Skip to main content

WWE 2K23

WWE 2K23 is without a doubt the best the series has been in years, with solid gameplay and tons of fantastic modes to enjoy.
79%Game Brain Score
story, gameplay
stability, grinding
77% User Score Based on 9,594 reviews
Critic Score 80%Based on 46 reviews

Platforms

PCPCXboxXboxXbox Series X|SXbox Series X|SPlaystation 5Playstation 5Playstation 4Playstation 4WindowsWindowsPlayStationPlayStationXbox OneXbox One

About

"WWE 2K23 Bad Bunny Edition and Bundle offer a unique experience for fans, featuring Bad Bunny as a playable character in his Backlash ‘23 appearance, exclusive EVO MyFACTION cards, themed shirts and customizations, and VC packs. Immerse yourself in the world of wrestling with these special editions."

WWE 2K23 screenshot
WWE 2K23 screenshot
WWE 2K23 screenshot
WWE 2K23 screenshot
WWE 2K23 screenshot
WWE 2K23 screenshot
WWE 2K23 screenshot
WWE 2K23 screenshot
WWE 2K23 screenshot
WWE 2K23 screenshot
WWE 2K23 screenshot
+4

77%
Audience ScoreBased on 9,640 reviews
story218 positive mentions
stability271 negative mentions

  • story
    798 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story aspect of WWE 2K23 has received mixed reviews, with some players praising the engaging narratives in the "MyRise" mode, particularly the female storyline, while others criticize the overall execution as lacking depth and creativity. Many users noted issues with bugs and unskippable cutscenes that detract from the experience, alongside a desire for more player agency and customization in storytelling. Overall, while there are enjoyable elements, the story modes are often seen as repetitive and underwhelming compared to past entries in the series.

    • “The mode offers a mix of historical footage, cinematic cutscenes, and gameplay moments that are skillfully woven together to tell Cena’s story in a highly engaging way.”
    • “With a robust roster of 246 superstars and engaging storylines in MyRise, this installment combines nostalgia with innovation, making it a must-play for wrestling fans.”
    • “The storytelling in this mode is immersive, with plenty of twists and turns to keep you invested.”
    • “The story is not only short, but also really uninteresting apart from one specific part where you recruit superstars.”
    • “The story is a joke.”
    • “The game's career mode also lacks depth and replay value, with repetitive objectives and limited storytelling options that fail to engage players in meaningful ways.”
  • gameplay
    758 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of WWE 2K23 has received mixed reviews, with many praising its smoother mechanics, improved graphics, and engaging modes that enhance the wrestling experience. However, players have also noted issues such as frustrating controls, bugs, and a convoluted countering system that detracts from the overall enjoyment. While some find the gameplay fun and immersive, others criticize it for being overly complex and plagued by technical problems, making it a polarizing title among fans.

    • “The gameplay in 'WWE 2K23' feels smoother and more responsive than in previous installments, focusing on delivering a more realistic wrestling experience.”
    • “WWE 2K23 successfully revitalizes the franchise with its engaging gameplay, stunning visuals, and a wealth of content.”
    • “With its refined gameplay mechanics, expansive modes, and impressive graphics, the game offers an authentic wrestling experience that is both fun and faithful to WWE's theatrics.”
    • “It'd be hilarious if it wasn't sad how bad the gameplay design is - of the many examples I'll pick split-second countering icons with no warning, button mashing, and w+o to escape hell cage when it could've been situational/positional single key press.”
    • “Terrible gameplay and bugs, same generic moves and locks, but shouldn't expect anything less than 2K games so best to avoid their sport games... also online play soon closing so would avoid it.”
    • “The gameplay feels incredibly janky and unrealistic. I get that 2K23 is supposed to be more arcadey than 2K19 was, but the matches flow terribly and the jankiness of the gameplay can be rage-inducing.”
  • graphics
    582 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics in WWE 2K23 have received widespread praise for their impressive quality and realism, with many reviewers noting significant improvements over previous installments. While the visuals are often described as stunning and immersive, some players have pointed out inconsistencies in character models and occasional graphical glitches. Overall, the game is recognized for its enhanced graphical fidelity, contributing to a more engaging wrestling experience.

