Also some wres… Superstars
Today sees the WWE 2K franchise make its grand return to the ring. WWE 2K22, the latest in the long-running wrasslin’ series, has returned from a year-long hiatus, self-imposed following the notoriously poor launch of WWE 2K20. 2K Games and developer Visual Concepts have taken the opportunity to tweak the visuals, controls, and overall gameplay of the stagnant series and will be looking to make an impact with today’s launch.
One element that nobody was interested in tweaking for WWE 2K22 was the series’ penchant for DLC. 2K Games has revealed a total of five additional roster expansions, set to roll out between April 26 and July 19. Each pack adds a further five/six in-ring combatants, and is made up of classic superstars from yesteryear, up-and-comers from the freshly ruined NXT brand, and a selection of celebrities who I’m too old to have the cultural awareness of. Who needs Bull Nakano when you can have some… TikTok..? dude?
Among the returning legends will be former WWE stars Yokozuna, the mighty Vader, hardcore icon Cactus Jack, the goofy-but-technically marvelous Doink the Clown, the worm-eating Boogeyman, and Mr. Pay-Per-View himself, Rob Van Dam. Flying the flag for the next generation will be pint-sized ass-kicker Xia Li, amazing Scottish superstar Doudrop, and the ruthless Commander Azeez.
The most curious roster additions are those of rapper and musician Machine Gun Kelly (though the Hollywood bad boy has stepped into a WWE ring on occasion); Actor, A-Team member, and Treat Your Mother Right singer Mr. T. (who famously squared off against “Rowdy” Roddy Piper at numerous WrestleManias); and influencer, podcaster, and poster boy for rich, white entitlement Logan Paul, who has taken to the squared circle for some incredibly lucrative and incredibly terrible prizefights.
You can check out the full list of character packs and their respective launch dates below. The packs will be sold individually or are included as part of the WWE 2k22 “Deluxe” and “nWo 4-Life” editions.
WWE 2K22 is available now on PlayStation, PC, and Xbox platforms.
Banzai Pack – April 26
- Kacy Catanzaro
- Omos
- Rikishi
- Umaga
- Yokozuna
Most Wanted Pack – May 17
- The Boogeyman
- Cactus Jack
- Ilja Dragunov
- Indi Hartwell
- Vader
Stand Back Pack – June 7
- A-Kid
- Hurricane Helms
- Nash Carter
- Stacey Keibler
- Wes Lee
Clowning Around Pack – June 28
- The British Bulldog
- Doink the Clown
- Doudrop
- Mr. T
- Rick Boogs
- Ronda Rousey
The Whole Dam Pack – July 19
- Commander Azeez
- LA Knight
- Logan Paul
- Machine Gun Kelly
- Rob Van Dam
- Xia Li
