WWE 2K19 Roster: Most Exciting New Superstars Added

WWE 2K19 once again upped the ante by unveiling a massive roster featuring dozens of fresh faces.

The catalog continues to expand well beyond the Raw and SmackDown Live staples. Another batch of NXT superstars—with exception to the conspicuous absence of Tommaso Ciampa—grace this year's game. This includes two members of their burgeoning United Kingdom division and last year's Mae Young Classic finalists.

Yet no addition stands out more than Ronda Rousey, who joins returning legend Rey Mysterio as pre-order perks. Unlocking The Baddest Woman on the Planet as a playable character may prove ample incentive to reserve a copy before Friday's release.

Per the Smackdown Hotel, the record-high 248-person roster features 45 new arrivals. Bobby Lashley and Ricochet headline the names available for purchase as downloadable content, but let's highlight new Superstars offered without any extra steps or expenditures. 

Undisputed Era

Stables are a dying breed in the WWE but a fun way for gamers to spice up their Universe Mode experience. The reunited Shield can use some fresh adversaries, and the ingredients are there to rebuild the Wyatt Family, Evolution, NWO and some variation of the Bullet Club led by Finn Balor and/or cover man A.J. Styles.

2K delivered a needed shock to the system by welcoming the Undisputed Era.

Based on the teased entrance—which inexplicably doesn't feature Kyle O'Reilly playing air guitar with his NXT Tag Team title—Roderick Strong remains on his own in the 2K landscape. It would be easy enough, of course, to manually make him a member alongside O'Reilly, Bobby Fish and Adam Cole.

Although yet to receive a real-world promotion, maybe the former Ring of Honor stars can recruit fellow alums from the main roster such as Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn. Just be sure to book it better than the WCW/ECW Invasion angle.

Shayna Baszler

Three years ago, WWE 2K16 left Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, Sasha Banks and Bayley off the roster. As the women's division continues to blossom, 2K Games has caught up with a far more comprehensive cast.

Those who attained Rousey via pre-order can line up plenty of tantalizing opponents for the former MMA star. Chief among them is a ready-made dream matchup against her friend and former NXT Women's Champion, Shayna Baszler.

As The Queen of Spades explained to Uproxx's Brandon Stroud, the developers saved her some time by creating her in pixel form.

"I was just talking about how wild it is," Baszler said about being in the game. "Like anyone I would buy the old games and create myself and try to … I was one of the meticulous ones that spent three hours going through each move set from each position and picking the one [I wanted]."

Although often unstoppable in her WWE rein, Baszler has struggled to thwart Kairi Sane. The Pirate Princess makes her digital debut with a Mae Young Classic crown and NXT title in hand.    

Mustafa Ali

With the cruiserweight division branching off from Raw into its own entity, the 205 Live Cast deserved more representation in this year's installment.

Mustafa Ali has taken a long, atypical path to having his likeness placed in WWE 2K19. As he told the Express Tribune's Rahul Aijaz, his WWE journey commenced as a substitute participant in 2016's Cruiserweight Classic. 

"I don't think people really realise how insane it is that I'm in the position I am in today," he said. "Prior to the Cruiserweight Classic, I had a tryout with WWE in 2013 and was told that I wasn't what they were looking for at the moment."

Now considered the Heart of 205 Live, Ali's fast-paced, high-flying offense is a perfect fit for the digital world. Since he's currently sequestered from most of the roster, gamers can create countless fresh pairings by positioning him against Mysterio, Daniel Bryan or Johnny Gargano.

Or set up a David vs. Goliath showdown against Braun Strowman or Andre The Giant. It's your universe.

Drew Gulak, Tony Nese and Noam Dar also join Ali, TJP and Cedric Alexander on the calling card. Yet Buddy Murphy, who can cement his career renaissance by defeating Alexander for the Cruiserweight Championship in Melbourne, Australia, this Saturday, missed the cut despite previously appearing in WWE 2K17.

Pete Dunne

Pete Dunne's snarling glare could one day grace the game's cover.

The Bruiserweight has taken NXT by storm since debuting in last year's WWE United Kingdom Championship Tournament. After losing the championship match to Tyler Bate—another exciting new addition—he claimed the strap when the duo put on 2017's NXT Match of the Year.

The hard-hitting 24-year-old has held the title ever since, most recently partaking in another Match of the Year candidate against Ricochet. Gamers will need to slow the pace to appreciate his cruel, calculated ring work.

It might be better if 2K19 doesn't fully encapsulate the brutality of Dunne twisting and stomping on his victim's fingers. 

If this lowly writer can offer one suggestion: Make William Regal a playable character so the current NXT general manager can compete against—or form a lethal Universe Mode stable alongside—his modern contemporary.

Honorable Mentions

Andrade Cien Almas and Zelina Vega

Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford

Bianca Belair

Liv Morgan and Sarah Logan

Kairi Sane

Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville

Shelton Benjamin

Ted DiBiase

Tyler Bate

Velveteen Dream

DLC: Bobby Lashley, Candice LeRae, Dakota Kai, EC3, Lacey Evans, Lio Rush, Maria Kanellis, Mike Kanellis, War Raiders