Why is WWE 2K22 outdated? An in-depth guide

WWE 2K22 was released on March 11, 2022 to much fanfare from wrestling video game fans. After taking 2021 off, the WWE 2K series returned with a major overhaul aimed at improving gameplay, graphics, modes, and overall fun.

However, some fans have started to ask – is WWE 2K22 already outdated in 2022? Let‘s dive into the details.

An introduction to WWE 2K22

WWE 2K22 was developed by Visual Concepts and published by 2K Sports. It is available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Windows.

Key features of WWE 2K22 include:

• Completely redesigned gameplay with an emphasis on fluidity, strategy, and fun
• Major graphical enhancements, including new character models, arenas, crowds, and lighting
• The return of GM Mode, allowing players to book shows, sign talent, and compete for ratings
• An expanded MyGM mode with additional match types, more wrestlers, and improved customization
• MyFACTION mode featuring factions, weekly events, and collectible cards
• MyRISE career mode with two branching storylines and over 50 hours of gameplay
• Universe mode for booking shows, rivalries, and pay-per-views
• 120+ unique playable characters from WWE, NXT, legends, and rising stars
• Customization suite for creating wrestlers, arenas, championships, and more

Initial reviews praised the gameplay improvements and amount of content, with many calling it the best wrestling game in years.

However, no game is perfect. Let‘s look at some of the ways WWE 2K22 can be considered outdated already.

Roster changes make the launch roster outdated quickly

One of the biggest challenges WWE games face is keeping up with WWE‘s constantly evolving roster. In the months leading up to release, WWE had several major roster changes, including:

• Keith Lee being released in November 2021
• Karrion Kross returning to NXT in February 2022 after being released
• Austin Theory moving back down to NXT in February 2022
• Pete Dunne having his name changed to Butch in March 2022
• Walter having his name changed to Gunther in April 2022

As a result, the WWE 2K22 launch roster was outdated the moment it came out. Keith Lee and the old names for Butch and Gunther are in the game, while Karrion Kross is missing. Austin Theory is also on the main roster in WWE 2K22, when he‘s currently in NXT.

Post-launch DLC can help address some of these roster issues. But at launch, the roster you see in WWE 2K22 does not perfectly match the current WWE lineups.

Current storylines and feuds are not reflected

Along with roster shakeups, the actual WWE storylines and feuds change week to week. When you play WWE 2K22 Universe mode, you‘ll seestorylines, rivalries, and partnerships that no longer exist in WWE programming.

For example, Bobby Lashley is no longer WWE Champion. Rhea Ripley and Nikki A.S.H are not still WWE Women‘s Tag Team Champions. Xavier Woods is not King of the Ring anymore.

Yet in WWE 2K22, the game universe is frozen in time prior to WrestleMania 38. The post-WrestleMania storylines, feuds, and championship pictures are not represented.

While you can manually change title holders, create your own shows, and simulate years into the future in Universe, the default setup reflects an outdated snapshot in time that has already changed.

Absence of key released superstars

In the past year, WWE has released many of its top superstars. Major names like Bray Wyatt, Braun Strowman, and Jeff Hardy are noticeably absent from the WWE 2K22 roster.

Their omission is understandable from a development timeline perspective. But it does make the roster feel incomplete compared to WWE‘s current talent pool. Big stars like Wyatt defined so much of WWE‘s programming over the past several years.

Hardcore fans may also notice other recently released stars missing, from smaller names like Killian Dain and Franky Monet to established veterans like Billie Kay and Peyton Royce.

While WWE 2K22 has an excellent legends roster, some fans still feel the absence of key superstars no longer with WWE.

Upcoming stars and NXT call-ups not included

Looking ahead, WWE‘s roster will continue evolving, with new stars getting called up from NXT and making their main roster debuts. However, WWE 2K22‘s roster only reflects stars who were on Raw, Smackdown, and NXT at the time of development.

That means stars who have since debuted on the main roster like Nikkita Lyons, Carmelo Hayes, Solo Sikoa, and Von Wagner will not appear in WWE 2K22.

The pre-WrestleMania NXT call-ups of Gunther, Ludwig Kaiser, and Raquel Rodriguez are also missing from the launch roster.

As WWE continues introducing the next generation of superstars, WWE 2K22 can‘t keep pace without substantial post-launch support.

