XII also didn’t make the cut. I get that they also include the arena unlocks for completing the objectives, but is adding a few more arenas that difficult?

Then there’s the Brock Lesnar situation. He gets indirectly named in a Vince McMahon scandal, and with no proof of his actually doing anything, he gets canceled. Because the resources had already been put into the game and it was too late to change, we get Brock Lesnar vs. Undertaker and Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns. These are the only two times you can play as Brock Lesnar despite him being in the game.

You don’t even get the option to use him in the Showcase bonus WrestleMania Rumble bout. If you don’t want him in the game, fine remove him, but to have him in game and be locked away is bogus. It just doesn’t accomplish anything, he still got paid.

New Match Types

Last year, Visual Concepts gave us the awesome WarGames match.

This year, they’ve added the ambulance match, casket match, gauntlet match with several variants and brought back an old favorite that’s been long absent, special guest referee.

They also made improvements to Backstage Brawl, and opened it up to tag team, triple threat and fatal four way.

These new match types are a welcome addition, and a ton of fun to play.

Special guest referee has a new twist where you’re being watched and graded. If you don’t call it fairly, or get involved too much, you’ll fill up a meter that will trigger a count down for a new referee to come out and replace you. If you prefer the classic experience to cause as much chaos as you want, you can disable that in the settings.

By their very nature, the casket and ambulance match play out the same. In both instances, you’re tossing the opponent into a box and trying to shut the lid/door to win. It’s fun, and both are a welcome addition to the game.

Universe Mode and MyGM

Universe mode saw some minor improvements and additions, but overall the mode is the same as it has been. It’s a good sandbox for those who can get invested in it, set it up and maintain it.

Unfortunately, the mode continues to not be for me. I don’t judge something based on what I think it should be, so that it isn’t my cup of tea doesn’t detract from it score wise. I just wish Universe was set up more like a freestyle MyGM.

I find the MyGM UI, especially this year, to be so clean and easy to navigate, but Universe is just clunky. If Universe took everything from MyGM, layout wise, it would be perfect. Ideally, you’d have the MyGM booking screen, book the entire show easily, and then be able to play it or simulate it in one go and watch it like an actual show.

Alas, that’s not what Universe is, so instead whenever I do play it I’ll probably just stick to Superstar mode (which is just controlling one star) and see what the AI books for me.

While Universe mode didn’t see much in the way of revision or addition, MyGM certainly did.

I will admit my basis here; I buy the game for MyGM. It’s the mode I like best. It’s not necessarily what I want it to be, see above for that, but it’s the closest thing to it.

MyGM has seen a few significant changes, and I would say has gotten a little bit harder as a result (and that’s not a bad thing).

Logistics are now permanently unlocked once you acquire them and not something you’ll have to remember to set every week, nor do they contribute to your show cost. And if you play on default settings instead of classic, acquiring the various logistic tiers is how you’ll unlock additional match types.

You’d think this would make it easier, since it’s a reduction in show cost week to week, but no. Superstar contracts are more expensive, and the logistics themselves aren’t cheap and also require assets which you only get one per show.

They also changed up acquiring free agents. No longer just a pool that changes every week, you’ll now need to spend money and talent scout points to see potential talents to acquire. Bigger level talent requires more talent scout points, and a lot more money. If you want a legend, it’s gonna cost you $50,000 just to take a peak at what’s available.

Thankfully, you now have more leeway in acquiring talent though, because their contracts are no longer set amount of weeks but rather can be tweaked to be whatever length you want (of course the longer a contract, the more money it costs).

They also added trades between brands at the end of every PLE (every five shows). Just be careful with what you acquire via this method though. I traded some cash for Alexa Bliss, only to find out that her contract was up at the end of the week (her first show for me). Man, Bischoff really stuck me with that one.

There’s also new Tag Team call out promo, training promo, and class change promos. The training promo grants ring XP, which is a new system where superstars earn XP, level up, and earn new perks (like the ability to change classes or unlock match specialties).

Overall, MyGM’s changes I believe are for the best and the mode continues to be a blast to play. I do wish they would get some online play for it though.

MyFaction

The biggest surprise for me though is the revamped MyFaction mode. Essentially the Ultimate Team card mode for WWE, MyFaction has undergone a few significant changes that make it enjoyable.

First up, contracts are gone. You’re no longer limited by the amount of contracts a card has to use, so no more contract cards.

Secondly, the Faction Wars mode has undergone a huge change. It’s no longer a tower of exclusively 4v4 matches. Now, it’s a roguelite “run” with branching paths with 1v1 and tag team matches, and eventually culminates in boss battles (which are 4v4).

In this mode, you can earn temporary cards for the run. Like beating the Bloodline, you can choose the Roman Reigns boss card and put him in your lineup for that run only. But you unlock the ability to purchase all boss cards that you’ve beaten in the Faction Wars shop using currency that you acquire while playing the mode.

This has been the most welcome addition to the game in my opinion. Faction Wars is now fun.

There’s also Live Events which are time limited events that can reward cards or currencies, online ranked play with its own rewards, and of course both Proving Grounds and Weekly Towers return and remain the same.

Overall, MyFaction is actually fun to play this year. And surprisingly, it’s been the bulk of my actual playing the game (and not just GM booking). This is a mode I did not touch previously.

If I have one complaint still about MyFaction, it’s that individual cards and packs still cost too much. Both in terms of in-game currency and real money (which I’d never spend anyway). The amount of grinding to get the currency is a bit ridiculous, especially now that card packs can include jobber created wrestlers.

Final Thoughts

I didn’t comment on the men’s and women’s MyRise story mode because I haven’t played all the way through them. Those aren’t really selling points of the game for me personally, so their quality one way or the other doesn’t factor into my review of the game.

The actual gameplay is probably the best its ever been in a 2K game, maybe ever. I turn off the stamina system when I play, but some folks like having it on for better simulation.

Visual Concepts made a bunch of little improvements, like better blood and face paint that wears off during the course of a match. There’s improved animations, expanded customization offers, and so on. They even took from the AEW game by making all of the weapons be throwable.

Combine all of this together, and we have the most feature set and overall fun WWE game yet from 2K. If you’re a wrestling fan, this game has some mode that will keep you entertained for the next year.

Whether that’s running your own Universe, competing against AI in MyGM, card collecting and battling in MyFaction, the two MyRise story modes, the WrestleMania Showcase, general quick play, online multiplayer, and a whole host of creation suites from wrestlers to arenas, signs, videos, entrances and more, WWE 2K24 has you covered.

With the largest roster yet, WWE 2K24 is the definitive wrestling game on the market. If you bought last year’s entry, this one is worth upgrading to. If you haven’t touched the series in awhile, this one should be a no brainer.

WWE 2K24 gets a four out of five: GREAT.