WWE 2K22: Details on Top Modes, New Gameplay Options and Superstars

It's only fitting that WWE 2K22 from developer Visual Concepts promises two of the biggest things fans have asked of the series for a long time: reworked gameplay and the return of MyGM mode.

Hitting physical and digital store shelves March 11, 2K22 is a big return for the dominant wrestling series in the video game landscape after more than two years and one skipped installment out of action.

The series makes its anticipated return in a changed video game landscape that includes next-generation consoles, and the team behind the game has made sure to use that additional horsepower—with a sprinkling of innovation—to redefine WWE 2K gameplay as players know it.

For this release, that means moving things more in the direction of fighting games. Players will need to execute actual combos for moves now, and while they aren't overly complex, it's a nice shakeup compared to the older-feeling ways of the past.

Also following that theme is a chess-feeling presence of blocks, dodges and breakers. Picking and choosing the right one at the right time looks like it could decide a match pretty quickly.

It's clear that more defensive options and the removal of often confusing chain-grappling controls in favor of something that feels more organic and like tried-and-true fighters on the market will make new players more comfortable and competent upon picking up a controller.

And on the game's official website, a blurred-lines mashup of presentation, physics and gameplay hints at some new-found good features for the gameplay, with publisher 2K saying: "Tweaked object physics allow for unexpected moments throughout the match. Kendo sticks fray with each hit, and tables and corner barricades break dynamically to create a more authentic match experience."

Expected of a game with next-gen horsepower backing it? Sure. But it's nice to hear and see those sorts of things in action before release:

Same story for MyGM, which hasn't been seen in a WWE 2K game since 2007. The uber-popular mode lets players sit in the general manager's chair of their preferred brand and make all sorts of decisions while pursuing the best fan reactions, match grades and television ratings.

That all starts after brand selection, where players will hit a draft and formulate a roster. They will manage the budget in an effort to pursue free agents at a later date and oversee the booking of each show, down to hopping into an individual match as a third party and controlling specific camera angles.

Much of this was detailed in a recent developer diary:

IGN's Dale Driver provided an early opinion after spending some time with the returning mode: "The majority of my decisions, whether it be to build a GM vs. superstar feud with Shane McMahon and Montez Ford or increase the spend in the show's production, felt valued and reciprocated by the weekly ratings and fan response."

MyGM is the biggest game mode worth dividing deep on, but would-be players can expect an upgraded create-a-wrestler campaign mode dubbed MyRISE to take up a ton of playtime. Also of major note is the new MyFACTION, a mode similar to card-collecting frenzies found in other sports games. Players will collect cards from every point of wrestling history while building and maintaining factions that tackle challenges.

The game's roster seems to span most of WWE history too. The full roster list is massive, including contemporaries like Brock Lesnar (94 overall) to legends of the past like Bret "The Hitman" Hart (91). Recent releases or departures such as Cesaro (84) are still in the game too, and some of the five planned DLC packs will undoubtedly flesh out the roster to better reflect the real thing and also dig deeper into history.

As a whole, 2K22 sits positioned as one of the most feature-rich offerings in the series to date. That it comes after a hiatus, is on next-gen consoles and revamps gameplay could make it feel like the start of an entirely new series, which might not be such a bad thing.