WWE 2K22

About

WWE 2K22 offers exciting wrestling action with a variety of game modes, including the Deluxe Edition's additional Undertaker characters and Season Pass. The nWo 4-Life Edition takes it to the next level with playable nWo Superstars, arenas, the nWo Wolfpac Championship, and MyFACTION content. Experience authentic WWE action with an extensive roster and immersive atmosphere.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Local Multi-Player Play with friends in the same physical space using split-screen or multiple screens
2-Players Play with one other player, either online or locally, in a cooperative or competitive game mode
Multi-Player Compete or cooperate with other players online
Co-Op Team up with friends to complete levels or missions together
Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo
PvP Player versus Player - Fight against other players in real-time, often in arena-style combat
Split Screen Play with multiple players on the same screen, often with divided or shared screen real estate

72%

Audience ScoreBased on 10,272 reviews

gameplay479 positive mentions

stability537 negative mentions

gameplay
1,200 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
54%
6%
The gameplay of WWE 2K22 has received mixed reviews, with many praising its improvements over previous installments, particularly in fluidity and responsiveness, as well as the introduction of a new combo system that enhances the wrestling experience. However, players have also reported significant issues, including bugs, crashes, and frustrating mechanics that detract from the overall enjoyment. While the game offers a variety of modes and engaging graphics, the stability and depth of gameplay remain points of contention among users.
- “WWE 2K22 brings the action and drama of professional wrestling to the gaming world with fun gameplay that captures the spirit of the sport.”
- “The gameplay is incredibly fun and engaging, with intuitive controls that make it easy to pull off impressive moves and combos.”
- “With its excellent graphics, engaging gameplay, and wealth of content, WWE 2K22 is one of the best wrestling games out there and definitely worth picking up.”
- “If it's not a bug closing the game, it's the dumb mechanics, awful AI, useless balancing, and the terrible controls just make the whole experience frustrating at some point... ever since 2K16...”
- “The gameplay gets old very fast, even though it's fast-paced.”
- “The mechanics of the game are trash!”
graphics
1,111 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
48%
49%
4%
The graphics in WWE 2K22 have received significant praise for their stunning visuals, detailed character models, and improved animations, marking a notable upgrade from previous installments. However, many players have reported persistent technical issues, including the frustrating "graphics device removed" error, which can render the game unplayable. Overall, while the graphical fidelity is impressive, the experience is marred by bugs and performance inconsistencies, leading to mixed reviews on the game's visual quality.
- “The game's graphics capture the spectacle of the WWE with a level of detail that makes you wonder if the wrestlers ever get tired of seeing themselves in high definition.”
- “The graphics and animations are impressive, making the in-ring action look more authentic than ever.”
- “The graphics are stunning, with realistic character models and smooth animations that bring the wrestlers to life in the ring.”
- “The graphics are terrible for a 2K game; the wrestling is terrible, and I picked it up because it was on sale, for sure not like the old games I played as a kid.”
- “Graphics are extremely outdated, so not even the looks save this technical mess.”
- “Literally unplayable; the game is plagued with 'graphics device removed gpu not responding' crashes.”
story
806 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
72%
8%
The story aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding the "MyRise" mode to be a highlight due to its branching storylines and character customization options. However, criticisms include a lack of cohesive narrative, repetitive missions, and underwhelming character interactions, leading to a feeling of disconnection from the overarching story. While some players appreciate the humor and drama reminiscent of a soap opera, others express disappointment over the absence of meaningful choices and engaging plot development.
- “The story mode is like an epic soap opera with a humorous twist.”
- “You'll embark on a journey that's more dramatic than a daytime TV show, complete with rivalries, absurd promos, and the kind of plot twists that would make Shakespeare roll in his grave.”
- “It's a chance to create your own hilarious storylines, to perform jaw-dropping stunts, and to experience the over-the-top drama of the WWE.”
- “I mean, I play these games for the story, and as far as story goes, this game barely has any.”
- “The story mode is just do the objective, except the controls don't work properly 90 percent of the time or the target is protected by lazy iframe inputs, making you do the same thing over and over.”
- “Just really boring, story makes no sense.. it's not even a story, it's just a bunch of scenarios.”
stability
562 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
4%
1%
96%
The stability of the game has been widely criticized, with numerous reports of bugs, glitches, and crashes affecting gameplay across various modes, particularly on PC. While some players have noted improvements compared to previous titles, many still experience significant issues, including freezing during matches and long loading times. Overall, the game is described as a "buggy mess," with calls for better support and patches to address these ongoing problems.
