WWE 2K17: Release Date, Roster, New Features, Superstar Ratings and Preview

Requested additions, returning features and perhaps the most loaded roster to ever grace a video game has made the countdown to WWE 2K17's release on October 11 excruciating.

Over the past few years, the team at 2K Sports has taken the best parts of other sports games and implemented them into the best wrestling around. This has given fans not only a realistic experience with a wild roster, but a chance to put themselves into the game with a deep creation system that makes the deepest of role-playing games blush at times.

Now the team has pushed the bar again, giving users a fresh story surrounding Brock Lesnar, necessary roster additions and improvements to gameplay. Here's a look at notable details to help make the wait a little easier.

Roster and Ratings

In a word, the roster is giant. 

Like most sports games, the roster itself and superstar ratings are now a major feature of the hype before release, something turned up a notch with 2K Sports leading the way.

The game's official Twitter account provided a glimpse at the roster:

The link there takes a deep dive into the roster, which has been what WWE fans have come to expect. Legends such as Dusty Rhodes make the cut, as do current mainstays such as Kevin Owens and Seth Rollins. The future of the company gets well represented as well, with a guy like Shinsuke Nakamura available through the NXT Enhancement pack.

As for ratings, the coveted numbers usually remain something of a secret. YouTuber SmackTalks got a look at some of the ratings, though, with AJ Styles coming in at an 89, Dean Ambrose at 90 and Seth Rollins at 93.

YouTube user THE101 shifted through all of the rankings:

Not only is it interesting to see player models on the character-select screen, the debate can now begin about who deserves a higher rank, who lands in the overrated realm and endless superstar comparisons.

Preview

Other than ratings, fans of the series will want to know all about the features this year. 

MyCareer headlines all features again this year, with few likely complaining about it. The team at 2K Sports made a similar Hollywood-infused mode popular in its basketball video games, so bringing it here not only made perfect sense, it fits quite well.

This year it is all about Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman. Fans create either themselves or pick a current star and have at it. And according to the mode's official page, they can team with Heyman and get all of the heat that comes with it, or go against him and have to deal with Lesnar himself.

Perhaps most interesting, though, is the way 2K Sports has attacked the all-important promo:

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With the debut of the Promo Engine in WWE 2K17, players will be able to experience this vital aspect of sports entertainment in a whole new way. Promos can be slotted into various segments of the show so you can decide the best time to talk about how great you are or call out a rival. Once your promo begins, you’ll have several talking points to choose from and a limited time to decide. As you make choices throughout your promo, a performance meter will show how effective your words are with the audience.

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Managing status with fans, creating merchandise to increase popularity and more is just another step in the right direction for a game becoming more and more like the real thing. 

Some of these changes extend to Universe Mode, where the game has worked hard to create the feeling of watching a live broadcast. This goes hand-in-hand with additions to the Creation Suite, which, of course, has countless item additions.

Even better, as far as creation additions go, users can now create custom videos for Titan Tron entrances and even create their own shows.

On the gameplay side of things, 2K Sports says it has "shifted the gameplay experience focus from an arcade-centric, fighting game style to simulation-based gameplay," which will continue to lend to a more natural experience.

Also natural, at least from a WWE programming standpoint? Fights backstage and in the crowd. This popular feature makes a return after sitting as one of the most-requested items by fans for years.

Like past iterations, WWE 2K17 sounds like the perfect fan service. A deep roster, interesting ratings and a customizable universe all precede what continues to be evolving, quality in-ring action that can now go far beyond the ring.

Fans can take over their own version of the WWE universe starting October 11. 

Follow Chris Roling (@Chris_Roling) on Twitter.