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WWE 2K19

Under this luchador mask lies a familiar game with a lot of the same old issues, but somehow there is even more fun to be had, with a new impressive look, a good bit of polish, and some features reminiscent of its younger self. Microtransactions:
WWE 2K19 Game Cover
73%Game Brain Score
story, gameplay
stability, optimization
73% User Score Based on 1,796 reviews
Critic Score 74%Based on 34 reviews

Platforms

Xbox Series X|SPCPlaystation 5Playstation 4Xbox OneXboxSteam DeckWindowsPlayStation
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WWE 2K19 Game Cover

About

WWE 2K19 is a single player and multiplayer sport game. It was developed by Visual Concepts and was released on October 8, 2018. It received mostly positive reviews from both critics and players.

WWE 2K19 is the latest installment in the WWE video game franchise, featuring Superstar AJ Styles and a vast roster of wrestlers. It offers authentic gameplay, extensive creation options, and various match types. Note that multiplayer servers will be shut down after June 30, 2022.

Genres & Tags
Play Modes
WWE 2K19 screenshot
WWE 2K19 screenshot
WWE 2K19 screenshot
WWE 2K19 screenshot
WWE 2K19 screenshot
WWE 2K19 screenshot
WWE 2K19 screenshot
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73%
Audience ScoreBased on 1,796 reviews
story61 positive mentions
stability127 negative mentions
  • The game features an extensive character creation suite, allowing for deep customization of wrestlers, movesets, and entrances.
  • MyCareer mode has a compelling storyline with voice acting, making it more engaging than previous entries.
  • The gameplay is generally smoother and more enjoyable compared to previous WWE 2K titles, with improved animations and match types.
  • The game suffers from numerous bugs and performance issues, including crashes and slow-motion gameplay, even on high-end PCs.
  • Many features and customization options are locked behind a paywall or require extensive grinding to unlock, which can be frustrating for players.
  • The commentary and AI can be inconsistent and often make mistakes, detracting from the overall experience.
  • story
    220 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the improved narrative and character development, particularly in the MyCareer mode, which features a more structured storyline compared to previous iterations. However, many critics have pointed out the linearity and lack of meaningful choices, leading to repetitive gameplay and frustration when forced to replay matches. While the Daniel Bryan showcase mode is highlighted as a standout experience, the overall execution of the storylines, including voice acting and character interactions, has been deemed inconsistent and at times lacking depth.

    • “The story of Daniel Bryan was a worthwhile story to play through to experience.”
    • “Very well built story.”
    • “The mycareer actually has a story which is really good.”
    • “MyCareer's story feels like it was written by a high school creative writing class and it drags on forever because of how utterly long it takes to level up your character.”
    • “The game is to this day buggy (career mode would be in slow motion for the first tenth of it), and the storyline is laughably weak in writing.”
    • “MyCareer here is absolute garbage, completely linear storyline without any input on the player's part; the storyline here is bland and boring at best, especially considering you don't get to forge your own way through.”
  • gameplay
    184 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay in the latest WWE 2K title has received mixed reviews, with many praising its improved speed and mechanics compared to previous iterations, while others criticize it for being slow and riddled with bugs. Players appreciate the depth and customization options available, particularly in modes like MyCareer and Universe, but some find the controls complex and the overall experience inconsistent. Despite its flaws, many agree that the game offers a fun wrestling experience, especially when played with friends.

    • “I am enjoying a rich universe mode, the graphics are amazing and gameplay is very satisfying.”
    • “The gameplay is overall faster than 15-18, with sliders to tweak the gameplay, allowing the game to be even more fast-paced.”
    • “The gameplay has a great balance between fun and realistic.”
    • “The gameplay is choppy and riddled with bugs.”
    • “Dull gameplay, boring cutscenes, slow pacing entrances, I was not enjoying any of it.”
    • “The control scheme is unresponsive and nonsensical as hell, the reversal system dumbs down the gameplay far too much, the controls have input lag, your character is far too weak and the ways to level your character up are too restricted.”
  • graphics
    158 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics in WWE 2K19 have received mixed reviews, with many praising the improvements over previous titles, particularly in character models and lighting, while others criticize persistent bugs and performance issues, especially on PC. Some players note that the graphics are visually appealing when functioning correctly, but lag and optimization problems can detract from the experience. Overall, while the game showcases impressive visuals, it struggles with technical inconsistencies that affect gameplay.