- “The game runs great, the models and animations are very good compared to the previous installments, and overall, the gameplay mechanics just work even with the new (yet very weird) control scheme.”
- “Looks stunning and runs great with very minimal bugs and issues.”
- “The game is very fun, the controls are easy, and there are nearly no glitches.”
- “The game is buggy and crashing randomly.”
- “Game crashes like crazy, already crashed around 10 times within 2 hours of gameplay, unplayable like this, wwe games are famous either for glitches or crashes, heard good reviews about this game, only thing which improved is the gameplay and graphics, crash issues are still there, devs needs to fix this stuff, if game keeps crashing in between matches it becomes impossible to play this game.”
- “This game is a buggy mess and is unplayable as delivered.”
music
237 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
70%
11%
The music in the WWE games has received mixed reviews, with many players expressing disappointment over the lack of custom entrance music and a limited soundtrack that quickly becomes repetitive. While some appreciate the inclusion of popular tracks and the ability to modify music on PC, others criticize the absence of iconic themes and the overall quality of the in-game music, describing it as "trash" or "average." Overall, the soundtrack is seen as a significant area needing improvement, especially in comparison to past titles.
- “Graphically, this game is amazing, the soundtrack has a great mix of metal, rock, and hip hop, the gameplay overhaul makes all of the mechanics of wrestling a breeze and the action in the squared circle has never felt more fluid.”
- “The character creator is honestly great, not only can you customize all your moves with a ton of options, but the fact you can get characters, titantrons, and music from the player gallery and import them into your game is amazing.”
- “It's a great game because after 2 years it is a little updated as far as music and attires.”
- “Pls don't buy this or any WWE game; it is full of bugs, and music starts playing in the middle of a match out of nowhere.”
- “This game is terrible, a downgrade from what it used to be; sure, you get a couple of new things including terrible music, but it's not enough to make this thing even playable.”
- “The biggest drawback is the lack of certain theme songs that have been in nearly every version, like the DX theme, which is the biggest single sin the game has committed.”
optimization
144 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
52%
29%
The optimization of WWE 2K22 has received mixed reviews, with many players noting significant performance issues, particularly on PC, including frequent crashes, stuttering, and long loading times. While some updates have improved aspects of the game, many users still report it as poorly optimized compared to console versions, leading to a frustrating experience overall. Despite these issues, some players appreciate the graphics and gameplay improvements over its predecessor, WWE 2K20.
- “Huge improvement from 2K20, amazing optimization, no bugs at all (at least I haven't encountered any) and just actually playable now.”
- “This game is so much fun; at first, I did not know how I would feel from the complete departure from the original gameplay mechanics and controls, but it's actually a welcome change and a much-needed one at that. It's very well optimized for PC and performs and looks spectacular.”
- “Update 3 (7.3.22): Patch 1.15 has provided several much-needed improvements to loading times and optimizations, especially regarding universe mode and customized (created) characters.”
- “There seems to have been absolutely no optimization for this game on PC at all.”
- “It is a buggy, unoptimized mess of a game.”
- “The biggest drawback for me is the clunky and poorly optimized menus; loading anything takes an eternity.”
humor
102 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is widely appreciated, with players finding joy in its absurdity, hilarious glitches, and over-the-top storylines reminiscent of soap operas. Custom character creations and unexpected in-game scenarios, such as bizarre matchups and AI antics, contribute to a fun and often laugh-out-loud experience. Despite some technical issues, the game's self-aware humor and the ability to create ridiculous situations keep players entertained.
- “It's where body slams, suplexes, and top-rope maneuvers meet the absurd, the unexpected, and the downright hilarious.”
- “The game knows the story is trash, but presents itself with such great humor it made me cry some tears.”
- “You'll enjoy the gameplay, you'll find it's wacky customizations hilarious and will have a blast putting cat ears on the Undertaker, or downloading Donald Trump off community creations and having him wrestle Batman.”
monetization
86 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
5%
40%
56%
The monetization strategy in the game has been widely criticized as a blatant cash grab, particularly through the MyFaction mode, which is seen as riddled with microtransactions and designed to exploit players' desire for card packs. Many users report that the game is plagued by bugs and crashes, further exacerbating frustrations with its monetization tactics. While some aspects of the game are enjoyable, the overwhelming focus on in-game purchases and limited customization options has left players feeling exploited and disappointed.
- “The monetization of parts of the game are quarantined so you don't really have to interact with them if you don't want to.”
- “There is so much content and other stuff to unlock by just playing the game; there are only a few little things I felt were missing, and the microtransactions are not necessary to enjoy.”