    • “WWE 2K23 successfully revitalizes the franchise with its engaging gameplay, stunning visuals, and a wealth of content.”
    • “The graphics are amazing, the control system is easy to grasp making it a really fun experience.”
    • “WWE 2K23 delivers an electrifying wrestling experience with its realistic graphics and engaging gameplay.”
    • “Ps3-era graphics with slow gameplay and tons of loading screens.”
    • “The game is somewhat fun but the facial expressions and the graphics overall are atrocious.”
    • “Literally the worst game ever made, horrible mechanics, horrible graphics for a 2023 game, horrible everything.”
  • stability
    295 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The stability of WWE 2K23 has received mixed feedback, with many players reporting numerous bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay, particularly in online modes and custom features. While some users noted improvements over previous titles, such as better performance and fewer crashes, the game still suffers from significant technical issues that detract from the overall experience. Overall, players should expect a game that is entertaining but plagued by stability problems.

    • “Great game with no obvious flaws, no glitches or crashes; works perfectly.”
    • “No glitches so far, and gameplay and menu speeds are much better in this latest installment.”
    • “The game runs great on the Steam Deck, even though it's showing as unsupported.”
    • “But ultimately this is a buggy, slow, and frustrating game that only the hardcore wrestling fans would enjoy.”
    • “The engine is so buggy that arms and legs get stuck in any part of the ring in almost every match.”
    • “It is an absolute buggy mess, the hit and grapple detection is terrible, the my rise mode is full of boring and annoying unskippable cutscenes that are awful, it crashes at random all the time in other modes with no explanation.”
  • music
    240 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is a mixed bag, with some praising the authentic entrance themes and licensed tracks that enhance the overall atmosphere, while others criticize the lack of customization options and the repetitive, generic background music during matches. Many players express disappointment over the inability to use custom soundtracks or certain iconic themes, which detracts from the immersion and excitement of the gameplay. Overall, while the soundtrack features some notable artists, the limitations on music customization and the quality of the main menu music leave much to be desired.

    • “Entrance music and crowd chants are faithfully represented, adding to the authenticity of each match.”
    • “In addition, the game’s soundtrack features licensed tracks that add energy to the menus and create a vibe that resonates with WWE's larger-than-life personality.”
    • “Really fun game, the best part is the immersion of the superstars being really accurate to their real-life counterparts, especially their theme songs playing; it's super fun.”
    • “Only thing keeping it from a 9 is the god-awful soundtrack.”
    • “The showcase mode is the biggest disappointment of 2k23, it has no commentary and instead it plays a background music that I guarantee you will get tired of within the first 30 seconds.”
    • “They completely ruin the immersion, not to mention that the music used is awful and sounds very generic.”
  • humor
    90 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with many players finding it genuinely funny, especially in multiplayer settings and through community creations that allow for absurd character combinations and scenarios. While some critiques focus on the game's design flaws, they often highlight the comedic potential in its glitches and over-the-top elements, making it a source of laughter rather than frustration. Overall, the game is seen as entertainingly silly, with a charm that resonates particularly well among friends.

    • “The customization is hilarious.”
    • “When it does work, the game is fun and the MyRise mode has some hilarious moments.”
    • “I'm playing with my non-wrestling-fan boyfriend, and seeing someone so casually giving the NXT belt to John Cena before booking a Shinsuke Nakamura/Brock Lesnar vs. Doink the Clown/Gunter rivalry is just hilarious - but still better booking than a ton of current WWE stuff.”
  • optimization
    89 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The optimization of WWE 2K23 has received mixed reviews, with some players praising improved graphics and smoother performance compared to its predecessor, WWE 2K22. However, many users report significant issues, particularly on PC, including bugs, crashes, and poorly optimized menus that hinder character customization. Overall, while some players experience a well-optimized game, others face frustrating performance problems, especially in online modes.

    • “Looks great with performance to match, CAWs look extra amazing this year & closest to in-game models, hard to tell the difference at times even and CAW mode is more fun and loads items quickly and overall improved from 2K22.”
    • “Amazingly optimized, so thank you for not screwing us PC players like some other major publishers.”
    • “It runs smoothly without any lags, and they clearly optimized the game as they learned from their past mistakes.”
    • “It's just a console port with no optimization for PC.”
    • “If your game is that poorly optimized that my saves have corrupted twice, then you need to hire new programmers.”
    • “Overall decent game, terribly optimized.”
  • grinding
    56 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players consistently describe the grinding aspect of the game as excessively tedious and time-consuming, often requiring a significant investment of effort with little reward. Many reviews highlight the soul-crushing nature of grinding in gacha modes and the repetitive nature of objectives, leading to frustration and a loss of interest. Overall, the grinding experience is seen as a major drawback, detracting from the enjoyment of the game.

