Just like the sun rising in the east, so too has another entry in the WWE series risen once more, but this time they have decided to add some female wrestlers to the cover, including Australia’s own Rhea Ripley.

“I’ve proven myself to be the most dominant competitor to ever hold the WWE Women’s World Championship, earning the accolade of WWE 2K24 cover Superstar is only fitting, and I’m proud to add it to my list of accomplishments.”

— Rhea Ripley

The game is coming to Xbox, PlayStation and PC, with Switch once again being left behind and sadly the last game is no longer available digitally anymore. As for this new game, it will feature many of the modes that players love, along with some new additions.

The 2K Showcase is back again, but rather than focusing on a special character, it will instead celebrate 40 years of Wrestlemania. There will also be four new match types such as Ambulance and Special Guest Referee, two new MyRISE experiences, and much more.

“Fresh off the highest-rated game in franchise history, the WWE 2K development team continues to build on that quality. WWE 2K24 offers more match types, new MyRISE storylines and characters, improvements to gameplay throughout, a 2K Showcase 40 years in the making, and so much more. I’m very proud of the work the team has done to bring this experience to life, and I look forward to seeing players enjoy the game.”

— Greg Thomas, President at Visual Concepts

The roster line up is set to be near 200, though some of those will be connected to pre-orders, so you may not get them all, but there is still a lot to get.

There is so much to talk about, rather than me attempting to explain it all, here is the list provided by 2K, just get ready as there is a heck of detail to get through.

2K Showcase…of the Immortals:

For 40 years, WrestleMania has captivated millions of fans around the globe as WWE Superstars became Legends and spectacular moments - from Hulk Hogan slamming Andre the Giant, to “Mr. WrestleMania” Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker putting on a match for the ages, and many more - cemented WWE Hall of Fame legacies. “The Grandest Stage of Them All,” has drawn earth-shaking roars from 100,000+ in attendance, as the biggest icons in WWE made history, and left every drop of blood, sweat and tears in the squared circle. 40 years in the making, the WWE 2K24 Showcase…of the Immortals puts players in control, playing through the most iconic moments in WrestleMania history as 2K’s distinctive Slingshot Tech seamlessly morphs gameplay to live-action footage and back again for the most immersive WrestleMania video game experience to date. A host of unlockable content adds challenge and replay value to this historical experience;

Iconic Roster

WWE 2K24 boasts a star-studded roster featuring WWE Legends including “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Undertaker, and Andre the Giant, alongside current WWE Superstars including “The American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes, Bianca Belair, John Cena, Rhea Ripley, and Roman Reigns, whose larger-than-life entrances and signature moves are heightened by ultra-realistic graphics.

New Match Types and Improvements on Existing Match Types

Players asked, and WWE 2K24 delivers, with four new, chaotic match types: Special Guest Referee, Ambulance Match, Casket Match, and Gauntlet Match. In addition, the Backstage Brawl now features 4-player support and new interactive environmental elements - including a working elevator, breakable control room glass, and a vending machine with throwable sodas - while the Royal Rumble now offers support for eight online players in 30-Superstar online matches. All of the familiar WWE 2K match types, such as WarGames, Extreme Rules, TLC, Submission, Hell in a Cell, and many more also return. More details on each new match type will be shared soon;

Gameplay Upgrades

WWE 2K24 features improvements to gameplay throughout, including Super Finishers, the Trading Blows mini-game, top rope dive onto a group of opponents outside the ring, double title matches, new Paybacks and much more. New weapon types, including trash cans, guitars and microphones, plus the ability to throw weapons, allow players to bring the pain. Also, seven real WWE referees are featured to add to the immersive experience;

MyGM

The popular WWE brand management simulation continues to expand with new GMs and brands to choose from, more match types, more Dramas, more Championships, talent scouts, Superstar trading between brands, Superstar contract management and the new Superstar Journey, which allows Superstars to earn XP, train and level up to gain new benefits after participating in matches;

MyFACTION

The team-building mode in which players collect, manage, and upgrade an array of WWE Superstars and Legends to create their ultimate four-person factions returns with a new direct purchase card market and updated multiplayer experience. Players can now compete in ranked online QuickPlay with unique rewards and seasonal leaderboards, challenge themselves with Weekly Towers, and take on a revamped Faction Wars 2.0, featuring more real-world factions, more 4v4 match types, a Faction Wars specific reward shop and more. New themed card packs and goals will continue to roll out regularly throughout the year with seasonal content refreshes**;

MyRISE

In WWE 2K’s unique career mode experience, two new storylines - Undisputed (men’s) and Unleashed (women’s) - put players in control of custom created Superstars looking to make a name for themselves and cement their legacies in WWE history. Featuring Roman Reigns, Cody Rhodes, Mick Foley and others performing MyRISE voiceover for the first time, alongside other Superstars and Legends, expanded rewards, original MyRISE characters and unlockables carrying-over into other game modes, and new environments, MyRISE is more impactful on the overall WWE 2K experience than ever before;

Universe

The ultimate WWE Universe sandbox that puts players in charge of Superstar rosters, feuds, champions, weekly shows, and Premium Live Events now features expanded Rivalry actions, including run-ins, Money in the Bank cash-ins, scenarios and brawls, as well as new cutscenes, Special Guest Referee support, Double Title Matches and a Loser Leaves Town stipulation;

Creation Suite

The crown jewel of the WWE 2K franchise, the best-in-class, most detailed and robust creation suite returns with all-new support for Create-A-Referee and Create-A-Sign, as well as new parts and animations to design custom Superstars, GMs, arenas, entrances, move sets, championships and more;

One final note, you may see promotions in America about all buyers within the first few weeks of sale, getting a free month of Peacock, which is true. However as that subscription service has not launched in Australia and as of October 2023, there are no plans to do so.

Speaking of editions, it seems like a good time to talk about the different versions for the game, because it wouldn’t be a 2K title, if it didn’t require advanced mathematics to work out what was going on.

Standard Edition

PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC - $89.95
PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S - $99.95

Standard Cross-Gen Digital Edition

PlayStation, Xbox - $109.95
- Includes both generations of game within the same console family

Deluxe Edition

PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC - $149.95
Includes:
- Standard Cross-Gen Edition
- Nightmare Family Pack
- Season Pass to all five post-launch DLC content packs
- MyRISE Mega-Boost and SuperCharger;
- Gold Rarity Rhea Ripley MyFACTION Card
- Gold Rarity Bianca Belair MyFACTION Card
- Alternate attires for Bianca and Rhea.
- 3-days early access

FortyYears of WrestleMania Edition

PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC - $179.95
Includes:
- Everything in the Deluxe Edition
- Forty Years of WrestleMania Pack, which includes
  - alternate attires for “Macho King” Randy Savage (WrestleMania 6)
  - Rey Mysterio (WrestleMania 22)
  - Triple H (WrestleMania 30)
  - Charlotte Flair (WrestleMania 33)
  - Rhea Ripley (WrestleMania 36)
- Gold Rarity MyFACTION cards for each
- Instant unlocking of all playable Showcase characters
- WrestleMania 40 Arena, which will be available after launch
- 3-days early access