Goldberg Announced as Pre-Order Exclusive for 'WWE 2K17'

It has been 12 years since Goldberg departed WWE following WrestleMania 20, but the former WWE and WCW World Heavyweight champion will make his return in digital form as the pre-order exclusive for the WWE 2K17 video game. 

As announced by WWE 2K17 and seen in the following trailer, two playable versions of the dominant Superstar will be part of the pre-order offer:

An official release date for the game has yet to be revealed, but according to PWInsider (h/t WrestlingInc.com), it is expected to hit shelves Oct. 25.

Following the shocking announcement of Goldberg's involvement in the game, the holder of an unprecedented 173-0 undefeated streak during his time in WCW had the following to say on Twitter:

Goldberg's inclusion led to plenty of reaction from current WWE Superstars as well, such as Cesaro:

Becky Lynch also expressed her excitement over Goldberg being part of a significant WWE project after so many years away:

WWE has made a habit of revealing some big-name pre-order exclusives in recent years, including Arnold Schwarzenegger's Terminator in WWE 2K16, Sting in WWE 2K15, the Ultimate Warrior in WWE 2K14 and Mike Tyson in WWE '13.

In the case of Sting, it marked his first involvement with the company and led to a WrestleMania match against Triple H. Much like Goldberg, the Ultimate Warrior had been absent from WWE for years before returning to be inducted in the Hall of Fame.

Rumors will undoubtedly be rampant regarding whether there is more to Goldberg's WWE deal than simply being part of the video game.

One reason for that is the fact that Goldberg stares at a "Suplex City" sign near the end of the WWE 2K17 promo, which could be a teaser for a match against Brock Lesnar.

Goldberg's last WWE match was against Lesnar at WrestleMania 20, but it was poorly received since the fans in attendance knew that both Superstars were on their way out of the company.

A chance to atone for that match or perhaps enshrinement into the Hall of Fame could be on the horizon for the 49-year-old legend, but even if neither of those things happen, gamers will have a chance to control one of the most explosive and intense performers in the history of professional wrestling.

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