WWE 2K
Genre	Sports
Developers	Yuke's (2000–2018) Visual Concepts (2019–present)
Publishers	THQ (2000–2012) 2K (2013–present)
Platforms	Android iOS Microsoft Windows Mobile PlayStation PlayStation 2 PlayStation 3 PlayStation 4 PlayStation 5 PlayStation Portable Stadia Wii Nintendo DS Nintendo Switch Nintendo Switch 2 Xbox 360 Xbox One Xbox Series X/S
First release	WWF SmackDown! March 2, 2000
Latest release	WWE 2K25 March 14, 2025
Parent series	List of WWE video games

WWE 2K, formerly released asWWF SmackDown!,WWE SmackDown!,WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw,WWE SmackDown vs. Raw,WWE, andExciting Pro Wrestling in Japan, is a series ofprofessional wrestlingsportssimulation video games that launched in 2000. The premise of the series is to emulate professional wrestling, specifically that ofWWE, formerly known as the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). The series began withWWF SmackDown! on the originalPlayStation and has continued as an annual release (with the exception of 2021). It was originally exclusive toPlayStation platforms until 2006'sWWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007, which expanded the series to other platforms. In 2013, the series was rebranded asWWE 2K, beginning withWWE 2K14.

The games were originally published byTHQ and developed byYuke's under theWWF SmackDown! name—in 2002, the WWF was renamed to WWE. Beginning withWWE SmackDown! vs. Raw in 2004, the series changed its name toWWE SmackDown vs. Raw and then simplyWWE with 2011'sWWE '12.2K, previously under the 2K Sports sub-label, took over as publisher following THQ's bankruptcy beginning with 2013'sWWE 2K14, changing the series toWWE 2K, and the series was co-developed withVisual Concepts until Yuke's departure in 2018. Visual Concepts would take over lead development of the series beginning withWWE 2K20 in 2019. Due to major technical issues with that installment, the main series took a two-year hiatus with a spin-off,WWE 2K Battlegrounds, released in 2020 before the next main installment,WWE 2K22, released in 2022.

The first game,WWF SmackDown!, was developed byYuke's, published byTHQ, and released on March 2, 2000; this arrangement would continue until 2012. The series was originally named after one of WWE's weekly television programs,SmackDown, and was initially exclusive toSony'sPlayStation 1 andPlayStation 2.^[1][2] The series engine was originally based on the one used by the JapaneseToukon Retsuden, which was also developed by Yuke's.^[3]

The series rebranded with 2004'sWWE SmackDown! vs. Raw, following the introduction of thebrand extension, which saw WWE's roster divided between theSmackDown andRaw brands; the latter named after WWE's two flagship programs,Monday Night Raw and Friday Night SmackDown. After usingsubtitles in previous installments,voice overs were introduced to the game's "Season Mode". With the exception of 2003'sWWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain, pre-recorded commentary by WWE commentators has been included in each game since the release ofWWF SmackDown! Just Bring It in 2001.^[4]

Yuke's studios inYokohama, Japan worked with WWE writers to create storylines for the "Season" modes of each game since 2005'sWWE SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006.^[5] Up until the release ofSmackDown! vs. Raw 2006, Yuke's had released previous entries of the series in Japan under the title ofExciting Pro Wrestling. That year, THQ took over as the Japanese publisher and rebranded theExciting Pro Wrestling series under the licensed name.^[6]

2006'sWWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007 was the first game in the series to be released for multiplegame consoles. The series continued to expand to variousseventh-generation consoles,handhelds, andmobile devices. Yuke's revealed they had to port their originalgame codes that make up each game mode and graphic designs to a newgame engine that supported the new consoles. When new features are added to future games, the developers had to create new gaming codes for these features. The developers also had to test the game for any errors.^[7] While there were no errors, the game received a lot of reports for overheating in the earlier releases.

The series relaunched in 2011 with the release ofWWE '12. However, after THQ's bankruptcy, liquidation, and eventualdissolution in January 2013, publishing rights for the WWE video games were acquired byTake-Two Interactive.^[8] Take-Two confirmed the acquisition in February, saying that it would also retain the services of Yuke's and the THQ staff that worked on theWWE series.

