WWE 2K19 once again upped the ante by unveiling a massive roster featuring dozens of fresh faces.
The catalog continues to expand well beyond the Raw and SmackDown Live staples. Another batch of NXT superstars—with exception to the conspicuous absence of Tommaso Ciampa—grace this year's game. This includes two members of their burgeoning United Kingdom division and last year's Mae Young Classic finalists.
The full WWE 2K19 Roster features a massive list of WWE Superstars from Raw, SmackDown Live, NXT, 205 Live, Women / Divas and Legends. As we do every year, we'll keep this section updated adding day by day the Characters Profiles of all the wrestlers officially confirmed for the WWE 2K19 Roster, covering week after week the entire Roster Reveal. WWE 2K19 once again upped the ante by unveiling a massive roster featuring dozens of fresh faces. The catalog continues to expand well beyond the Raw and SmackDown Live staples.
Yet no addition stands out more than Ronda Rousey, who joins returning legend Rey Mysterio as pre-order perks. Unlocking The Baddest Woman on the Planet as a playable character may prove ample incentive to reserve a copy before Friday's release.
Per the Smackdown Hotel, the record-high 248-person roster features 45 new arrivals. Bobby Lashley and Ricochet headline the names available for purchase as downloadable content, but let's highlight new Superstars offered without any extra steps or expenditures.
Undisputed Era
Stables are a dying breed in the WWE but a fun way for gamers to spice up their Universe Mode experience. The reunited Shield can use some fresh adversaries, and the ingredients are there to rebuild the Wyatt Family, Evolution, NWO and some variation of the Bullet Club led by Finn Balor and/or cover man A.J. Styles.
2K delivered a needed shock to the system by welcoming the Undisputed Era.
Based on the teased entrance—which inexplicably doesn't feature Kyle O'Reilly playing air guitar with his NXT Tag Team title—Roderick Strong remains on his own in the 2K landscape. It would be easy enough, of course, to manually make him a member alongside O'Reilly, Bobby Fish and Adam Cole.
Although yet to receive a real-world promotion, maybe the former Ring of Honor stars can recruit fellow alums from the main roster such as Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn. Just be sure to book it better than the WCW/ECW Invasion angle.
Shayna Baszler
Three years ago, WWE 2K16 left Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, Sasha Banks and Bayley off the roster. As the women's division continues to blossom, 2K Games has caught up with a far more comprehensive cast.
Those who attained Rousey via pre-order can line up plenty of tantalizing opponents for the former MMA star. Chief among them is a ready-made dream matchup against her friend and former NXT Women's Champion, Shayna Baszler.
As The Queen of Spades explained to Uproxx's Brandon Stroud, the developers saved her some time by creating her in pixel form.
'I was just talking about how wild it is,' Baszler said about being in the game. 'Like anyone I would buy the old games and create myself and try to … I was one of the meticulous ones that spent three hours going through each move set from each position and picking the one [I wanted].'
Although often unstoppable in her WWE rein, Baszler has struggled to thwart Kairi Sane. The Pirate Princess makes her digital debut with a Mae Young Classic crown and NXT title in hand.
Mustafa Ali
With the cruiserweight division branching off from Raw into its own entity, the 205 Live Cast deserved more representation in this year's installment.
Mustafa Ali has taken a long, atypical path to having his likeness placed in WWE 2K19. As he told the Express Tribune's Rahul Aijaz, his WWE journey commenced as a substitute participant in 2016's Cruiserweight Classic.
'I don't think people really realise how insane it is that I'm in the position I am in today,' he said. 'Prior to the Cruiserweight Classic, I had a tryout with WWE in 2013 and was told that I wasn't what they were looking for at the moment.'
Now considered the Heart of 205 Live, Ali's fast-paced, high-flying offense is a perfect fit for the digital world. Since he's currently sequestered from most of the roster, gamers can create countless fresh pairings by positioning him against Mysterio, Daniel Bryan or Johnny Gargano.
Or set up a David vs. Goliath showdown against Braun Strowman or Andre The Giant. It's your universe.
Drew Gulak, Tony Nese and Noam Dar also join Ali, TJP and Cedric Alexander on the calling card. Yet Buddy Murphy, who can cement his career renaissance by defeating Alexander for the Cruiserweight Championship in Melbourne, Australia, this Saturday, missed the cut despite previously appearing in WWE 2K17.
Pete Dunne
Pete Dunne's snarling glare couldone daygrace the game's cover.
TheBruiserweight has taken NXT by storm since debuting in last year's WWE United Kingdom Championship Tournament. After losing the championship match to Tyler Bate—another exciting new addition—he claimed the strap when the duo put on 2017's NXT Match of the Year.
The hard-hitting 24-year-old has held the title ever since,most recently partaking in another Match of the Year candidate against Ricochet. Gamers will need to slow the pace to appreciate his cruel, calculated ring work.
It might be better if 2K19 doesn't fully encapsulate the brutality of Dunne twisting and stomping on his victim's fingers.
If this lowly writer can offer one suggestion: Make William Regal a playable character so the current NXT general manager can compete against—or form a lethal Universe Mode stable alongside—his modern contemporary.