Changes to gimmicks, persona and attire

With new storylines and character development, many WWE superstars evolve their gimmicks, persona, and attire over time. WWE 2K22 locks them into the gimmick and attire they had around January 2022.

Obvious examples include Butch, Gunther, and Theory‘s outdated positions. But even superstars still on the active roster may no longer accurately reflect their current persona and presentation:

• Becky Lynch has returned to "The Man" persona yet still has her "Big Time Becks" gimmick and attire
• Edge currently uses his old "Brood" music and attire, not his "Rated R Superstar" persona
• Rey Mysterio is wearing masks and attire paying tribute to other luchadors post-WrestleMania

Small details like theme music, movesets, managers, and faction alignments may also be outdated already for some stars.

Without live updates, WWE 2K22 can‘t fully capture the constantly evolving world of WWE programming. What we see on TV each week may no longer match the persona and attire in the game.

Limited selections for newer champions

Over WWE 2K22‘s development cycle, several new champions emerged across NXT, Raw, and Smackdown. However, the game only includes a handful of attires and customization items for these newer title holders.

For example, NXT Champion Bron Breakker only has one attire and entrance available. Tommaso Ciampa also has just one attire from his previous NXT title run, even though he currently holds the NXT Championship again with a new look.

Similarly, Raw Women‘s Champion Bianca Belair and WWE United States Champion Theory have their title entrances but lack attire options reflecting their current reigns.

The limited options for newer champions make them feel behind the times compared to legends and long-time main roster stars with extensive customization suites.

Recent events, PPVs, and arenas not in Showcase mode

WWE 2K22‘s 2K Showcase mode lets you relive famous WWE moments and rivalries. However, it focuses on the career of Rey Mysterio, so only his major matches are playable.

That means recent events like WrestleMania 38, the 2022 Royal Rumble, and 2021 SummerSlam are not included. Historic moments like Roman Reigns‘ 500+ day Universal title run also can‘t be recreated.

Many newer pay-per-view events and stadiums are similarly absent from 2K Showcase and standard play. There is no Elimination Chamber 2022 arena or Day 1 2022 pay-per-view event. Stadiums like Allegiant Stadium (WrestleMania 35) and SoFi Stadium (WrestleMania 37) are also missing.

WWE 2K22 provides an amazing retrospective of Rey Mysterio‘s career. But by focusing solely on Mysterio, it lacks modes recreating or unlocking elements from WWE‘s contemporary history.

Frequent glitches, bugs and crashes

Like most new sports game releases, WWE 2K22 has seen its fair share of technical issues. Since launch, players have experienced:

• Game crashes and lock-ups during entrances, promos, and matches
• Wrestler body parts glitching and contorting into unnatural positions
• Weird ragdoll physics sending characters flying out of the ring
• Strange floating objects and textures
• A.I. opponents getting stuck repeating the same move over and over
• Persistent online connection errors and lag in 2K servers

These glitches range from annoying to game-breaking. While some bugs have been patched, others still persist weeks after launch. The frequency of crashes, bugs, and general instability mars the experience.

Compared to the smoothness of other current sports games, WWE 2K22‘s technical shortcomings definitely make it feel behind the times. Frequent glitches disrupt the path towards realism.

Gameplay balance issues and cheap A.I.

Even outside of glitches, WWE 2K22‘s gameplay balancing has come under scrutiny. Players have cited issues like:

• CPU reversal rates being overwhelmingly high on normal difficulty
• Enemy A.I. spamming non-stop strikes and grapples with inhuman precision
• Matches swinging suddenly from too easy to extremely cheap based on whether you trigger a reversal boost
• Ongoing debate around stamina drain, damage scaling, and pin kickout thresholds

WWE 2K22 makes some big strides in gameplay mechanics compared to previous entries. But reviewers and players alike point out how the A.I. still feels unfair and overtuned in places.

Cheap difficulty settings and imbalance between player and A.I. capabilities risk making matches feel more like a chore than an authentic WWE contest. It holds back the gameplay experience compared to excellent mechanics in titles like the NBA 2K series.

Lack of GM mode features compared to SmackDown vs. Raw 2007

The return of General Manager mode was touted as a big comeback feature. However, some fans have been disappointed with the mode‘s current limitations compared to ‘Smackdown vs. Raw 2007‘ released 15 years ago.

In SVR 2007, GM mode offered 3 WWE brands, free agency, rosters exceeding 50 wrestlers, stat tracking, multiplayer, locker room morale, hiring staff, creating storylines and feuds, season mode stat tracking, and more.

