WWE 2K HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO ADD MORE SOCIAL MEDIA STARS IN FUTURE GAMES
- WWE 2K boasts a diverse roster with a few unorthodox playable characters like Post Malone.
- Logan Paul's success in WWE and appearance in WWE 2K games could open the door for more YouTubers and streamers in future releases.
- The popularity of creator boxing events could inspire content creators to explore other contact sports like wrestling, potentially leading to unique collaborations with WWE.
WWE 2K is a great archive of the best and most entertaining wrestlers of a certain year, along with innovations in match types. With WWE 2K24, the prolific wrestling company spotlighted 40 years of WrestleMania and a roster of incredible talent, including the new Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Cody Rhodes.
Throughout the years, WWE games have been quite generous in the number of playable wrestlers, as they not only include current roster members, but also unexpected characters. They are usually celebrities who either appeared on WWE programming, like Bad Bunny and Arnold Schwarzenegger, or worked with the company in some capacity, like rapper and WWE 2K24 soundtrack curator Post Malone. Recently, there have been more appearances by social media personalities, which might be a good opportunity for future WWE 2K games.
WWE 2K24's Unleashed MyRise Story Doesn't Hold a Candle to Undisputed
WWE 2K24's MyRise game mode is as fun as ever, but unfortunately, there's a clear disparity in the quality of its two storylines.After Logan Paul, WWE 2K Could Include More Streamers and YouTubers
In 2022, YouTuber Logan Paul surprised many people when he debuted as a WWE wrestler. Despite criticisms being hurled at him because of his problematic content in the past, Paul managed to impress WWE fans with his athleticism, and was a DLC character in WWE 2K22. He further cemented his WWE legacy after winning the United States Championship, and earning a 90 rating in WWE 2K24.
Paul has also made his mark in another way: bringing out social media stars KSI and IShowSpeed to his WrestleMania matches, with both of them dressed up as the Prime mascot. Although they only made cameos in the PLEs, they could become playable characters in future WWE 2K games or DLCs.
- WrestleMania 39: Logan Paul vs Seth Rollins, with interference from KSI
- WrestleMania 40: Logan Paul vs Kevin Owens vs Randy Orton in a Triple Threat Match for the United States Championship, with interference from IShowSpeed
In previous WWE games, DLC and secret characters don't necessarily have to be wrestlers. Post Malone, for example, hasn't stepped into the ring, but WWE 2K24 fans can play as him. With YouTubers and streamers becoming modern-day celebrities, especially with Paul's fame, it wouldn't be that far-fetched to see KSI and IShowSpeed in a WWE 2K game. It might be too soon to add them to an upcoming WWE 2K24 DLC, but there might be room in the WWE 2K25 roster. This could also open the door for other social media stars that might show up in future PLEs, and they don't have to be friends with Paul to do so.
Creator Boxing Could Influence Them to Try Wrestling
While many YouTubers and streamers haven't trained to become wrestlers, many have joined or expressed interest in joining creator boxing matches. These events, like Ludwig's chessboxing tournament, have been widely successful, with fans paying to see their favorite creators duking it out in the ring. Training to compete in boxing tournaments is not easy and shouldn't be taken lightly, but this could also be a sign of how such events could influence content creators to take up other contact sports, like wrestling.
Following his WrestleMania 40 appearance, IShowSpeed suggested that content creators should also have a WWE-inspired event. While there's no sign of it pushing through just yet, fans also pointed out the risks of injury if inexperienced creators don't learn how to take a bump safely. Perhaps this could be possible if WWE collaborates with select YouTubers and/or streamers in a special event or segment on one of its shows.
Logan Paul has definitely opened the doors for content creators to pursue a wrestling career, while also introducing new fans to this form of entertainment. It might take some time before KSI, IShowSpeed, and other social media stars to show up in WWE 2K games, but fans can always use Create-A-Wrestler to make a version of their favorite creators.
WWE 2K24
2K and Visual Concept's WWE 2K24 highlights a few of WrestleMania's greatest moments through a Showcase dedicated to the legendary event. The game also has MyRise, MyGM, MyFaction, and many new and returning modes and features.