2013'sWWE 2K14 was the first game to be released under the2K Sports branding.^[9] In 2015, amobile-only spin-off was released forAndroid andiOS. 2K's license of the series extended in early 2016.^[10] 2018'sWWE 2K19 was the last game in the series to be developed by Yuke's.^{[citation needed]}

2019'sWWE 2K20 was the first game in the series to be developed solely byVisual Concepts, who had worked with Yuke's on previous games under theWWE 2K banner.^[11][12] The game receivedgenerally negative reviews for various changes seen as a regression from2K19, and for numerous bugs and technical issues upon its launch. The series went on a two-year hiatus in response, withWWE 2K Battlegrounds released in 2020 as a replacement for a previously plannedWWE 2K21 game.^[13]WWE 2K22, the twenty-second installment of the series, was released in March 2022 to a generally more favourable reception than its predecessor.WWE 2K23, the twenty-third installment of the series, was released in March 2023 surpassing the expectations preceded by2K22.

The first game in the series,WWF SmackDown!, had a clear cut system^{[clarification needed]} for moves such as combining an arrow key with the circle button for grappling and moves and combining an arrow key with the X button for striking moves. Most of the later games, fromWWF SmackDown! 2: Know Your Role toWWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2006 used the aforementioned control scheme. WithWWE SmackDown vs Raw 2007 new game mechanics were introduced, in which a new control scheme altered the grappling system of the game, called "Ultimate Control moves". Unlike the previous games, where the player pressed two buttons to perform a grapple or an attack, players were able to place their opponents into a grapple position and then choose to perform a move by moving the directional buttons of their system's controller. For example, the player could place their opponent in asuplex grappling position and then either perform a normal suplex or aninverted suplex slam.^[14][15] Before the release ofWWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008, in order for players to force a character tosubmit, they had to tap buttons to move a marker towards the end of the meter labeled "Submit", and the only way for opponents to escape was for them to move the meter towards "Escape". Included with the release ofWWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008 was a new submission system, in which the player had to move theanalog sticks of their system's controller in different directions to force the opponent to submit, while the opponent could do the same to escape thesubmission hold.^[16]

Every game in theSmackDown vs. Raw series used to have the amount of damage inflicted to the player's chosen character, measured with a meter on theHUD, where a design of a male figure presented the damage. As a move was performed against a character, the affected area of the body flashed—the more damage that is done to that specific body part, the more likely it is for the character to submit. Colors were used to represent the amount of damage done to a specific body area; yellow represented minimal damage, orange represented moderate damage, and red represented maximum damage.^[17]

Included with the release ofWWE SmackDown! vs. Raw was the option of fighting "dirty" or "clean". When players select "dirty", the player character is booed by the audience in the game; conversely, the "clean" character is cheered by the audience. With the "dirty" or "clean" option comes the inclusion of performing a special maneuver when playing. Players using a "dirty" character must direct them into building up their "dirty" meter by performing "dirty" tactics, such as attacking the referee or taking the pad off thering'sturnbuckle. Unlike performing dirty tactics, "clean" characters build their meters by performing "clean" tactics, such as anaerial technique or performing ataunt. When "dirty" character' meters build up, they are able to perform a signaturelow blow; likewise, "clean" characters can perform their signature move at double its normal damage.^[18][19]

With the release ofWWE SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 was the inclusion of a stamina system, which was a measure of the characters' stamina. The stamina system was measured by a meter on theHUD; the meter decreased when performing a variety of moves. The meter increases, however, when the player does nothing with the character or holds down a selected button that increased the stamina, which varied depending on the player's system. When the character's stamina was low, the wrestler reacted by moving slower when performing moves, walking, and running. If the meter decreased completely, they fell to the ground until the meter increased.^[20][21] This system is disabled by default forWWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008 and was disabled until 2K took over the series, bringing in a similar system withWWE 2K16.^[22]