The revived WWE 2K22 GM mode only has 2 brands, no free agency, 14 wrestlers per show, no detailed stat tracking or records, no multiplayer GMs, no storyline creations, and no staff or locker room systems. There is currently no long-term stat tracking or season mode either outside of player tracking in spreadsheets.

The result is a GM mode that, while still fun, feels stripped back in scope and customization compared to its last iteration. A mode considered ahead of its time 15 years ago now feels behind the times in 2022.

MyGM mode‘s development conditions

Why does WWE 2K22‘s GM mode lack so many expected features? According to developers, the team was only given 5-6 months to build the mode from scratch on a shortened dev cycle.

Creative director Lynell Jinks told Shacknews:

“We didn’t start working on GM Mode until about halfway through development. We only had around five or six months to get GM Mode up and running.”

He also admitted certain features were cut due to this limited timeframe:

“Some of the things we wanted to do but just realistically didn’t have enough time for was the ability to make custom matches.”

Knowing the truncated schedule GM mode was created under explains why it feels decent but unpolished. Given more development time, it could have launched with way more customization and depth expected by fans.

MyFaction mode‘s microtransactions and grinding

MyFaction introduces an interesting concept centering around faction warfare and card collecting mechanics. However, the implementation leaves much to be desired. Chief complaints include:

• The need to constantly grind matches or buy "VC" to earn new card packs
• Duplicate cards clogging up precious inventory space
• Having to unlock wrestlers for use in other modes that are freely available elsewhere
• Pressure to buy special event packs before they expire from the shop
• Legends and top stars being confined exclusively behind loot box RNG

Rather than a fun side mode, MyFaction seems engineered to push players into buying "VC" with real money just to speed up the grind. Locking so many stars and cosmetics behind its microtransaction model leads to resentment from series veterans.

Between the grinding and microtransactions, MyFaction feels far behind the innovation and fairness seen in other sports game ultimate team modes.

Lack of community creations at launch

A thriving community creations ecosystem lets WWE games live on with custom wrestlers, arenas, belts, and more added every day. But WWE 2K22‘s Community Creations features remains disabled weeks after launch, preventing upload and downloads.

This is unfortunately common practice for recent WWE games. But it still removes a beloved create-a-wrestler mode tradition on day one.

Until Community Creations arrives, we‘re playing in a closed system. Customization is limited only to what‘s possible with in-game tools and options. For a series renowned for its creation suite, launching without this core feature feels like a step backwards.

What does the future hold?

WWE 2K22 marks a major reset for the franchise after taking 2021 off. In this light, teething issues and missing features are understandable given the shortened development cycle.

The strong foundation built in WWE 2K22 sets up future games for success. But there is still significant room for improvement across rosters, modes, creation, servers, and technical polish to catch up with fan expectations and compete with other AAA sports franchises.

Upcoming patches, DLC releases, and (hopefully) the eventual launch of Community Creations will expand WWE 2K22‘s content and options later in its life cycle.

Looking ahead to WWE 2K23 in 2024, a return to the standard two-year dev cycle should also allow more polish, modes, mechanics, and customization improvements. A full dev period would address many of the limitations holding WWE 2K22 back from its full potential at launch.

The bottom line: Is WWE 2K22 worth purchasing?

There are clearly areas where WWE 2K22 shows its age even just weeks after release. The roster, show alignment, creation features, online functionality, and amount of bugs and glitches can‘t fully escape the shortened development turnaround.

However, the core gameplay, presentation, graphics, and amount of base content still deliver an incredibly fun and robust WWE gaming experience for 2022. For fans craving a new wrestling game after the dry spell of 2020-2021, WWE 2K22 absolutely satisfies.

As the first true next-gen WWE 2K title, the visuals, models, animations and gameplay feel lightyears beyond the PS3/Xbox 360-era games. Nostalgic modes like GM Mode and Showcase provide hours of entertainment recreating WWE‘s past and forging your own path.

Provided you set reasonable expectations for launch limitations, WWE 2K22 undoubtedly meets the criteria of a must-buy title for wrestling gamers. Patches and DLC will further round it into proper form through 2022 and beyond.

The revamped engine and foundation have reset the course of the WWE 2K series in a positive direction after years of stagnation. WWE 2K22 may start to show its age quickly, but the future looks bright for the new generation now established.