- “The monetization is actually fairly good, but opens itself up to being as much of a cash grab as other sports games in future titles.”
- “MyFaction is a cash grab that for some reason the devs decided to lock certain wrestlers in so we can't use them outside of the mode.”
- “Game just crashes constantly, there are microtransactions in a $60 game, they limit how many characters you can download and then many of them don't even work.”
- “MyFaction: a scummy pay-to-win mode that pushes advertisements for every new booster pack down your throat every time you start up the game.”
grinding
70 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
4%
19%
77%
The grinding aspect of the game has received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with players describing it as tedious, boring, and excessively time-consuming. Modes like MyFaction and MyRise are criticized for their grindy nature, often requiring players to invest countless hours for minimal rewards, which detracts from the overall enjoyment and sense of achievement. While some players find the grind addictive, many feel it is a ploy to encourage microtransactions, leading to frustration and a lack of meaningful progression.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The MyFaction mode (the 'Ultimate Team' mode) is nothing but a grindy, horrible, and boring mode where barely anything is different from normal matches except challenges that are randomly assigned, so much so that they may actually be impossible to complete in the match due to the wrestler or environment you are in.”
- “MyFaction is extremely grindy, so if you want any cards, be prepared to sweat for them with countless hours to get just one you want.”
- “It's counterintuitive and killed any sense of payoff for grinding.”
replayability
60 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
62%
7%
The game's replayability is a mixed bag, with many players praising modes like Universe and MyRise for their depth and potential for extended play, particularly in multiplayer settings. However, some users express frustration over a lack of content and the need for more playable characters, which can lead to burnout. Overall, while there is significant replay value, especially in co-op play, many feel that improvements and additional content are necessary to sustain long-term engagement.
- “Great game with lots of replay value.”
- “Endless hours of replay value, and endless hours of sleep loss.”
- “Being able to add your custom characters to the MyGM rosters was a very good decision, and makes it almost infinitely replayable.”
- “It's just you burn out after a while and you're better off just getting a non-2K game instead since they're more replayable.”
- “- little replayability and the lack of connection between storylines lead to hollow victories.”
- “They shut down all servers, including community creations which is the only thing that gives this excuse for a wrestling game replayability.”
emotional
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
82%
18%
The emotional aspect of the game receives mixed reviews, with some players finding moments of genuine connection and heartfelt storytelling, particularly in the showcase mode that honors Eddie Guerrero. However, many criticize the overall narrative as lackluster and uninspiring, leading to a disconnection from the game's story and characters. While humor occasionally elicits emotional responses, the repetitive gameplay and uninspired career mode detract from a more profound emotional experience.
- “Ultimately it made me feel like my characters were mine.”
- “- entertaining and heartfelt showcase mode”
- “Especially the first few matches that explore his relationship towards Eddie Guerrero are very emotional, even incorporating the raw episode after Eddie's passing which was especially heartbreaking.”
- “The content is the same button smashing thing of the past; the career has a boring story (well, that at least corresponds with the real WWE at the moment...).”
- “I wish there were more than just a boring story mode.”
atmosphere
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
38%
25%
The atmosphere in the game is generally praised for its immersive qualities, stunning visuals, and engaging sound effects that create a gripping experience. Players report feeling intense emotions, such as excitement and tension, particularly during key moments like character entrances. However, some users express a desire for a more realistic atmosphere to enhance their overall experience.
- “The atmosphere is definitely there; I was actually rooting and shaking when I saw the warrior's entrance for the first time. OMG, the energy!”
- “The atmosphere was spot on, with a gripping storyline, immersive sound effects, and a sense of tension that kept me on the edge of my seat.”
- “The game has stunning visuals, great gameplay, and an immersive atmosphere that kept me engaged for hours.”
- “Only thing I want is a more realistic atmosphere when playing the game.”
- “Myrise plays like HCTP story mode, giving you locations to visit in a menu-like atmosphere while allowing you to chat with people in a bar or the GM office to start a storyline.”
character development
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
The reviews indicate a significant lack of character development, with characters portrayed as immature and unlikable. The overall story and character design are described as mediocre, contributing to a negative perception of the game. Many users express disappointment, suggesting that the game fails to engage players on a meaningful level.
- “No character development; everyone is acting like they are 13-year-old sweaty bullies.”
- “Worst game of 2022; should've refunded it when I had the chance. Waste of money, co-op is bad, broken controls, bad character design, etc. Do not buy this game; even 2K17 was better than this.”