    • “Amazing graphics, good gameplay overall, an amazing game.”
    • “The graphics are fantastic, but the most astounding thing is the animation.”
    • “Great graphics, great creation suite, and a big, beautiful roster.”
    • “The graphics are worse than WWE 2K17.”
    • “Graphics haven't almost changed since 2K15.”
    • “The graphics seem so 2012-ish; for this price, the game is not even close to worth it!”
  • stability
    130 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The stability of the game has been a significant concern among users, with many reporting numerous bugs, glitches, and crashes, particularly at launch. While some players note improvements in stability over time, particularly after server issues were resolved, the game still suffers from persistent glitches that can hinder gameplay. Overall, while it is considered more playable than its predecessor, WWE 2K20, many reviews caution potential buyers about the ongoing stability issues.

    • “Sure, while a lot of people are complaining, it runs great.”
    • “Great game, great graphics; it runs smoothly if you have the recommended specs.”
    • “The game runs great and is actually enjoyable.”
    • “The game is as buggy as you can get and a massive disappointment.”
    • “Too many glitches for a 2019 game.”
    • “Unfortunately, like most WWE games at launch, there’s a ton of glitches.”
  • music
    77 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players expressing frustration over the limited soundtrack and the inability to add custom entrance music without complex modding tools. While some appreciate the quality of the entrance themes, the overall soundtrack is often criticized as weak and repetitive, leading players to turn it off or replace it with mods. Additionally, technical issues such as music glitches during gameplay further detract from the experience, highlighting a significant area for improvement in future updates.

    • “The music is great, but limited.”
    • “The soundtrack to the game is good and all the intro music to the wrestlers' intro is great.”
    • “With the PC version, you can import your own music.”
    • “The worst WWE game you can buy; the story mode is bad, and even the menu songs are bad.”
    • “What's the point of custom wrestlers if they don't even get to have their own custom entrances, music, and all?”
    • “The soundtrack is garbage in my opinion, so I just turned off the music, though I think there are mods which allow you to change the game's soundtrack.”
  • optimization
    57 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players noting significant improvements over previous titles, particularly 2K18, while others report persistent performance issues, crashes, and bugs. Many users express frustration with the game's inability to run smoothly on various hardware configurations, leading to inconsistent experiences. Overall, while there are commendations for visual quality and some stable performance, the optimization remains a contentious aspect, with calls for further patches and improvements.

    • “One of the best looking and the most optimized WWE games of all time.”
    • “The game runs smoothly even with the maximum amount of wrestlers in the ring.”
    • “I give kudos to 2K for releasing an optimized game; it works fine playing at 4K with everything on max, and the game is fun as well.”
    • “This game is so poorly optimized that it cannot support the new series of GPUs.”
    • “Im running a decent computer and no matter what I try I cannot get this game to run higher than 5fps. This is beyond a joke. The time I have in this game is me trying to get it to actually work. I wish I could recommend this game but I honestly can't. If anyone has a legitimate fix for the pathetic performance then please let me know because I've tried everything I can including dropping everything to its lowest settings to see if that helps and it didn't. Until I have a way to fix the performance problem, I can't recommend this game.”
    • “Sadly, even with higher-end graphics cards, the game is not optimized very well.”
  • grinding
    20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being tedious and overly reliant on microtransactions and loot boxes, making progression feel like a chore rather than an enjoyable experience. Players often find themselves forced to grind excessively to improve their characters, with many expressing frustration over the slow pace of gameplay and the need to farm levels outside of the main story. While some acknowledge improvements in the career mode's storytelling, the overall sentiment is that the grinding mechanics detract significantly from the enjoyment of the game.

    • “And it's glaringly apparent this was a hack idea designed to pressure people into spending more money right away instead of grinding to earn the parts or moves they wanted for my career.”
    • “Career mode is the usual 2k way; microtransactions and constant grinding make it not fun and tiring to play, almost like a regular job.”
    • “Everything there costs real money (or requires credits that you buy with real money or tediously have to earn)... move packs, entrances (music, motions), cosmetics; everything is a grind to get and almost makes you beg for more points.”
  • humor
    20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is largely appreciated, with players finding the story and character creation options to be particularly funny, often enhanced by amusing glitches and bugs. Many reviews highlight the game's goofy and hilarious nature, especially when played with friends, making it a fun experience despite some frustrating moments. Overall, the humor contributes significantly to the enjoyment, with players laughing at both intentional comedic elements and unintentional glitches.

