Wrestling games have been a cornerstone of gaming since the 1990s as a fan-favorite genre for anyone who enjoys customizing their own character and slugging it out against their friends and enemies in a ring.
It only makes sense that one of the biggest video game developers in the world would take the helm of development on one of the biggest wrestling game franchises of all time; WWE 2K.
The game itself is extremely deep in substance, providing the largest wrestling game roster of all-time, adding a slew of features both new and old to appease the fans, and updating the graphics to try and catch up with the next-generation.
But, with any game that has this much depth and a host of modes that have all kinds of variables and customization options, there is a lot left to be uncovered by the eagle-eyed fans of the game.
WWE has been notorious for holding back in their video game, and most people were upset when 2K took over for a sinking THQ back in 2014 as it was essentially a reset button that caused years of updating, fixing, and debugging to finally get a proper product.
These entries provide a completely different way to play this game and actually make that pricey deluxe edition feel like it is worth it.
From dumpster matches to inaccessible locations that may hold the secrets of the next installments, these are 25 crazy things from WWE 2K18 that you probably had no idea about!
25 Man Vs. Woman
Inter-gender matches have been a staple of professional wrestling for well over 2 decades now and while WWE would like to maintain that they are pushing for more equality in their company by shoving the Women’s Revolution down the throats of fans they have not been keen to giving the women a shot at fighting the men. Other wrestling promotions cash in on things like women vs. men like Lucha Underground but WWE has done away with the inter-gender match as a whole. This changed as of late with the introduction of the Mixed Match Challenge, an inter-gender tag-team tournament spearheaded by WWE in an attempt to mix up the game. To do this glitch, you will have to make a match in Universe Mode, download a created female superstar from the Community Creations and replace the character in the files. Should result in an inter-gender match!
24 FINISH THEM
WWE 2K18 is a huge step forward in the journey that the developers at 2K have been making to advance the simulation wrestling video game genre to new heights. One of the new features that were brought into the game that has not been seen for a while is the Carry System. This system allows the player to be able to grapple their enemies and set up amazing spots that rival those of the actual wrestling organization the game is based on.
What most people do not realize, however, is that they are able to use their finishers in more ways than one because of the Carry System.
Now, finishers can be activated by pressing the finisher button during the Carry System Positions and can also be canceled by pressing the cancel button if the finisher designates that they can be left in a carrier position. (like John Cena’s Attitude Adjustment, for example).
23 Steel Steps That DESTROY
The in-game physics in WWE 2K18 have been the subject of a lot of criticism from the fans as some of the objects in the game do not seem to react the way they should in real life. For example, ropes do not bounce the way they should when someone runs into them and the grappling animations cause the characters to warp from locations in the ring as they fight to fit in the ring. When doing a move onto the steel steps like normal, the steps will move out of the way and warp to allow the move to be done on the canvas. By moving the steps into the announce table and performing an OMG moment on the table, the steps will have improved physics that allow for a plethora of moves to be performed.
22 Luchadors UNMASKED
It is always a treat to be able to get a peek underneath the masks of some of our favorite wrestlers. Sure, most people had the same confused reaction when Kane unmasked in 2002 but nevertheless, there is always an unsaid mystery behind the masked wrestlers of the WWE.
This is a glitch that has persisted since WWE 2K16 and has not really been addressed by 2K despite it being a recurring bug.
Upon saving the entrance attire for a masked wrestler like Kalisto and Gran Metallik, the screen will briefly show the unclothed models for the characters and thus revealing their faces to the world! One wrestler that is safe form this bug is Sin Cara (which ironically means No Face) as it would appear it was unnecessary to model his face as his mask covers it entirely.
21 Wait... He's Not In The WWE!
Those who are reading this article have probably never seen a single match from a wrestling company outside of WWE unless it is footage from their deceased rival WCW. However, during the last few years, there has been a resurgence in independent wrestling and companies that are looking to make a name for themselves as a show that can be just as good or even better.
New Japan Pro Wrestling has been one of the biggest names to get attention for their great storytelling and attention to detail.
One of their biggest stars, Kenny Omega, has found his way into WWE 2K18 in an unofficial, but a somewhat official way. In one of the strangest moves ever, 2K patched in a series of taunts that are almost EXCLUSIVELY used by Kenny Omega, making it that much easier to bring in “The Cleaner” into the game.
20 A Secret Entrance For The Russian
It is always strange when 2K adds a few motions and entrances that could serve as alternates as they usually opt to keep as much memory free for the console. That is why it was strange when it was discovered that there is a hidden entrance motion for Lana and Rusev. The two, while a couple in real-life, have split on screen for the better part of their recent run in the company but it would appear as though 2K was nice enough to keep their old entrance in the game.
