WWE 2K24: Release Date, Roster Analysis and Gameplay Preview
WWE 2K24 releases this week and one of the most eagerly anticipated elements of the game this year, and any, is the roster.
Who makes up the lineup of Superstars available for gamers to control and lead through the various new modes and match types?
We know all of the top modern and legendary competitors will be there, but how does the roster measure up from a depth perspective, and which wrestlers rate the highest in this year's offering?
Find out the answer to that question, as well as which new modes and match types can be played, with this preview of the hotly anticipated release.
Release Information
1 of 3Release Dates
Standard Edition: Thursday, March 8 (digital and physical)
Deluxe and 40 Years of WrestleMania Editions: Monday, March 5 (early release, digital); Thursday, March 8 (physical)
Platforms
PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One
Gameplay Preview: New Modes, Features
2 of 3WWE and 2K return this year with an array of new match types, features, and modes for fans to invest themselves in and spend countless hours rewriting history books and forging their own promotions in.
New Match Types
There are few options more grueling for a single Superstar than facing a gauntlet of opponents and thanks to a new addition to the growing list of match options, players will have the opportunity to test their favorite competitor's grit and endurance in the Gauntlet Match.
It is hardly the only new addition to the lineup.
The Undertaker's specialty, the Casket Match, returns to WWE games for the first time since 2015. Players will have the opportunity to incapacitate their opponents long enough to put them in the namesake object and slam the lid shut, both on their chances of victory and, potentially, their careers.
Or something like that.
For the first time since Raw vs. SmackDown 2010 (and only on the Nintendo DS), the Ambulance Match returns to the WWE video game universe. Like its casket-based counterpart, the goal of the match is to beat down your opponent badly enough to put them in the back of an ambulance and drive them out of the arena.
The novelty of the match, and the fact that it has not been overdone over the years, should make it one of the more enjoyable elements of the game.
New Mode: 2K Showcase of the Immortals
Much will be made of WWE celebrating 40 years of WrestleMania in 2024 and this year's release is no different.
The 2K Showcase of the Immortals features 21 of the most historically significant WrestleMania matches of all time, starring some of the most recognizable faces in WWE history.
From Hulk Hogan to "Macho Man" Randy Savage, Bret Hart to Shawn Michaels, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin to The Rock, the mode allows players to recreate iconic battles and along the way, unlock playable characters, historic arenas, and championships.
The mode features the WrestleMania 39 showdown between Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship with the opportunity to finish The American Nightmare's story and provide an alternative conclusion to last year's event, all before the two top stars of today clash one more time in Philadelphia.
The game also features updates and upgrades to existing modes, such as MyRISE, MyFACTION, Universe, and MyGM, all of which are fan favorites that carry over from last year's presentation.
Roster Analysis
3 of 3This year's presentation features more than 200 Superstars from a variety of eras of WWE programming.
Top stars from the modern era include Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns, Women's World Champion Rhea Ripley, World Heavyweight Champion Seth "Freakin" Rollins, two-time Royal Rumble winner Cody Rhodes, Becky Lynch, and Bianca Belair.
Reigns is, predictably, the top-rated Superstar in the game at 97, but it is beyond welcoming to see the women's roster represented so strongly with high ratings of their own. Ripley follows closely behind The Tribal Chief at 96, The EST is up next at 95, The Man is at 94, and Charlotte Flair rounds things out with a 92 rating.
It proves that the Women's Revolution is not dead, even as work still needs to be done. There will be young gamers who fire up this release, and see those strong women rated among the likes of Reigns, Rhodes, and Rollins, and become fans.
The Undertaker leads the way for the legends and alumni roster with a 95, with John Cena, The Rock, and Hulk Hogan following a step behind at 94.
"Superstar" Billy Graham is among the first-time additions to the game, joining current competitors Bronson Reed, Maxxine Dupri, Isla Dawn, and Chelsea Green. Rare appearances from Ken Shamrock and George "The Animal" Steele are fun legends options for fans to control.
As if the roster was not already expansive enough, the latest announcement of DLC featuring CM Punk, Jade Cargill, Kairi Sane, and Hall of Famers The Dudley Boyz, should be more than enough to pique fan interest and create buzz around the game well after it has been released.
The game itself has had its share of uneven and downright putrid offerings (looking at you, 2K20), but the lineup of talent available for fans to build rosters with as part of the MyGM mode or to create epic encounters against friends, and family, and fellow players around the globe.
This year's release is no different.
Where else can you book Judgment Day's Finn Balor and Damian Priest against The Headbangers with tag team gold on the line? How about Stardust (preorder only) against Dusty Rhodes (also preorder only) in a generational battle?
It, and most any other match a die-hard WWE fan could want to book, is at their disposal because of the expansiveness of the roster.
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