Like every year, fans will receive their yearly dose of WWE 2K wrestling game in the form of WWE 2K23 soon. However, this year, 2K Games is aiming big with a lot of focus on WarGames and improvements for other game modes as well.
Since the 2K Games and Yuke’s split, Visual Concepts has been trying hard to improve the WWE 2K franchise experience for the fans and there are high hopes associated with WWE 2K23.
With the game’s release just around the corner, we had a chance to talk about different aspects of WWE 2K23 with the developers of the game. While talking about WarGames and its challenges, the developer revealed that the new game mode was a “technical achievement”.
We are so excited about the debut of WarGames in WWE 2K23. A chaotic and action-packed experience, it delivers heart-pounding 3v3 and 4v4 single- or multiplayer mayhem inside two side-by-side rings, surrounded by a double-steel cage. Eight Superstars, three referees, two rings, weapons that can be thrown and equipped across the environment – to bring all of this action to life while prioritizing a smooth gameplay experience was a huge technical achievement.
Naturally, we were also curious about other game modes and how they have been improved for WWE 2K23. It seems like the developer has touched almost every mode and players will see changes in them be it minor or major:
In addition to WarGames, WWE 2K23 will also feature enhancements to all marquee modes including MyGM, MyRISE, Showcase, MyFACTION, as well as realistic graphics, updated UI, a new optional pin mechanic and more. From more GMs and match types coming to MyGM, to an overhauled story system in Universe that allows users to control how rivalries play out, to new card types in MyFACTION and more, there is so much for players to discover and experience in WWE 2K23!
Visual Concepts also laid emphasis on the importance of having realistic models in the game. This year, they have improved things over last year. Better character models will play important role to make the overall experience more authentic.
As you may already know, John Cena is the cover star of WWE 2K23. This year, Visual Concepts will be delivering a fresh take on 2K Showcase with “You can’t Beat Me”. Players will be able to relive those memorable moments and fights from John Cena’s illustrious career:
We’re delivering a fresh take on 2K Showcase this year with “You Can’t Beat Me.” In a franchise first, players will step into the boots of several of John Cena’s greatest opponents, in some of the most important matches of his career, with the goal of beating the man who claims he’ll “Never Give Up”. They’ll take on Cena across each chapter of his storied 20-year WWE career – from his debut to taking on the Head of the Table during SummerSlam 2021. Playing as John Cena’s greatest opponents, each match will present new and fresh gameplay elements.
With WWE 2K22, there were a lot of backlash in the PC community as the game was same as of PS4 and Xbox One instead of being on par with PS5 and Xbox Series. When we asked about whether WWE 2K23 will be on par with the next-gen consoles this time around, the response was:
If a player’s PC specs exceed the recommended requirements, yes, it’s possible the experience will be on-par with next-gen consoles.
So while they didn’t confirm it directly, it seems like if you have a good enough PC, the game will look and play same as on PS5 and Xbox Series. It’s important to note here that WWE 2K23 is still coming to PS4 and Xbox One and it will be interesting to see how things have improved since the last time on PC when the game releases on March 14, 2023.
As for what resolution and FPS the game will run on PS5 and Xbox Series X, the developer has confirmed that it will be native 4K with 60 FPS.
A Nintendo Switch release for WWE 2k23 seems unlikely as the developer confirmed that for now, the game will only launch for PC, Xbox and PlayStation. While commenting on the differences between the current-gen and old-gen version of WWE 2K23, the developer revealed that i”technical abilities” of both generation hardware will be the only difference:
Players can expect to have the same awesome WWE experience across all generations. The only difference will be the superior technical abilities of current-gen.
Microtransactions is always a touch and hot topic among developers and fans. So we wanted to ask the nature of microtransactions in WWE 2K23. The developer replied:
In MyFACTION, players will still have the option to earn card packs and items, or purchase packs with VC. We’ve got some great new additions in the upcoming evolution of MyFACTION this year including online multiplayer, Live Events featuring unique matchups, and a new Pink Diamond tier.
Character creator and customization has been an important part of WWE 2K games for a while now. Each year, we get some changes in that and this year will be no different. In WWE 2K23, there are around “600 new parts” for Create-a-Superstar featuring a lot of cool stuff as well.
The Creation Suite got some more TLC this year, and that includes around 600 new parts for Create-a-Superstar, dozens of new hair and beard styles, new tattoos, even more variety for skin textures and blemishes and dozens of new stage parts and props for Create-an-Arena, and more. Two notable additions this year include created arenas being available online, along with the return of advanced customization to created entrances.
With multiplayer and online play getting a lot of attention in WWE 2K23, we wanted to ask if the developer has any stern measures in place to prevent cheating and hacking. To this, the they replied:
Like in previous years, we rely on both the Community and Customer Service to help point out bad behavior (like cheating, inappropriate content, etc.) and flag those offenders through the in-game reporting feature, in addition to monitoring complaints via various social networks and forums. When flagging occurs, Customer Service researches the complaint and acts accordingly with warnings, temporary bans and, if the behavior continues, full outright bans. We take the idea of fair play seriously, and designed our Online features around the philosophy of trying to limit the areas that can be exploited by bad actors, while continuing to add requested features this year, like allowing Blood in custom matches, as well as adding under-the-hood features to help make the Online experience as smooth as possible for all players.
So the anti-cheat system mostly rely on fan feedback so make sure to report those who you find fishy online while playing WWE 2k23.
WWE 2K23 is scheduled to release for PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 on March 14, 2023 for those premium version owners. As for general public, the game will launch on March 17, 2023.