    • “A bit grindy... sometimes.”
    • “One long, tedious grind.”
    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “It's a grindy game, but I don't bother going there because I lost interest after a couple of weeks.”
    • “So there is no payoff, no reward, just grinding dumb fights over and over to get more packs to try to get the 'good' cards that are all duplicates of the same 10 wrestlers.”
    • “What should be a fun little nostalgia trip turns into a tedious pain in the ass that I would refuse to deal with if there was any other way to unlock the content behind it.”
  • replayability
    36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game's replayability is mixed, with some modes like MyRise and dynamic storytelling offering enjoyable experiences, while others, such as career mode and MyFaction, suffer from repetitive objectives and limited engagement. The modding community has potential to enhance replay value, but current restrictions hinder its effectiveness. Players express a desire for more content and longer online support to improve the overall replayability of the game.

    • “The dynamic storytelling and the ability to shape the WWE universe according to player preferences contribute to an enjoyable and replayable experience.”
    • “Very addicting and endless replayability.”
    • “Myrise has two incredible storylines to partake in, and they are quite replayable.”
    • “The game's career mode also lacks depth and replay value, with repetitive objectives and limited storytelling options that fail to engage players in meaningful ways.”
    • “Replay value for this game (and 2K22 before it) is pretty low by wrestling game standards.”
    • “Showcase mode was a fun trip down memory lane through John Cena's career, although it is probably the weakest mode due to little to no replay value and some very tedious objectives.”
  • monetization
    31 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The monetization strategy in the game has drawn significant criticism, with many players feeling that the heavy reliance on microtransactions, particularly in modes like MyFaction, detracts from the overall experience. Users describe the game as overpriced, with in-game purchases and DLCs seen as cash grabs rather than meaningful enhancements. Additionally, the presence of pervasive advertising and lengthy loading times further frustrates players, leading to a general sentiment that the focus on monetization overshadows the game's quality and enjoyment.

    • “MyFaction makes a return in 2K23... an excuse to add microtransactions to the game disguised as top trumps.”
    • “The roster is expansive, though microtransactions may feel somewhat intrusive in a manner familiar to yearly sports titles.”
    • “This just feels so gross with the microtransactions, and everything being a card, and there’s a lot of itemization even if not everything is paid for by cash.”
    • “Overpriced game, overpriced DLC, incredibly overpriced in-game purchases.”
  • emotional
    20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The emotional responses to the game reveal a mix of frustration and disappointment, particularly regarding the repetitive and uninspired storylines, as well as technical issues like corrupted save files. While some players appreciate the creative aspects and community contributions, many express a sense of loss and disillusionment, feeling that their investment in the game is undermined by its shortcomings. Overall, the emotional experience is marred by a combination of technical failures and lackluster narrative engagement.

    • “The creative storylines, the subpar voice acting, but at least this one made me feel involved again.”
    • “Every year the same thing happens: you put hours and hours into making custom stuff and forcing yourself through the boring story stuff to unlock everything, only for one single file to get corrupted because you deleted it normally like you would any other file, and you lose everything.”
    • “I think they could have made the game better, played it for some time, same old boring storyline on my rise, expected more.”
    • “Congratulations, you get another bland and boring story.”
  • atmosphere
    10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    WWE 2K23 successfully captures the vibrant atmosphere of a live WWE event, featuring lively crowd reactions and engaging commentary that enhance the overall experience. While some moments, like the delayed crowd response after a finishing move, can detract from the immersion, the game's fluid movement and exciting gameplay contribute to a fun and dynamic atmosphere. Overall, it is praised as a well-crafted masterpiece in terms of atmosphere and gameplay.

    • “This game is a true masterpiece, with every aspect, from the gameplay to the atmosphere, graphics, and story, expertly crafted.”
    • “The movement is extremely fluid, the fighting is crisp, and the atmosphere is a lot of fun to play in.”
    • “Most attempts to recreate atmosphere fall completely flat - your final finishing move for example ending in silence until a few seconds when the crowd and commentator realize you've won.”
    • “Yeah no, ok, the original wrestler entrances have more atmosphere with the crowd compared to 2k19.”
    • “WWE 2K23 nails the atmosphere of a WWE event, from the raucous crowd reactions to the dynamic commentary that adds to the excitement.”
  • character development
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development in the game is enhanced through a career mode that allows players to experience a journey as a rising superstar, featuring branching storylines and social media interactions that contribute to character growth and narrative depth.

    • “The career mode allows players to embark on a journey as a rising superstar, complete with branching storylines and character development.”

Buy WWE 2K23

45h Median play time
79h Average play time
21-110h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 46 analyzed playthroughs

Videos

Games Like WWE 2K23

WWE 2K24 Image
WWE 2K22 Image
WWE 2K19 Image
WWE 2K16 Image
WWE 2K20 Image
WWE 2K18 Image
WWE 2K25 Image
WWE 2K17 Image
NBA 2K16 Image
Madden NFL 23 Image