WWE 2K23: Newest Additions to Universe Mode Ahead of Release Date

WWE 2K23 is headlined by the addition of several new features, including playable Superstars and match types, but a tweak to an existing game mode could be one of the biggest things that sets the hit video game apart from its predecessors.

Universe Mode has been a staple of WWE's video game offerings since its inception in WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2011, and it has continued to exist and expand for more than a decade.

Last year, WWE 2K22 introduced MyGM, which was a homage to the GM Mode from past WWE video games. While there was some thought that MyGM would replace Universe Mode, the WWE 2K creative team has kept both of them in place, giving gamers more options than ever.

Universe Mode has long been described as an open "sandbox" that allows players to book whatever matches they want on Raw, SmackDown, pay-per-views and other shows.

While the player would book the matches, Universe Mode essentially chose what would happen within the rivalries with cut scenes that were randomly generated.

That all changes with WWE 2K23, as players now have the ability to not only book the matches but also choose from numerous options to make the cut scenes play out precisely how they want them to as well.

In an interview with Deven McClure of Screen Rant, WWE 2K23 creative director Lynell Jinks explained the new Universe Mode feature and how gamers can utilize it:

"With Universe, there's some huge improvements that we made there to help tell the story and give users even more control than they've already had, which is crazy to think about. You can have actions that you want certain superstars to perform before a match, like, 'OK, I want Bobby Lashley to shake hands with MVP before the match, but at the last second, I want him to just punch him.' Like, those are actions that you can actually assign to that match and watch those cutscenes play out and see how that kind of dictates your rivalry."

WWE 2K23 associate gameplay producer Bryan Williams called it a "game changer" for the mode and the fans:

"And the level of control that the players will have in Universe this year is something that I don't think they are expecting. I mean, Universe already is about control and being able to manipulate everything, but this new layer of being able to actually now set and direct the certain actions and events to happen. I think for me, it's a game changer for the mode, and I'm excited for the fans of this mode to get their hands on it because I think that one of those content creators who likes to stream the game, they are going to have a field day with this, I think. And the fact that it all works as beautifully as it does, I think that is something that is really going to surprise a lot of people and I'm really excited about that."

Wrestling fans typically love to play armchair booker, and with the advances to Universe Mode in WWE 2K23, they will be able to do that more accurately than perhaps ever before.

Gamers can not only book the matches but also create their own angles and customize rivalries to their own liking, which is precisely what WWE head of creative Triple H gets to do in real life.

The inclusion of WarGames matches will add another wrinkle to the fold, as players will have the ability to book their feuding Superstars and factions in one if the most brutal match types in wrestling history.

Fans can put the new Universe Mode to the test on Tuesday for the Icon and Deluxe Editions of WWE 2K23 and on Friday for the Standard and Cross-Gen Editions.

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