WWE 2K19: Details on Top Modes, New Gameplay Options and Superstars

For years, fans and WWE and 2K Games have religiously flocked to stores to purchase the latest in the sports-entertainment, making it an immensely popular title. In recent years, though, the game's overall quality has dipped thanks to repetitive gameplay and lackluster creative efforts.

On October 9, the companies will release WWE 2K19, the latest entry in the long and sometimes illustrious history of pro wrestling video games, featuring new and updates modes, gameplay options and one of the most impressive rosters ever, as revealed by the game's official website.

2K Showcase Featuring Daniel Bryan

There is no WWE Superstar whose journey has been wrought with as many twists, turns, heartbreaks and triumphs over the last four years as Daniel Bryan's. The bearded Superstar has stood tall at the conclusion of WrestleMania, seen his career put on halt and returned on the grandest stage known to professional wrestling.

WWE 2K19 will allow fans to relive his tumultuous journey in the 2K Showcase mode.

When asked why the developers chose Bryan as the subject, 2K Design Team at Visual Concepts said, in an interview with the game's site, "his story resonates with everyone, as he worked incredibly hard to get to the top of his craft – only to deal with setbacks that seemingly would keep him from fulfilling his dreams. Instead, he persevered, fought for what he wanted and is now back doing what he was meant to do. His story is both relatable and inspiring for anyone trying to achieve their goals in life."

Bryan is one of the most beloved Superstars in WWE history. He is the type of performer who appeals to both the incredibly passionate die-hard fans and the casual ones who appreciate his hard work and dedication. Choosing him to be one of the most prominent stars in the game was a smart one.

That he has undergone an evolution from vanilla rookie to all-time great over a nearly two-decade career only makes for more in-game storylines.

The Visual Concepts team also revealed there will be "11 different Daniel Bryan character models in his 2K Showcase, and they’re not just different looks; we made sure to capture the taunts and moves from each era." They continued, "one of our favorite Daniel Bryan looks in his 2K Showcase is his 2003 Velocity appearance – under the name Bryan Danielson – versus John Cena. He was young, just starting out and almost looked like a different person than today when you factor in his short hair and lack of beard!"

There will be up to eight different entrances and 12 different matches (including one "surprise.)

For fans of Bryan, of which there are many, this sounds like a must-play feature of what WWE and 2K Games hope is a revolutionary entry in the series.

Gameplay Updates

One of the bigger issues facing WWE games over the last handful of years is the limitations placed on the number of wrestlers who could be in the ring at one time. Oftentimes, the speed of the action slowed down or the game got downright choppy.

Developers have addressed the issue with this year's game, explaining to WWE.2K.com, "we upped the total number of competitors on screen from six to eight. In WWE 2K19, we’ve improved the framerate for matches with six or more characters on screen so that things will remain smooth – even when the ring is crowded. In general, the animations are faster and look more impactful when moves are performed."

This is a welcome bit of news for fans who expect more from the game. No longer will tag matches, battle royals or tornado bouts be limited to just six Superstars. Adding two may not seem like much to some, and others may feel it muddies the waters, but for those who enjoy it, it adds a bit of chaos and unpredictability to the gameplay.

Another big update is to the commentary tracks. 

In years past, fans would grow bored by the repetitive and unnatural contributions of Michael Cole and Co., some of which had absolutely nothing to do with the Superstars in the ring. The site revealed, "all entrance commentary is brand new, with more specific and natural references to the WWE Superstars as they come down the ramp. Once the action gets rolling, thousands of new move calls add to the excitement of the matches."

Cole, Corey Graves and Byron Saxton will provide the commentary for the game.

One can only hope there's a "shut up, Saxton" from Graves in there to really hammer home the legitimacy of the commentary team.

Downloadable Superstars

WWE 2K19 features one of the most eclectic mixes of downloadable Superstars in game history.

Bobby Lashley returns to WWE video games for the first time since SmackDown vs. Raw 2008, better than ever. Though he lost to Roman Reigns at Extreme Rules and has been relegated to the midcard of late, Lashley is a recognizable star who can easily take his place in the main event and be instantly believed in that role.

His new mouthpiece, Lio Rush, makes his game debut. The 205 Live star figures to be one of the fastest and most agile in the entire release.

Not faster, more agile with greater highflying abilities than Ricochet, however. The NXT North American champion also makes his franchise debut and, like Rey Mysterio a decade ago, will be a favorite of fans seeking to combat their friend's bigger, stronger choice.

Dakota Kai, Candice LeRae and Lacey Evans make up an impressive selection of female stars from NXT while the War Raiders and EC3 round out that developmental brand's contributions to the downloadable content.

The underutilized Mike Kanellis and wife Maria will hope the company's faithful utilize them better and to greater effect that WWE Creative.

While no dates for availability have been announced, both the Titans Pack (Lashley, EC3 and War Raiders) and Rising Stars Packs (LeRae, Kai, Evans, Rush, Kanellis and Ricochet) will carry a price tag of $9.99.