Lana introduces the world to Rusev in convincing fashion and stands in the ring in a dazzling silver dress.
It is not very accurate to how they come out now, but it does bring back their old gimmick when Rusev was United States Champion.
19 An Entirely New Way To Put On Matches
There are a whole host of YouTube channels out there and content-creators that have rallied behind the simulation wrestling that 2K is close to perfecting. One of the biggest attractions online is the addition of having two people playing against each other but attempting to put on a good match. It might be confusing for those who do not watch wrestling so here is a small run-down. It is a scripted dramatic fight, and while the game allows for two people to actually compete against each other, some have found it more fun to script their own matches and just entertain the viewer with a story. Now, there are multiple ways to allow someone to purposely kick out of your maneuvers by pressing the correct direction on the d-pad when pressing L1 on PS4 or LB on Xbox One to allow for the traditional kick out or perhaps a force-kick out to give the appearance of not being finished with your opponent!
18 Hidden Weapons!
As mentioned in the last article, there is a huge fan-base for backstage fights and it would appear as though as the fine folk at 2K have been listening because this year they revamped it. As noted, there are areas that seem to suggest that there is more to come but one feature that is unique to WWE 2K18 and a select few titles of a bygone era is the addition of being able to pick up weapons from the trunks of several cars found in the backstage area.
By pressing the button to pick up items by one of the corresponding cars that have items you will find an extra weapon.
Try this with your friends the next time you are settling a debate over a parking lot brawl and watch them look on in horror as you get the advantage.
17 Things Are About To Get Intense
Finally, one of the most insignificant, yet realistic features has finally made the game after years of requests from fans. It has almost nothing to do with actual wrestling and everything to do with the intensity that goes with the storytelling of the WWE; The ability to take off the straps from the singlet that certain wrestlers have. If this sounds unnecessary to you then you do not know how intense it is when a wrestler has to take off half their singlet to show how serious they are. It shows the tiredness and effects of a match and it just works on a storytelling level. When playing as someone like Braun Strowman, The Undertaker or Kurt Angle, just press the button combination (R2 and up on D-pad for PS4 and RT and up on D-Pad for Xbox) and you will see your character show his aggression!
16 Garage Door To The Unknown
Smackdown! Here Comes The Pain was a very special game in the grand scheme of WWE releases. The game was known for its addictive arcade-style fighting and its stellar cast of characters that represent the Ruthless Aggression era of the WWE in a way that no game has (except maybe Wrestlemania XIX on GameCube). Backstage brawls have always been a part of WWE programming but they have had very inconsistent appearances in the WWE games as the years have gone on. Here Comes The Pain had a very good backstage area that allowed for deep exploration and a slew of ways to attack your enemy. Upon doing some exploration in the backstage area of WWE 2K18 via the highlight reel camera, the player can discover some unused textures and places that suggest that the deeply designed backstage area will make a return or at the very least, was slated for this game.
15 Festive Dialogue
A small little tidbit that deserves a little bit of love for its attention to detail is the added lines of commentary in the game. Sure, the commentary in WWE games has been NOTORIOUSLY TERRIBLE, choppy, and off-timed that it generally gets poked at for its seemingly lazy engine in comparisons to games like Madden and NBA 2K but it has its moments. One of those moments happens whenever the player is in Universe Mode on a special holiday like Christmas, New Years, or Thanksgiving as the commentary team of Byron Saxton, Corey Graves, and Michael Cole will serenade the player with generic lines of dialogue that celebrate the holidays. Surely a step in the right direction, but a small one and a trivial one at that.
14 Squashing Opponents With Ease
One of the biggest staples of wrestling has been the “squash match”. For those who do not know what a squash match is, it is when one competitor completely beats the other without much of a fight in-between to show a display of dominance. Unfortunately for fans of realism in their games, this feature was mainly ignored until now, as WWE 2K18 has an option to increase the likelihood of this occurring in the ring via the settings options.
This allows for more appropriate matchups like Braun Strowman going up against smaller opponents to become more one-sided as they appear on television most often.
While it may seem small to a lot of fans, this is something that the real die-hards have been clambering to get and would be glad to know!
13 Where Is This Champion?
Some were caught off guard when NXT Philadelphia took place a few weeks ago when Andrade “Cien” Almas took a win over Johnny Gargano in a five-star match (rated by the legendary wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer) but that kind of surprise is almost nothing compared to the backlash that 2K received when Andrade was left off the NXT DLC despite being in the company longer than included competitors like Allister Black and Drew McIntyre. What makes this even worse is the small easter egg that can be found in the game’s credits as Andrade Almas’ theme song is listed along with the other characters that were actually kept in the game. There is so much disrespect in that decision, considering how legendary of a luchador Andrade was in Mexico and how he is the current holder of the NXT world title! Sheesh!