The weak/strong grapple system from the past games was removed fromWWE '12 onwards. Characters now perform different moves based on their opponent's current physical state. Players now have a window of opportunity to attack while still in a downed state and can also interrupt moves andRoyal Rumble eliminations with attacks. Similarly, thepinning meter from the past games has been reworked to make it more difficult to kick out as a wrestler takes more damage. The game'sartificial intelligence has also been adjusted to prevent players fromoverusing the same move. In addition, the ability to storefinishing moves has returned. "Dynamic Comebacks" gives players on the verge of losing the opportunity to successfully hit a combination of moves to gain two finishing moves. New "wake up taunts" bring a downed opponent to their feet for a finishing move (such as pounding on the ground beforeRKO finishing maneuver).^[23] Players also have the ability to target specific limbs during matches and perform submissions through a "Breaking Point" submissionminigame.^[24]

In theWWE SmackDown vs. Raw series, the player was able to choose a character from aroster and compete in an arcade-like feature called season mode. In season mode, players direct their characters through different career obstacles through a year of WWE programming to gain respect by other wrestlers and popularity among the fans. Like storylines from WWE, the characters in theWWE SmackDown vs. Raw series season mode are involved in storylines that affect their career mode in some way. Beginning with the release ofWWE SmackDown! Shut Your Mouth, theWWE Brand Extension has been included in season mode, and characters are exclusive to one brand of WWE. A result of this feature is that the player's character may only wrestle others and compete for championships from the same brand on which they are a part of. In season mode, the player's character has the ability to earn and wrestle for a variety ofchampionships based on actualWWE Championships. When characters win championships, their respect and popularity increase, which also increases their involvement inmain event matches. As the character's respect and popularity increases through the year of WWE programming, it becomes more likely for the player to achieve the main goal in season mode, which is to earn aWorld Heavyweight Championship orWWE Championship match atWrestleMania, the WWE's flagshippay-per-view event and the final stage in season mode. After the final stage, season modes begins again with the same character chosen before, though the player has the option of switching characters. They are then a part of theWWE Draft Lottery and assigned to a brand.^[25][26]

Other than the season mode, every game features an exhibition mode, where different professional wrestling match types are available. Basic matches included in every game are "one-on-one" matches, where a player chooses one character to wrestle anotherbot operated or human operated character, ortag team matches, where a pair of characters team together to face another team, Mixed Gender Tag Team matches have been removed inWWE 2K18. These basic matches may also expand intosix-man tag team matches ornon-elimination type matches, which include four or more characters.^[27] Besides basic matches,hardcore based matches are also included, such as theSteel Cage match, which has been included in every game, theLadder match, theElimination Chamber, which was first included with the release ofWWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain,^[28] andECW Extreme Rules matches, which is basic hardcore wrestling based on theECW brand of WWE (which first appeared with the release ofWWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008).^[29] Also included in every game is theRoyal Rumble match, which is based on WWE's actual Royal Rumble match, in which a player chooses to compete as one character, and must wrestle against twenty-nine other characters.^[30]

Starting with the release ofWWE SmackDown! vs. Raw,online gameplay was made available throughPlayStation 2'sSony Network Adapter. Online gameplay was kept at a minimum, as online players only had two game modes to compete in: one-on-one and a strip match, in which a player competes as anyfemale wrestler in WWE and strips the opposition of her clothes, until she is left with only her undergarments.^[31] WhenWWE SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 was released, the online gameplay was changed, and players were able to compete in more match types, defend the created championships, and compete with up to four players in each match.^[32] With the release ofWWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008 on theXbox 360 console (PS3 would not see this feature untilWWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009), players were able to select music from their system'shard disk drive into the video game, where the music can be used in character'ring entrances.^[33]