Honorable Mentions
Andrade Cien Almas and Zelina Vega
Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford
Bianca Belair
Liv Morgan and Sarah Logan
Kairi Sane
Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville
Shelton Benjamin
Ted DiBiase
Tyler Bate
Velveteen Dream
DLC: Bobby Lashley, Candice LeRae, Dakota Kai, EC3, Lacey Evans, Lio Rush, Maria Kanellis, Mike Kanellis, War Raiders
WWE 2K19 | |
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Developer(s) | Yuke's[a] |
Publisher(s) | 2K Sports |
Series | WWE 2K |
Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows PlayStation 4 Xbox One |
Release | Deluxe Edition, Collector's Edition
|
Genre(s) | Sports |
Mode(s) | Single-player, Multiplayer |
WWE 2K19 is a professional wrestlingvideo game developed by Yuke's and published by 2K Sports. It was released worldwide on October 9, 2018 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. It is the twentieth game made in the WWE game series (sixth under the WWE 2K banner), and the successor to WWE 2K18.
- 1Gameplay
Gameplay[edit]
In an interview with Hardcore Gamer, WWE 2K creative director Lionel Jenkins stated that WWE 2K19 would be moving away from the simulation-styled gameplay of the last four WWE games, in favor of faster, more fluid gameplay, saying '[The fans] kind of got turned off by the product we were giving them and we had to think outside the box and they never thought that we’d do it. The core was simulation, and people got turned off by that and we were hearing loud and clear that they weren’t buying it anymore and that was the driving force behind all of that.' He added 'We were hearing from the fanbase that it was too slow, too sluggish and it wasn’t any fun anymore.'[1]
Game modes[edit]
WWE 2K19 features many different returning and new game modes, including the 2K Showcase Mode, focusing on the career of Daniel Bryan.[2] This is the first Showcase to be featured in the series since WWE 2K17's Hall of Fame Showcase DLC. Players take control of 11 different unique models of Daniel Bryan, in 11 matches, including his Velocity match against John Cena.[2]
Two new 'Tower' modes are present in 2K19. In MyPlayer Towers mode, wrestlers or created superstars can participate in challenges online or offline. Daily, Weekly and Pay-Per-View challenge towers are also introduced.[3] In WWE Towers, There are two types of Towers including the Gauntlet Tower, where players must complete the Tower entirely in one session. Losing a match or quitting resets the progress to square one. In the Steps Tower, the players' progress is saved after each match, so they can play at their own pace.[3]
MyCareer mode has been reinvented with the focus of a more linear storyline that centers the player's created character as an aspiring wrestler, working his or her way up from independent wrestling promotions to the WWE. Barron Blade, a fictional character featured in previous MyCareer modes, also returns and acts as the created player's guide.[4]
The Road to Glory mode returns from previous entries, with the ability to now join one of eight different factions.[5]
Release[edit]
On June 15, 2018, 2K announced WWE 2K19.[6] On June 18, 2018, 2K held a press conference, with AJ Styles being announced as the official cover star for the video game;[7] as well as the announcement of the 'WWE 2K19 Million Dollar Challenge', in which players must beat the million dollar tower in the new towers mode and submit a promotional video, after which four semifinalists will be selected. The semifinalists will compete in a tournament to determine who will face Styles for the million dollar prize.[8]
On June 25, 2018, Rey Mysterio was announced as one out of two pre-order bonus characters.[9] On July 9, 2018, Ronda Rousey was confirmed as the second pre-order bonus character.[10][11]
On July 25, 2018, 2K revealed that they will featured the WWE 2K19's Collector's Edition that would be based on Ric Flair, titled the 'Wooooo! Edition'. Similar to some of the previous games; it includes a Deluxe Edition copy of the game and access to the game four days early and the Season Pass alongside other physical features, including a plaque featuring a fabric piece from Flair’s pink or purple robe. In-game features include the access to pre-order bonus characters Ronda Rousey and Rey Mysterio; as well as a 2002 version of The Undertaker, Ricky Steamboat, Roddy Piper, Dusty Rhodes and Randy Savage, Flair's WrestleMania XXIV robe and his daughter, Charlotte Flair's WrestleMania 32 robe as in-game attires, and the 1983 Starrcade arena.[12]
Over three weeks in August and September 2018, 2K streamed roster reveal videos on their YouTube and Twitch channels, hosted by Rusev and Lana with a different tag team as guests each week; The B-Team (Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel) the first week, Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson the second week, Cesaro and Sheamus the third week.[13][14][15] On September 13, 2018 2K released the official gameplay trailer, showcasing several new features such as Big Head Mode, a zombie version of Triple H, and Bray Wyatt's House of Horrors match location.[16] One week later, the soundtrack was revealed in a livestream hosted by The New Day, alongside Elias and rapper Wale.[17] Each song on the soundtrack was chosen by a WWE wrestler and includes popular artists such as Eminem, Post Malone, Metallica and Fall Out Boy.[18]
Reception[edit]
Reception | ||||||||||||||||||||
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WWE 2K19 received 'generally favorable' reviews, according to review aggregatorMetacritic.[19][20]
The game was nominated for 'Fan Favorite Sports/Racing Game' at the Gamers' Choice Awards,[26] and for 'Sports, Racing or Fighting Title of the Year' at the Australian Games Awards.[27]
See also[edit]
Notes[edit]
References[edit]
- ^Wells, Cory. 'WWE 2K Creative Director Discusses 'Never Say Never' Motto for WWE 2K19'. Hardcore Gamer. Hardcore Gamer. Archived from the original on September 20, 2018. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
- ^ abElfring, Mat (August 14, 2018). 'WWE 2K19's New Showcase Mode Is All About Daniel Bryan'. Archived from the original on August 14, 2018. Retrieved August 14, 2018.
