Ever since its introduction to WWE in 2017, fans have been requesting 2K Games to bring the double-cage, double-ring, chaotic match to the WWE 2K series. While it took them longer than most of us wanted, finally, after 6 long years, WarGames will finally be making its long-awaited in-game debut in the franchise and it has us all excited.
WAAAARRRRGGGGAAMES!
In 2K's latest Ringside Report, they do a deep dive into the newest match type and detail how it works within the game proper. For starters, players will have a choice of doing 3v3 or 4v4 (sorry, folks, but there'll be no 3v3v3 like in 2017's NXT TakeOver: WarGames.)
However, a lot of thought was put into the translation of this match to the video game world. Because of some limitations, the team from 2K found other ways for the gameplay to be fun and enjoyable by adding features that would help players have an authentic but also enjoyable experience.
Similar to what can be seen during events, WarGames starts off with two competitors each and one team has the advantage. At regular intervals, alternating members of each team will join their team in the ring (the team that has the advantage gets to add one member first.) Once everybody has entered the match, WarGames officially begins. The only way to win the match is via pinfall or submission.
Similar to how 2K has programmed the Royal Rumble match, gamers will only be able to play WarGames in three arenas; NXT TakeOver: WarGames, Survivor Series: WarGames, and an unnamed MyRise-specific arena.
Now the juicy part about the news is the amount of customization the match allows. Players will have total control over a lot of aspects of the match which will most likely win fans over. Being able to pick who has the advantage is always great. Win conditions can be tweaked too, so if you want to just have it set as pinfalls only or submissions only, you're free to do so. Even the entrant intervals can be adjusted to give players more time to enjoy beating down their opponents.
One key takeaway from the report is that PlayStation and Steam players will only be able to play locally with just four players while Xbox will have six. While we can chalk that one up to hardware limitations, it's such a bummer not to be able to have eight humans in the same room in this momentous match. If you're looking to play with eight actual users, your only choice is to play online. Yes. WarGames is available for online play so that's at least a plus. Sadly, still no cross-platform play, but maybe next year, no?
The Ringside Report highlights a lot of unique animations and features introduced in this new match type. Definitely expect some hidden moves and environmental interactions that will look gnarly. Superstars will also be able to bring weapons inside WarGames which will add more variety to the match. On a personal note, I do wish Io Sky's signature trash can dive is added as it's such a cool spot to watch.
Lastly, the report also talks about the connecting part of the two rings which the team has dubbed "The Trench". While a short video showing heavy grapples was shown, we're hoping it's possible to do more moves to the ring than just a bunch of pre-selected moves. The high possibility is that it will function similarly to a Hell in a Cell match, wherein the moves you can do between the cell and the ring are limited. However, we're still wishing for more, if not all, front grapple at least.
With a March 17, 2023 release date, things are slowly shaping up for WWE fans everywhere. The latest iteration of WWE 2K will slowly start pumping out new features and news for the product, and we'll be here to see if WWE 2K23 is really #EvenStronger.
Photos and videos from WWE and 2K
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Miguel “The Migz” Llado is a musician, wrestling fan, and video game enthusiast. He lives his life tweeting his mind off (@the_migz) Instagramming random food items and locations (@tha_migz), and streaming videogames on Twitch (@the_migz) while he pursues his musical career via his YouTube channel (Migz Llado) and courtesy of his band The Mox (ThisIsTheMox). You can also add him on PSN (MigzLlado) to show your WWE 2K (or any PS4) skills.
