After the official announcement of WWE 2K21 being canceled, to shape WWE 2K22 the 2K Developers are taking a completely different approach to the series compared to the past.
Starting with the new WWE 2K Executive Producer Patrick Gilmore, the company is being incredibly transparent with the communication, and has been seeking feedback from fans all over Twitter, Reddit, and the 2K Official Forums, with the formal feedback project being accurately monitored.
Along with Patrick, more 2K developers have taken to Reddit to collect feedback and discuss specific aspects of the game, such as Creations, Gameplay, MyCareer, Showcase, and more.
This time around, 2K seems really committed to making things right for the fans, and to make sure that WWE 2K22 represents a positive turn-around for the series after the debacle that happened with WWE 2K20.
In this article, we collect in one place all the information and tidbits we gathered from the developers for the main aspects they're focusing on for WWE 2K22. While of course none of these features are officially confirmed for WWE 2K22, they've been publicly acknowledged and discussed by the developers themselves, so we can take them as a big indication of what they will be focusing on and working on.
WWE 2K22 GM Mode
The fans have clearly spoken. With an overwhelming lead over any other feature, GM Mode has been by far the Top Community Request for WWE 2K22.
The revive of General Manager Mode from previous SmackDown vs. Raw games has always been a very requested feature from the fans. But this time around, the new Executive Producer for the series has publicly acknowledged this result, which means GM Mode will inevitably be a top priority for WWE 2K22 developers.
Patrick Gilmore has also shared and carefully watched a fantastic concept video for GM Mode made by our friend VikingSizeGamer. His concept includes systems such as Draft, talent scouting, Performance Center, Create-A-GM, Superstar management, rating, injuries, and more. 2K will likely take some inspiration from it when developing the mode.
So although not officially confirmed, we can fully expect GM Mode to finally make a return to the series in WWE 2K22. We are very excited to see what the new direction at 2K is going to create for it.
WWE 2K22 Other Possible Features
Other features high on the list of the WWE 2K Top Community Requests, and that 2K has acknowledged and are surely considering for WWE 2K22 are:
- Create A Story / Story Designer
- Reviving Missing Match Types, including Special Referee
- Ongoing Live Updates
- Focus on Gameplay
- Custom Music
- Improvements to Create-A-Superstar Face and Body creations tools
- Not locking Create A Superstar content and parts
- Cross-Platform Community Creations
- DLC with actual Superstars instead of 2K Originals
And many more features in the list of the Top Community Requests and the 2K Feedback Project.
Some specific improvements that the developers have actually mentioned they are looking at are:
- Inspiration from previous games of the series regarding Gameplay and Story Modes
- Improvements to Body Types in Create-A-Superstar to also allow super-heavyweight bodies in the style Keith Lee/Otis/Earthquake
- In Create-A-Superstar, the ability to show/hide appearance and attire parts while working on the face and body
- A Character Selection Screen separated by the Brand the Superstars appear in
WWE 2K22 Control Scheme
The community has clearly spoken both on Social Media and the 2K Official Forums, almost unanimously stating that they preferred the WWE 2K19 Control Scheme over the new one implemented in WWE 2K20.
2K has seen and listened, so we are very likely to see this changed back for WWE 2K22, or at least to see a control scheme more inspired to the one from WWE 2K19.
One thing is for sure, 2K is truly listening to the fans for WWE 2K22. It's fantastic to see the new Executive Producer being so active, transparent, and engaging with the community. An open line of communication by the developers has been missing for a long time, so it's really appreciated by all of us and fans around the world.
We look forward to seeing what the future holds, hoping that the extra year gives more time to the developers to create a great game in WWE 2K22.
Of course, we will stay on top of any updates on WWE 2K22 - as well as 2K Battlegrounds, upcoming WWE SuperCads tiers, and information on other wrestling games that will release in the next months!