- ^ abGuillote, Randy. 'DEV BLOG: INTRODUCING WWE 2K19 TOWERS'. WWE 2K. Archived from the original on August 16, 2018. Retrieved August 30, 2018.
- ^Elfring, Mat. 'WWE 2K19: New MyCareer Mode Takes Inspiration From NBA 2K'. Gamespot.com. Gamespot. Archived from the original on September 24, 2018. Retrieved September 24, 2018.
- ^'forbes article'. Archived from the original on October 5, 2018. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
- ^@WWEGames (June 15, 2018). 'Who's ready for some #WWE2K19 info? Stream our press conference live on YouTube, Twitch, Facebook, and at wwe.2k.com on Monday, June 18 at 8am PT for the first details' (Tweet). Retrieved June 18, 2018 – via Twitter.
- ^WWE 2K (June 18, 2018). 'WWE 2K19 Press Conference @ 8:00 am PT'. YouTube. Retrieved June 18, 2018.
- ^Artus, Matthew (June 18, 2018). 'AJ Styles unveiled as WWE 2K19 cover Superstar'. WWE. Archived from the original on June 18, 2018. Retrieved June 18, 2018.
- ^Faller, Patrick (July 2, 2018). 'WWE 2K19 Features Rey Mysterio, If You Pre-Order'. Archived from the original on July 5, 2018. Retrieved July 4, 2018.
- ^WWE (July 9, 2018). 'WWE 2K19 Ronda Rousey official Pre-Order Bonus trailer' – via YouTube.
- ^'WWE 2K19 releases first trailer for Ronda Rousey & it's perfect'. Archived from the original on July 10, 2018. Retrieved July 10, 2018.
- ^Bankhurst, Adam (July 25, 2018). 'WWE 2K19 WOOOOO! EDITION ANNOUNCED'. Retrieved July 27, 2018.
- ^Fowler, Matt (August 30, 2018). 'WWE 2K19 Roster Reveal: 75 Playable Superstars Announced'. IGN.
- ^'60+ new Superstars added in latest WWE 2K19 roster reveal'. Archived from the original on September 9, 2018. Retrieved September 9, 2018.
- ^'Final 54 Superstars revealed to complete the WWE 2K19 roster'. Archived from the original on September 12, 2018. Retrieved September 12, 2018.
- ^'WWE 2K19 Gameplay Trailer Reveals Zombies, Outdoor Action and Possibly Big Head Mode'. September 13, 2018. Archived from the original on September 16, 2018. Retrieved September 16, 2018.
- ^Middleton, Marc (September 17, 2018). 'WWE 2K19 Soundtrack Revealed, WWE Stars Choose Tracks'. Wrestling Inc. Archived from the original on September 20, 2018.
- ^Makuch, Eddie (September 19, 2018). 'WWE 2K19 Soundtrack Features Eminem, Metallica, Post Malone, And Other Huge Names'. Gamespot. Archived from the original on September 21, 2018. Retrieved September 21, 2018.
- ^ ab'WWE 2K19 for PlayStation 4 Reviews'. Metacritic. Retrieved October 9, 2018.
- ^ ab'WWE 2K19 for Xbox One Reviews'. Metacritic. Retrieved October 9, 2018.
- ^Carter, Chris (October 14, 2018). 'Review: WWE 2K19'. Destructoid. Retrieved October 14, 2018.
- ^Tamburro, Paul (October 10, 2018). 'WWE 2K19 Review – YES! or Hell No?'. Game Revolution. Retrieved October 10, 2018.
- ^Wakeling, Richard (October 25, 2018). 'WWE 2K19 Review: A Step In The Right Direction'. GameSpot. Retrieved October 25, 2018.
- ^Wilson, Ben (October 10, 2018). 'WWE 2K19 review: 'MyCareer is a must-play, and returns this floundering behemoth to championship glory.''. GamesRadar+. Retrieved October 10, 2018.
- ^Saltzman, Mitchell (October 9, 2018). 'WWE 2K19 Review'. IGN. Retrieved October 9, 2018.
- ^Glyer, Mike (November 19, 2018). '2018 Gamers' Choice Awards Nominees'. File 770. Retrieved January 15, 2019.
- ^'Your 2018 Winners'. Australian Games Awards. December 19, 2018. Retrieved January 15, 2019.