Last year was challenging for WWE 2K15, as console generation transitions often are for sports sims. On top of the challenges that come with re-building an established franchise to meet the expectations that come with new hardware, Visual Concepts and Yukes opted to radically change the gameplay direction of the long-running wrestling series. It was a lot to handle, and while our WWE 2K15 review gave it a lot of credit for improving the depth and overall pacing of matches, there was a lot of missing meat in terms of the roster and feature set. After sitting down with 2K and Visual Concepts, it's clear that bridging that content gap while continuing to make matches feel more like the real thing is the gameplan for WWE 2K16.

Probably the biggest piece of news is the roster, which will top out at over 120 unique playable characters. I asked what "unique" meant exactly, and I liked the answer: that in most cases, it means an actually different person, not several different versions of the same character. If the same performer has two completely different gimmicks, those would be counted as separate unique characters, but the same wrestler from different eras wouldn't count towards that 120. So, completely hypothetically, Dude Love, Cactus Jack, and Mankind would represent three unique characters, but 90s Triple H and current Triple H would actually be just one. Again, no confirmation about any of those names/eras, but hopefully that illustrates just how big this roster is gonna be. And yes, we already know that there will be current NXT members on the roster. Finn Bálor fans rejoice!

What I'm most pleased with personally, is that they aren't turning back with the changes they've made to match pacing and overall gameplay - in fact, they're pushing further in the "simulation" direction. Chain grappling is back, and there are more transitions and moves now to reflect the abilities of the wrestlers involved. Chain grapples are also now impacted more by your wrestler's attribute values, and there can even be ties, resulting in breaks or cheap parting shots. More exciting is the addition of "working" grapples where the initiating wrestler can rest up and get some stamina back while draining his opponent's. It's a neat way of taking an element of in-ring performance and turning it into a useful gameplay mechanic.

Reversals have long been a tough to balance element, either turning matches into a never-ending chain of non-moves, or being so tricky to use that one player ends up watching helplessly as they get beat to a pulp for minutes at a time. This year, two huge changes to how reversals work may actually solve the issue once and for all. You start each match with a limited stock of reversals. Once you use one, it will slowly regenerate over time, meaning that if you try to counter every move thrown your way, you'll be out in no time flat, leaving you completely vulnerable until one regenerates. What's more, you can now pass on your initial chance to reverse a move at its startup, and instead attempt a mosre difficult to time "major" reversal mid-move. It will cost you two reversal stocks, but the effects can be match-changing, debuffing your opponent in a variety of possible ways and giving you time to really turn things around.

That's it for the big gameplay additions, though there's a bunch of small, significant additions that are either all-new, or a much needed return for something 2K15 was missing. Let's round up the rest of what's been revealed about 2K16:

MyCareer is back, and this time it goes a lot further, all the way to you gaining admission to the WWE Hall of Fame.
Create a Diva, Create a Show, Create an Arena, and Create a Championship are back in!
WWE Universe: Wrestlers can now be booked to multiple shows
Online has been "overhauled."
Three-man commentary team, with John "Bradshaw" Layfield joining King and Cole.
Ladder, handicap, and tornado tag match types added back in.
No loading screens between entrances, and you can assault opponents during their entrance!
Improved ref and manager AI.

So that's all I've found out about WWE 2K16 so far. With any luck, I'll get a chance to actually play it myself in the coming weeks so I can tell you how well all this new stuff translates in practice.

They need to improve WWE Universe IMO. It's a pretty cool mode but they should add a more competitive aspect to it, kinda like what they did in some of the SvR games.

Also, it was quicker/easier to get through shows back then. It takes longer to create matches & shows in these WWE 2K games.

Not sure how I feel about the limited reversals tbh. Though it might be implemented well, I feel that might fuck some people over...

what is create-a-show? is it going to be a replacement for story designer? Whatever as long as I can get some cut scenes and shit for the caw show

Create-A-Show was on the older Smackdown games on the PS. Those were interesting. I always enjoyed having Hardcore Holly vs Paul Bearer for the WWE Championship.

All of the creation features (including create-a-diva) and match types were actually in WWE 2K15 last gen

PS3 proud user, tbh

Create-a-show turns out to be a default arena editor. So you can edit the raw arena and save it and everytime you pick raw you get your reedited raw

2K Sports has released a breakdown of the features you can expect from WWE 2K16 when the game hits store shelves on October 27th. We obviously can’t go over this list in detail during an episode of our Got Game Radio Show since it would be a discussion so dry that it would turn your car’s radio to dust. That’s why we’re posting the whole thing here for you read at your pleasure.

In addition, 2K Sports is giving us our first look at WWE 2K16‘s visuals through screenshots (sprinkled throughout this blog post) and b-roll video (which we don’t have because we’re a radio station‘s website). WWE 2K16 is currently in development for Xbox One and Xbox 360, as well as the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3.