    • “The story is funny much like the old counterparts, and the game honestly kept me hooked through the story. As frustrating as some moments were, it still stands out as one of the funnest games I've played over the last year.”
    • “But due to the incredibly in-depth and miraculously hilarious character creation options.”
    • “These glitches are mainly in the physics, and they’re usually quite funny to look at.”
  • monetization
    15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The monetization aspect of the game has received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with many users criticizing the prevalence of overpriced microtransactions, paywalls, and a "cash grab" mentality. Players express frustration over the grind required to unlock content, often feeling that the game prioritizes profit over player experience. However, a few users noted a surprising absence of microtransactions in certain modes, contrasting with the overall sentiment of dissatisfaction.

    • “Does have some overpriced microtransactions, but it is certainly worth a buy when this game goes on sale!”
    • “Best of all: no microtransactions, which is shocking considering how greedy Take-Two is nowadays.”
    • “There are lots of things you can do, so it's not boring, and microtransactions are a bit complicated, but you have to play more to earn these things.”
    • “This game sucked, I hate the microtransactions, the season pass, etc. You're paying all this money for a game but they want you to pay more for extras?”
    • “Full of microtransactions and pay to win/unlock content.”
    • “Career mode is the usual 2K way; microtransactions and constant grinding make it not fun and tiring to play, almost like a regular job.”
  • replayability
    9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game's replayability is considered decent, with some users noting that it can be significantly enhanced through creative use of video and audio editing. While it may not match the replay value of previous versions, features like MyCareer and regularly updated challenges provide ample opportunities for players to engage with the game repeatedly.

    • “[i](561 hours later)[/i] - the replay value is [b]off the charts!”
    • “The replay value comes from a YouTube creator perspective that lets one look into forming their storylines in the game that aren't present there, but that one can create with the use of video editing programs and audio editing software. When you go this route, the game becomes 1000x more fun, but only if you have the drive to do so.”
    • “MyCareer has more than enough replayability for me. If not in the linear story, then the towers that come in the mode challenge you as you progress, and new towers often come out every day, week, and PPV event.”
    • “Not great as the servers, but decent for replay value.”
  • emotional
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Users find the emotional aspect of the game to be a mixed experience; while some appreciate the emotional rollercoaster of the story mode, others feel disappointed by the lack of depth and engagement in the career mode, which has shifted focus away from the hard work of building a player's legacy. Overall, the emotional impact is diminished by the simplified narrative and reduced player agency.

    • “What an emotional rollercoaster! It made me cringe.”
    • “This year, my player does not have career mode, only a short story mode. My player is focused more on multiplayer, which I hate. There is no longer that hard work to win titles in career mode since 2K17; it's just a plain boring story. I can't form tags in career mode or anything—just a story, and that's it.”
  • character development
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development is praised for its extensive and well-defined character designer/creator, allowing for detailed customization. However, users express frustration with the reliance on a subpar web upload/download service for managing custom character designs.

    • “The character designer/creator is lengthy and well-defined, allowing for a deep level of customization.”
    • “The character development system is incredibly detailed, providing players with the tools to create unique and personalized avatars.”
    • “The character designer is lengthy and defined, but it feels like a chore to navigate.”
    • “I'm still forced to use a frustrating web upload/download service for all custom character designs.”
  • atmosphere
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game can be negatively impacted by the commentary team frequently referencing WWE, which may undermine the authenticity of a custom wrestling promotion designed to rival it. This constant mention can detract from the immersive experience players seek when creating their own unique wrestling environment.

    • “If you create a custom wrestling promotion aligned with WWE or as a rival promotion, just remember that the commentary team will mention WWE references throughout matches, which might kill your renegade promotion's atmosphere.”
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74%Critics’ scoreBased on 34 critic reviews
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41h Median play time
130h Average play time
8-195h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 8 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

WWE 2K19 is a sport game.

WWE 2K19 is available on Xbox Series X|S, PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4 and others.

On average players spend around 130 hours playing WWE 2K19.

WWE 2K19 was released on October 8, 2018.

WWE 2K19 was developed by Visual Concepts.

WWE 2K19 has received mostly positive reviews from both players and critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its stability.

WWE 2K19 is a single player game with multiplayer and local co-op support.

Similar games include WWE 2K18, WWE 2K17, WWE 2K16, WWE 2K20, WWE 2K22 and others.