WWE 2K23 is set to release on March 17, and as we inch closer to the game’s final release, more and more details are starting to emerge. Yesterday, we found out what DLC packages the developers had in store for folks after the initial release. Now, we’re going to find out more about two of the most essential features WWE 2K23 has to offer: MyGM mode and its detailed creation suite.
Last week, I was lucky enough to participate in a deep-dive session with the developers, where they shared detailed information about what changes are in store for gamers in this year’s game. Here’s everything I learned about WWE 2K23‘s MyGM mode and creation suite.
MyGM
The first significant change to WWE 2K23 is the number of general managers available in MyGM. Last year, there were only four GMs you could play with. Those GMs were Adam Pearce, Sonya Deville, Shane, and Stephanie McMahon. This year, five new general managers have been added, including Xavier Woods, Tyler Breeze, Kurt Angle, Eric Bischoff, and my favorite, Mick Foley. Xavier Woods and Tyler Breeze had input on the game, according to 2K’s developers.
Additionally, two new brands were added to this year’s game. The first new brand, and the most obvious, is WWE’s little brother, NXT 2.0. I’ve always enjoyed watching the “superstars of tomorrow” battle it out. And honestly, old-school NXT helped me fall back in love with wrestling (NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia being the specific event that brought me back). This is definitely something I’m excited about, and I think fans will be too. The other new brand is WCW. So if it was ever your dream to take control of Eric Bischoff and prevent the inevitable downfall of WCW, now is your chance.
Whoever you choose or whichever brand you ultimately takeover, the one goal remains the same, become a Hall of Fame general manager.
New Match Types And Challenges
Maybe the biggest game-changer of them all, however, is the addition of several new match types. This year if you want to battle inside an unforgiving steel cage, you can do that. Want to sanction a backstage brawl or falls count anywhere match with two of your feuding superstars? Yep, it’s in there too. 2K23 has also added Submission, Tornado Tag, Iron Man, Last Man Standing matches, and more!
Another new feature that should have 2K fans excited is the ability to play unlimited seasons in MyGM. As stated above, the goal is to eventually become a Hall of Fame general manager. By doing this, you complete challenges throughout your journey, unlocking different trophies along the way. Earn 10 trophies, and you become part of the WWE’s historic Hall of Fame.
Additionally, there will now be different things that impact things, including backstage drama, roster shakeups, and more.
Creation Suite
On the creation side, gamers will be excited to hear that there are over 600 new parts to use when creating their favorite wrestlers. Furthermore, 2K promises to give creators more freedom, “allowing users to create content that looks just as good as the WWE superstars we have full control over.” This means you can, if you want, make a Jon Moxley or CM Punk character that looks eerily similar to the 2K games of old. The developers used an example from MyRise where, in the past, you could see a clear difference between the CAW and 2K’s stars. But now, if you can dream it, you can make it.
Create-an-arena has added a dozen new sets, stages, and props for you to use when trying to recreate some of your most iconic venues. Best of all, you can now download these arenas online. This is big news for the 2K community because, as the developers mentioned, it’s the community that keeps the longevity of this game going in between releases. And for those people who may feel overwhelmed by all the arena creation options, 2K has added a significant amount of new templates to get you started. These arenas are nearly complete but allow creators to change things to their liking.
Create-An-Entrance
Before last year’s installment of WWE 2K22, gamers were able to create an entrance for their favorite WWE Superstars and created wrestlers. The feature was great and added a particular dynamic of realism to CAWs. But unfortunately, as I learned during my developer sessions, there were too many flaws with the script to bring it back to 2K22. Fortunately, all of that has changed this year, as the developers have discovered the perfect coding to make everything run the way it should. They even went as far as saying they made it bigger and better.
So, if you were hoping to make your Kenny Omega create a wrestler as accurately is possible, now is your chance. Best of all? They’re going to continue to improve this feature year after year.
Developer Q&A On MyGM
Question: “Will multi-man matches and secondary titles eventually become available? Or are they strictly exclusive to singles and tag-team matches?”
Answer: “We do have secondary titles in this version. We have up to four-player matches, as well. Once we start to introduce all permutations of match types that we have in the game, things get a lot more complicated in terms of interface and in terms of roster size for our GMs to manage. So it gets a lot more complicated. But the goal is to become completely 100% parity with the rest of the game eventually. So hopefully, at some point, we’ll have people booking the craziest types of matches possible in MyGM as well. But right now, we did expand it up to four ways, and secondary are available as well.”
Bottom Line
While we did not get to play the game for this event, it’s fair to say WWE 2K23 is rounding into form. Not only have they made big changes to the MyGM mode with the addition of five new general managers, a ton of new match types, and the ability to play multiple seasons, but they’ve now given people even more customization options than ever before. They even brought back a new and improved create-an-entrance, which was severely missed a year ago. Create-an-arena is also changing the game by allowing gamers to jump online and download their favorite stages and setups.
