WWE 2K22has revitalized the franchise following years of lackluster releases, giving players an enjoyableWWEgame with improved gameplay and returning game modes such as MyGM. However, one area where the game did not perform well was the roster, giving players a more limited selection and hindering the long-term replayability of the game.WWE 2K23will need to address this issue by improving the roster size and adding in more Legends and alternative versions of superstars to give players a lot more options in character selection.
The roster is a vital part of anyWWEgame, as it not only impacts the variety of wrestlers available to players but also gives them a chance to shape the WWE in their image. From creating custom teams to pitting their favorite Legends against each other, getting the roster size and depth right is important to give players a complete experience, and this is whereWWE 2K22falls short. With its small roster size and the lack of Legends,WWE 2K22’sroster needs to be heavily improved forWWE 2K23to be considered a great game.
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WWE 2K22’s Roster Size
At the heart ofWWE 2K22’sroster struggle is the small roster size given to players at the launch of the game. The game comes loaded with a little over 180 superstars, and220 following the release of the DLCs. While this number seems large for a wrestling game, it is considered small when compared to otherWWEgames released by 2K Games.WWE 2K19andWWE 2K20had much larger rosters at launch, and even though those games did not offer great gameplay, the variety available to players made them more appealing to fans.
WWE 2K19had a 252-superstar roster andWWE 2K20had over 260 superstars on its roster, spoiling the players for choice. These numbers include a long list of Legends that add a lot to the game in terms of nostalgic value and give the gamesa level of depth that is lacking inWWE 2K22.WWE 2K23needs to learn from this and increase the number of superstars available to players at launch, with the DLCs adding significantly to the roster size.
Roster Depth
The size alone does not describe the lackluster roster ofWWE 2K22, as the most disappointing part is the lack of Legends. With many notable absences that have been mainstay Legend additions to past games, such as Lita, Mr. Perfect, and Paul Bearer,WWE 2K22fell massively short in this department. The Legends are extremely important in any WWE game, as they provide older fans with a sense of nostalgia and give younger fans an insight into the past of WWE.
Another big area where theWWE 2K22is lacking compared to the other games in the franchise is the alternate versions of WWE superstars. In past games, players have had the opportunity to play as multiple versions of their favorite superstars, showing their progression as WWE superstars and giving fans an insight into the rich history they have in the company. However,with superstars like Triple H and Kanemissing notable versions,WWE 2K22’sroster once more falls short compared to its predecessors.
WWE 2K22is arguably one of the best WWE titles released by 2K Games and developer Visual Concepts, but though the game is miles ahead of anything else in the franchise, the poor roster, both in terms of size and depth, brings the whole game down.WWE2K23will need to ensure that it provides players with a larger pool of superstars, alternative versions of important superstars, and a long list of legends to show improvements and be considered a betterWWE 2Kgame.
WWE 2K22is available for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.
