WWE 2K18: Latest News and Buzz for Week of August 21

WWE 2K18 is on the way, and fans, as well as gamers, are soaking up every bit of news they can get. This is always the case when the latest game from the franchise is announced. This week, there has indeed been some great content released, including an updated roster on WWE.com

It looks as though 2K Sports is going to deliver beyond expectations this time out.

The yearly video game offering from WWE is coming to the Xbox One and Playstation 4, and fans of both consoles are surely anticipating what's to come. But this year, the game is arriving on the Nintendo Switch as well.

This means more exposure for the company and more opportunities for fans to enjoy the game. However gamers that still use the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 will be disappointed, as this is the first WWE 2K edition that will not be available for either platform.

But for everyone that's still on board, this promises to be perhaps the most visually impressive wrestling game that's ever hit any console.

Week by week, more and more is being released online, but fans may have to be patient. The game is not due until October 17, which means there's still plenty of time for 2K Sports to continue teasing the content.

Despite how many gamers would love to get their hands on a copy right now, they will have to make do with what's being given.

Judging from what the WWE faithful have seen thus far, it will definitely be worth the wait.

If You Smell What the Rock Is Producing

credit: wwe.com

The Rock

The Rock will not only be on WWE 2K18, he's also producing it.

The news came on August 18, as WWE.com reported that The Great One is serving as an executive producer on the game's soundtrack. The Rock apparently dove headfirst into the project, with an offering of music that's refreshingly fun and surprisingly eclectic.

Disturbed, Bruno Mars, Kanye West, The Blues Brothers, Eazy-E and Boston are just some of the acts on the soundtrack. That assortment alone is worth a look, as there is a little something for fans from every walk of life. 

Now instead of just hearing the Superstars' entrance music or songs by unknown artists on the menus, fans will be treated to something entirely different.

Music has always been an important part of WWE's presentation. The company often partners with popular artists and features their hits as "theme songs" for monthly events. It happens so much that fans may feel as though the constant advertising distracts from the show itself, but it's something that WWE has continued to do over the years.

There's no doubt, though, that video packages and the entrance music itself has benefited from the company's commitment to music. That will likely always be the case, and the same will be true of the 2K games as well. The WWE 2K18 soundtrack is now available on iTunes.

The Screenshots

credit: wwe.com

Cesaro and Sheamus

Screenshots are as important to the WWE 2K franchise as they are to popular movies.

Any time fans get a glimpse of their favorite big screen stars in movie stills online, it does nothing but heighten anticipation for what's to come. Movie studios tease their upcoming epics on Twitter, Facebook and various other websites, and that's often before the trailer itself is even released.

That's also the case for 2K Sports, as the company continues to wow WWE fans with shots of the game's Superstars online. 

The latest batch of pics is indeed impressive, as the improved quality of the game is there for fans to see. The most important aspect of any new wrestling game is the realism. That's true for any dedicated gamer, but it's especially true for WWE fans.

The more true to life the Superstars look, the more that fans buy in. No one wants to see stiff figures that have no flow, just as no one wants to see emotionless faces that seem frozen in time. But more importantly, fans want to see virtual representations identical to the real thing.

Judging from this round of screenshots, which can be viewed on WWE.com, it looks as though 2K has truly delivered.

WWE 2K18 vs. WWE 2K17

WWE survived the Monday Night Wars because of its commitment to evolution.

While WCW continued to feature household names that were only getting older, Vince McMahon's company got younger by introducing fresh faces. It was a slow and steady process, but eventually those younger talents got over.

As a result, WWE continued to thrive while WCW began to stall. Evolution was indeed the key.

So every time a WWE 2K game is released, fans expect the same evolution. The product must move forward, so instead of delivering the same game as last year only with a handful of newer stars, 2K continues to evolve and improve.

That's clearly evident from videos being featured on WWE Game's Youtube channel. 

Fans are being treated to a behind the scenes look at the game itself, which is always a good thing. But they're also seeing a side-by-side comparison between this year's edition and last year's edition. Now WWE gamers can see the differences for themselves.

The evolution is apparent, and that's why this game continues to impress.

SAnitY's Entrance

NXT's SAnitY faction is one of the most unique that fans have seen in quite some time.

Eric Young, Nikki Cross, Alexander Wolfe and Killian Dain are unpredictable anarchists, fighting against the NXT machine. They're dark, mysterious, and extremely dangerous. SAnitY is one part Mankind and one part Bray Wyatt, with a heavy Brood undertone.

They may be heels, but they're also popular.

Now fans can get their first look at the rebellious stable on WWE2K18, and the quartet has never looked better. Once again, the flow of the characters is apparent, as they seem to come to life in the game. They look great, and it's surely better than anyone anticipated.

SAnitY's anti-establishment mantra keeps them on the edge in NXT, and now they have indeed been born again in WWE 2K18.

Anderson and Gallows' Entrance

Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows inhabit an odd place in WWE.

They're big, intimidating heels that can destroy any team in their path. They're the modern day Hawk and Animal in that regard, as The Club is fully capable of wreaking havoc on their opponents and leaving them for dead in the middle of the ring.

They should be taken seriously as a highly respected, well established unit.

But they also happen to have a sense of humor. Like Scott Hall and Kevin Nash, Anderson and Gallows can be funny whenever the situation calls for it. The Good Brothers are indeed versatile and entertaining. With the right booking from WWE, they can be great.

They also happen to look great in WWE 2K18.

Once again, it's as if the guys stepped out of the real world and into the virtual world. The attention to detail is extremely apparent this time around, and it's sure to get better as more videos are released. 

With the work that 2K Sports has done on this game, it's no surprise that fans can't wait until it's on their consoles. The anticipation is only going to grow as more and more content is released, which is a good thing for the WWE faithful.

Tom Clark can regularly be seen on Bleacher Report. His podcast, Tom Clark's Main Event, is available on iTunes, Google Play, iHeart Radio, Amazon Android, Windows Phone and online at boinkstudios.com