12 Break Through The Ceiling (A Steel One, Not Glass)
Hell In A Cell is one of the enduring creations from the Attitude Era that despite all of the attempts by WWE to make their current product a family friendly one, has stood the test of time. Even when fans were quick to call it “Heck In A Cell” during the turn of the PG era in the 2010s it has still seen some of the most brutal matches (See The Usos vs. New Day at HIAC 2017). While there has not been a tumble through the cell structure ceiling since 2003, the developers at 2K were nice enough to patch in the option to fall through the ceiling, granted enough maneuvers are done to break through. Of course, you would need the escape artist ability to get out of the cell in the first place, but it is still an interesting way to spice up your Armageddon Hell-In-A-Cell match.
11 Let's Get Extreme!
Things in WWE can get extreme at any time and any place! Those who watched the WWE product in the olden days of the Attitude Era know that it is not beyond the realm of belief to see a couple of tables stacked onto each other for a mega-spot that can leave the audience in shock and awe. Fortunately for fans of this kind of extreme TLC (tables, ladders, and chairs, not tender loving care) match can recreate some of these spots by stacking tables onto each other. The method of doing it is the same as setting up one table, but leaves both of them stacked to do double damage! The second table on the bottom is subject to not breaking most times, but an OMG moment spear will see both of them break in satisfying fashion.
10 Royal Rumble Order
The Royal Rumble is a personal favorite pay-per-view event that brings together 30 members of the roster in a massive brawl that sees one of the most exciting hour-long wrestling matches year after year. So naturally, fans would be quick to want to book their own Royal Rumble with their mixture of 30 Superstars that can include anyone from any era and even some created characters to add fantasy to the mix.
While 2K has added the ability to change the time intervals between entrances, there is still no option to set up the entire order of the Rumble.
Have no fear, as there is an option to change things up on the last 3 entrants. When picking the participants, the first 3 will be coming out at 30, 29, 28, and 27 respectively.
9 A Gentleman's Counter
Jack Gallagher has been one of the upstanding talents on WWE’s Cruiserweight show 205 Live and dazzles the audience with his technical maneuver superiority and acrobatic ability. One of the most characteristic moves of his was added to the game as a unique counter. Upon reversing an Irish whip attack from the corner, Jack will do his signature headstand on the turnbuckle and kick out his foot to defend himself. It might seem like a small addition, but as mentioned before there is an appreciation that is garnered from the fans when the attention to detail is made. There is no one else that is more detail-oriented than the Gentleman Jack Gallagher and we are glad to see one of his best moves be added to the game.
8 Dumpster Match!
DUMPSTER MATCH! One cannot just say Dumpster Match without yelling it out. The “Dumpster Match” is a match type that is primarily seen in rivalries that have been taken to the next level to the point where neither competitor would be happy with just a simple victory and must stuff their opponent into a dumpster and close the lid on them. The match was gone from TV for over a decade until Braun Strowman and Kalisto had a Dumpster Match on Raw a few months ago and unfortunately, there is no way to directly change the stipulation of a match to decide the victor by dumping them into the dumpster.
However, there IS a way to get a dumpster by the ring by customizing a large arena in the create-an-arena mode and adding the prop manually.
It is as close to a DUMPSTER MATCH as we will ever get in a WWE game.
7 A Glorious Way To Enter
NXT has been the brainchild of Paul “Triple H” Levesque as his personal playground of multi-cultural talents and creative storytelling that pushes the medium into the future of professional wrestling. The amount of quality matches that have come out from NXT has been ridiculous, and even surpasses the main roster attempts at putting on classics on a normal basis.
That is why there are a few special entrances littered in WWE 2K18 that pays homage to the grand entrances that occurred in certain NXT Takeover events.
Most notably of these is the NXT: Brooklyn III entrance for Bobby Roode as should the player select the NXT: TakeOver arena then they will see a special version of his entrance where he descends from the ceiling. Truly GLORIOUS.
6 A Perfect Tribute To A Legend
Dusty Rhodes was an innovator of professional wrestling and it was a classy move by WWE to name their biggest tag team tournament after him. The tournament is a platform for upcoming teams to make a name for themselves and it is reminiscent of the classic Jim Crockett promotion WCW and their tournaments had to do the same. That is why it is all the more strange why 2K did not advertise the newly added ability to hold a Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic. Upon selecting the tournament option in the main menu, the player can choose the tag team option and the game will automatically update the bracket to be the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic, complete with a trophy ceremony and everything!