The roster is a vital part of any WWE game, as it not only impacts the variety of wrestlers available to players but also gives them a chance to shape the WWE in their image. From creating custom teams to pitting their favorite Legends against each other, getting the roster size and depth right is important to give players a complete experience, and this is where WWE 2K22 falls short. With its small roster size and the lack of Legends, WWE 2K22’s roster needs to be heavily improved for WWE 2K23 to be considered a great game.
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WWE 2K22’s Roster Size
At the heart of WWE 2K22’s roster struggle is the small roster size given to players at the launch of the game. The game comes loaded with a little over 180 superstars, and 220 following the release of the DLCs. While this number seems large for a wrestling game, it is considered small when compared to other WWE games released by 2K Games. WWE 2K19 and WWE 2K20 had much larger rosters at launch, and even though those games did not offer great gameplay, the variety available to players made them more appealing to fans.
WWE 2K19 had a 252-superstar roster and WWE 2K20 had over 260 superstars on its roster, spoiling the players for choice. These numbers include a long list of Legends that add a lot to the game in terms of nostalgic value and give the games a level of depth that is lacking in WWE 2K22. WWE 2K23 needs to learn from this and increase the number of superstars available to players at launch, with the DLCs adding significantly to the roster size.
Roster Depth
The size alone does not describe the lackluster roster of WWE 2K22, as the most disappointing part is the lack of Legends. With many notable absences that have been mainstay Legend additions to past games, such as Lita, Mr. Perfect, and Paul Bearer, WWE 2K22 fell massively short in this department. The Legends are extremely important in any WWE game, as they provide older fans with a sense of nostalgia and give younger fans an insight into the past of WWE.
Another big area where the WWE 2K22 is lacking compared to the other games in the franchise is the alternate versions of WWE superstars. In past games, players have had the opportunity to play as multiple versions of their favorite superstars, showing their progression as WWE superstars and giving fans an insight into the rich history they have in the company. However, with superstars like Triple H and Kane missing notable versions, WWE 2K22’s roster once more falls short compared to its predecessors.
WWE 2K22 is arguably one of the best WWE titles released by 2K Games and developer Visual Concepts, but though the game is miles ahead of anything else in the franchise, the poor roster, both in terms of size and depth, brings the whole game down. WWE 2K23 will need to ensure that it provides players with a larger pool of superstars, alternative versions of important superstars, and a long list of legends to show improvements and be considered a better WWE 2K game.
WWE 2K22 is available for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.
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