Every game in theWWE series includes a roster of characters, "superstars" and "divas", based on people who perform for WWE. Every year, WWE acquires new people and releases old ones. As a result, every time aWWE SmackDown vs. Raw game is released, the new characters are added into the game and the old are removed from the game to reflect the changes in the actual WWE. From the release ofWWF SmackDown! to the release ofWWF SmackDown! Just Bring It, characters were not divided into brands. In 2002, the WWE split its roster intotwo brands of wrestling, calledRaw andSmackDown!, which were named after WWE's television shows.^[34] The WWE Brand Extension was first featured inWWE SmackDown! Shut Your Mouth.^[35] In 2006, WWE launched a new brand, calledECW, which was named after the originalExtreme Championship Wrestlingpromotion.^[36] The new ECW brand was first featured inWWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008.^[37] WWE holds an annualdraft lottery, in which WWE characters switch brands. The games in production when the draft occurs include the changes that take place in the draft. For example, whenWWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008 was in production during June 2007, the2007 WWE Draft took place, and the draft changes were included in the video game. Another brand of wrestling included in the series is thelegends program, which was first included with the release ofWWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain.^[38] PopularWWE alumni or members of theWWE Hall of Fame have been included since then under the legends program. This was featured up until the release ofWWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008, as alumni and Hall of Fame members were not featured inWWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009 due to production ofWWE Legends of WrestleMania.^[39]WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009 was also the first game to feature characters asdownloadable content (DLC).^[40]

WWE '12 has 56 wrestlers and 78 by DLC,WWE '13 with 84 and 107 by DLC,WWE 2K14 with 82 and 103 by DLC,WWE 2K15 with 76 and 113 with DLC,WWE 2K (Mobile) with 19,WWE 2K16 with 133 including DLC giving this title "the highest character roster in the video game's history" with 165.WWE 2K17 carries 145 for the physical disc versions for PS3 and Xbox 360; 150 for the NXT Edition made for PS4 and Xbox One with DLC at 172.WWE 2K18 contains 197 for the standard version (202 via Deluxe and Collector's Edition) with DLC announced at a later date. An update on theWWE 2K18 roster revealed on September 25, 2017, the final roster is 220 (197 on disc virtually reading 204 by attires counted).WWE 2K19 has 217 characters on disc (224 via Woo Edition) and 236 with DLC counted as final.WWE 2K20 has 217 characters on disc (221 via SmackDown 20th Anniversary Edition) with DLC yet to be finalized.^{[41][42][43][44][45][46][47][48][49][50][51][52][53][54][55]}

WWE 2K22 has 173 in its base roster with the DLC pushing the expanded character list to 214.^{[citation needed]}

WWE 2K23 has 221 on the internal base roster with 25 others for DLC given an immense total of 246 (surpassing the 2k16 roster by double the portion) but 30 less than 2k20 which had 276^{[citation needed]}

WWE 2K24 base number is at 265 at launch (331 at post launch). 24 introduces the persona card method via MyFaction which attributed to the roster number.

WWE 2K25 is set at 363 at launch and expected to break the 400 character mark via MyFaction. It's the 1st title in the series to supersede 100+ women superstars in any wrestling game developed & 2nd since 2k20 to allow MyCareer (MyRise) characters join the playable roster.

The series features a create-a-superstar mode, where players are able to create their own wrestler, including their move set and ring entrances. The feature was introduced whenWWF SmackDown! was released in 2000. As new games were released, the mode was altered; the first change came with the release ofWWF SmackDown! 2: Know Your Role, which featured a mode in which wrestler taunts could be created and customized. This was further modified inWWE SmackDown! Shut Your Mouth, which enabled players to create the walking style of a wrestler.^[56] With the release ofWWE SmackDown! vs. RAW 2006, the game first featured the ability for players to make an entrance for the created character.^[57] The feature was expanded with the release ofWWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007, as players could placepyrotechnics and special effects in any part of the character's entrance.^[58]

The originalWWF SmackDown! sold over 975,000 units for thePlayStation,^[131] and selling over one million copies in the United States.^[132] By 2003, the series had sold more than4.7 million units for the PlayStation and PlayStation 2 in the United States.^[133]

The series as a whole initially received generally positive reviews, however, overall reception would begin to decline in the late 2000s, as later games were criticized for their lack of innovations or improvements from previous installments.^[134][135]

• Official website

• WWE video games
• Take-Two Interactive franchises
• 2K Games franchises
• Video game franchises introduced in 2000
• Sports video games by series

• CS1 Japanese-language sources (ja)
• Articles with short description
• Short description matches Wikidata
• Use mdy dates from February 2012
• All articles with unsourced statements
• Articles with unsourced statements from November 2022
• Wikipedia articles needing clarification from November 2022
• Articles with unsourced statements from March 2023