WWE 2K16: Latest News and Buzz for Week of September 14

The massive WWE 2K16 roster is now set. Details on the game's story mode and other features have only come in small increments so far, but WWE fans now know what wrestlers will be at their fingertips.

For some, it will be natural to criticize the holes in the roster despite its size. Other players will have their heads spinning from all the fantasy teams and dream matches that are possible in WWE's latest video game.

Other news provides hints on the game's provocative content, word on the new submission system and the fact that WWE 2K16 will be available in a new language. There is still over a month left until the game's release date (Oct. 27 in the U.S.; Oct. 30 in international markets), so expect the rate of incoming information to pick up soon. Before that, there's now no mystery as to who will be a part of the game.

That is unless you count the as-yet-unannounced wrestlers who will make up the downloadable content.

What the ESRB Revealed

Expect a full-fledged return to the days of the Attitude Era. The real-life WWE product has to adhere to a TV-PG rating, but the rating information for the game from Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) revealed that WWE 2K16 will have less strict standards.

The game promises to be raunchier and more violent than today's actual WWE programming. 

For one, the ratings summary described scenes where "blood sometimes appears on wrestlers' faces after being struck repeatedly by fists or objects." It also noted that "Video footage sometimes depicts characters drinking beers or spraying opponents with beer from a hose."

One would assume that indicates that the famous scene where Steve Austin sprayed Vince McMahon and his goons with beer on Raw will be a part of the Austin-centered story mode. 

The presentation of the game's women hearkens back to WWE's more envelope-pushing days as well.

The ratings summary reads, "Female wrestlers are depicted with exaggerated-size breasts and/or in outfits that expose large amounts of cleavage; some female wrestlers also make provocative gestures/taunting moves (e.g., pelvic thrusts, bending over in front of the audience, shaking buttocks in an opponent's face)."

The sales among boys in junior high should do quite well then. 

Roster Finalized

Players know now what to expect from WWE 2K16 from a roster standpoint. IGN revealed the last 23 members of the game's lineup:

• Baron Corbin
• Big E
• Bray Wyatt
• Brian Pillman
• Colin Cassady
• Enzo Amore
• Jey Uso
• Jimmy Uso
• Kofi Kingston
• Konnor 
• Mark Henry 
• Mikey Whipwreck
• Ricky Steamboat
• Rusev
• Savio Vega
• Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley 
• Sting (1999)
• Sting (Blonde)
• Stunning Steve Austin
• Undertaker (American Badass)
• Undertaker (Ministry)
• Viktor
• Xavier Woods

There are some intriguing choices here, as there has been throughout this revealing process. Pillman is a fun addition, and someone WWE has shied away from including in the past. NXT standouts Amore, Cassady and Corbin give the game depth.

Whipwreck is an odd choice, especially when the game does not have more popular wrestlers Road Dogg or Rob Van Dam.

It's also a letdown that 2K chose to have so many roster spots filled by different versions of the same person. WWE 2K16 features both Paul Wight and Big Show, three editions of Undertaker and two versions of Stephanie McMahon. 

Still, that pushes the official roster to 123 wrestlers, which is far more than last year's edition.

For those fans speculating based on an ad going around the Internet in regards who will be in the game, the WWE Games Twitter account has stated it is fake:

That means that Alexa Bliss won't be in the game, as some previously thought. And Hulk Hogan's removal from the roster will stand.

New Footage

The 2K developers released a number of new short clips. Not only do these work to get fans more excited leading up to the game's release, they offer glimpses of some details from the game.

In a video featuring D'Lo Brown vs. Billy Gunn, fans may notice that Gunn is wearing his Royal Rumble 2001 attire.

That could be a hint that the 2001 Rumble (which Austin won) will be part of the story mode. Or else, this may just be an alternate look for Gunn available as unlockable content. 

With a Haku vs. Mankind clip, fans got a look at a at the new submission system in play with two bars moving in a circular motion.

The pinfall mechanics look to be similar. That's evident in a video featuring Seth Rollins taking on Brock Lesnar. The instructions for kicking out popped up during the bout.

The instructions read that the player has to press X when the blue bar overlaps with the red bar in order to kick out. A player can also use a resiliency ability which may require the use of a stored finisher, or alternatively, escape via rope break if one has that ability.

A video of Amore and Cassady's entrance let fans know that the duo's pre-match shtick is intact. The clip of Kevin Owens battling Finn Balor briefly shows cinder blocks strewn about ringside. That then appears to be an optional weapon in gimmick matches.

Other News

Arabic-speaking fans will get to experience WWE 2K16 in a whole new way. 2K announced on its website that WWE 2K16 will feature Arabic localization. In select markets, Arabic-language menus and subtitles for certain content will be available for the first time.

It looks as if fans should be savoring Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler calling the virtual action.

In regard to him doing video game commentary with Lawler, Ross posted on his blog, "I'd guess that this will be the final time that the two of us will work together in any WWE projects at least to the best of my knowledge."

It's surprising that 2K hasn't released a trailer recently. There have been plenty of live-action videos of Austin, but not the kind of buzz-creating previews fans are used to seeing.

Smacktalks looked to alleviate that with a custom trailer:

That should tide gamers over for the moment.

Now that the roster is complete, it's safe to expect more detailed looks at the game as the weeks go by. That means news on what part of Austin's career the story mode will cover, what DLC content will be available and key differences in the My Career mode from last year's game.