Here is the list of things 2K Sports is changing for their next WWE game:

Largest Roster Ever: Offering more than 120 unique playable characters, including cover Superstar Stone Cold Steve Austin alongside Seth Rollins, Daniel Bryan, Dean Ambrose, Bad News Barrett, Paige and Finn Bálor, WWE 2K16 includes the largest roster in WWE games history
The roster contains an unprecedented combination of current WWE Superstars and Divas, emerging NXT talent, WWE Hall of Famers and WWE alumni from multiple eras
Pre-Order to get Arnold Schwarzenegger as The Terminator: Fans who pre-order WWE 2K16 at any participating retailer will receive two exclusive playable versions of Arnold Schwarzenegger as the Terminator:
T-800 from The Terminator and T-800 from Terminator 2: Judgment Day
2K Showcase: The franchise’s popular story-based mode returns in WWE 2K16, enabling players to relive iconic matches and moments in WWE history. Along the way, they will complete objectives to unlock legendary characters, entrance and ring gear, match types and unlockables.
MyCareer: The franchise’s career-driven mode, now in its second year, will see players define their legacies by making critical choices while rising through the ranks from NXT to WWE to earn a spot in the WWE Hall of Fame. In addition, they will train, compete against others, conduct personality-driven interviews, interfere with rivals and/or form the ultimate tag team.
Creation Suite: Building on last year’s foundation, WWE 2K16’s Creation Suite deepens the player’s arsenal with new feature options, including Create a Diva, Create a Championship, Create an Arena, and Create a Show. Key improvements have also been made to existing fan-favorite offerings, including Create a Superstar, Create an Entrance, Superstar Studio and Community Creations.
WWE Universe: WWE 2K16 makes core improvements to stories, rivals and match card selections. In addition, for the first time, Superstars can be assigned to multiple shows, enabling players to have a broader experience.
Online: Completely overhauled based on fan feedback, WWE 2K16 will provide users with multiple ways to play online with the WWE Games community, including an improved matchmaking system
Soundtrack: Players can customize their in-game music through the addition of Superstar entrance music to the WWE 2K16 Jukebox. Additional in-game music will be announced later this year.
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Gameplay Improvements: WWE 2K16 will build upon last year’s foundation, including key enhancements and innovations based on critical and consumer feedback, to deliver the strongest WWE gameplay experience to date:
Improved Controls: The controls and move library were overhauled to cleanly separate strikes from grapples. This change provides players with more control over the exact type of attacks they want to initiate in every situation. WWE 2K16 also includes new attack positions, such as seated, to increase options for how players attack while experiencing greatly improved attacks outside the ring near barricades. Opponents will now react more accurately to their environment.
New Reversal System: The reversal system has been reworked to improve the overall flow of the match and also create a new level of strategy during the matches. Each Superstar has a limited number of reversals he or she can perform that recharge over time, meaning players might not want to simply try and reverse every attack. In addition, WWE 2K16 introduces Major and Minor reversals for select moves. Minor reversals are easier to perform and only require a single reversal stock. Major reversals are more challenging to perform; however, they yield a much greater reward than damage. Successful Major Reversals weaken the opponent in various ways and provide a new way to swing the momentum of the match in one’s favor.
New Pin System: The new pin system starts with an entirely new pin mini-game and offers a variety of new pin variations and reactions. If the opponent kicks out, a Superstar may react to the near pin fall and gesture to the referee in frustration. In addition, WWE 2K16 introduces dirty pins and rope breaks. Dirty pins allow players to use the ropes to their advantage to try and pin their opponents. There is a chance the referee may see this and call off the pin attempt. Rope Breaks are another way to get out of pin attempt but rely on the referee seeing the player grab the ropes. In line with WWE live events and programming, there is no guarantee what the referee is going to see during a match.
Chain Wrestling: New positions and attributes allow players to distinguish Superstars from one other. There can also be ties during a lockup; during the tie, there can be a clean break from the tie-up or a cheap shot from either the player or the opponent.
Working Holds: Working holds are new for WWE 2K16 and provide players with a way to regain stamina while depleting their opponents’ stamina. Just like on WWE programming, Working Holds provide a way to collect one’s self in the middle or late part of a match and prepare for the next plan of attack.
Improved AI: WWE 2K16 sees big improvements to the AI for Superstars, referees and managers. For example, managers can now engage during matches by either trying to distract the referee or get his attention to help out in the match. In addition, significant changes are included for match-specific AI, including Tag Team matches.
More Match Types: Many match types of been added for WWE 2K16, including Ladder, handicap and tornado tag matches.
Dynamic Entrances: With the improved presentation flow for matches, players are now able to take control of their Superstars during the entrances and have the option to attack their opponents before the match even starts. Why wait for the bell? In WWE 2K16, players can decide when they are ready for action.
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Additional Improvements: WWE 2K16 also includes an improved Submission system and a vast number of new moves to create an even more engaging gameplay experience.
Overall Enhancements: WWE 2K16 improves upon authenticity across the board, including:
New Commentary Team: For the first time, a three-man team is now a part of the franchise, with John “Bradshaw” Layfield, new to WWE 2K16 joining returning commentators Michael Cole and Jerry “The King” Lawler. Thousands of new lines were recorded, primarily in side by side studio sessions, ensuring authentic interactions among the trio.
Visual Upgrades: This year’s title features several thousand new animations. WWE Superstar and Diva appearance are also been updated, including implementation of a full cloth physics system, enabling attire to appear and respond as realistically as possible. Improved crowd variety, as well as more realistic sweat, better hair and hair physics round out the visual enhancements.
Broadcast Presentation: Gone are loading screens between entrances and the start of matches; instead, the camera pans the arena and over to the commentary team for thoughts on the upcoming match. Significant improvements were also made to overall match presentation and flow, including new crowd members.