2K today announced details for WWE 2K18’s MyCAREER mode, which will enable players to live out their dreams and experience the lives of WWE Superstars through strong story narratives.
This year, players will choose from two very different paths – Company Man or Fan Favorite –and decide how their roads to WrestleMania (and beyond) will unfold through match performances, promos, alliances and other actions. Additionally, this year’s MyCAREER mode introduces a free-roaming backstage, an updated promo generator, and enhanced MyCAREER invasion, where the MyPLAYERs of friends can still populate a player’s MyCAREER save but now play a bigger role through face-to-face interactions, tag team alliances, side quests and more.
In WWE 2K18, MyCAREER will focus on a strong story narrative. The addition of backstage provides for unique and compelling storylines that are no longer shared from Universe Mode so the journeys that MyPLAYERs go through are unique and fresh.
This year, players will have two very different paths they can take en route to their own WrestleMania moment.
Here are the two paths:
- Company Man – Going down the Company Man path means players are all about helping the general managers (GMs) get what they want out of the roster on any given show. This involves conspiring with the GMs backstage, ambushing other WWE Superstars in the locker room or during their interviews and basically doing whatever it takes to maintain that GM’s power, both in the ring and backstage. The rewards are hefty, though. Continue helping the GM succeed, and players will gain access to upgrades, such as the ability to orchestrate a run-in to help players win a match. Players can also access Vince McMahon’s office to lobby for match card changes and title rematches.
- Fan Favorite – Being a Fan Favorite means players don’t play the whole company game, it’s all about putting on the best matches and promos. Players will have a locker room full of WWE Superstars and Legends backstage. This route involves earning their respect by taking on different match types – night-in and night-out. Players will also have WWE Superstars test in-ring aptitude and skills on the microphone, but if players succeed at this, players will earn the whole locker room’s respect – and with that comes some perks. WWE Legends are always backstage during events. Earning their respect will result in in-ring bonuses for matches and promos. Once you become the complete package – the guy who can walk the walk and talk the talk like Stone Cold Steve Austin or John Cena – you’ll be able to have your own customized WWE Championship or Universal Championship. This honor is only given to the best of the best.
In short, it’s ultimately your choice how your MyPLAYER’s road to WrestleMania will unfold. Players can put a bunch of twists and turns to make it feel like it’s their own story.
Free-Roaming Backstage
Players can now spend more time interacting with WWE Superstars and supporting personnel to better experience all their unique personalities. Rather than looking at menus to determine who players should align with or who players want to make their rival, players can simply go talk to them or ambush them backstage. Want an interview with Renee Young? Simply go up to her and ask for an interview. Don’t like the WWE Superstar she’s interviewing? Go up to him during live TV and interrupt that interview.
There will be no shortage of personalities backstage, from WWE Superstars and Legends to GMs, apparel tailors and more. Sometimes the interactions will also present side quests that are separate from the main storylines. Think of them as mini-stories that aren’t as involved or crucial to players Road to WrestleMania. For example, some WWE Superstars might ask you to ambush a rival or go toe to toe with them in a promo.
Updated Promos
Last year, promos were added to MyCAREER for the first time. The two clear improvements made this year were making WWE Superstars feel more like themselves and improving the scoring system, as it constricted players from telling the promos they wanted to tell.
Nearly 200 new animations were created – spread across multiple WWE Superstars – to make them feel more like themselves while on the microphone. Shinsuke Nakamura will move in that unique way that he does while talking. Bray Wyatt will fidget maniacally while preaching on the microphone. The New Day will dance their way to the ring instead of walking. These WWE Superstars with unique personalities will now feel very special.
One of the more fun components of promos was the combo system, so they focused on scoring. Last year’s scoring model was very rigid and made players feel like they had to make choices they didn’t want to make in order to get high marks. This year, rather than trying to score the highest value, we wanted to score players on promo cohesion. This means as a player, you’ll be able to pick the point you want to make while on the mic. After making that point, players will be scored based on how well they stick to that point. Players no longer have to worry about if this is what they should say as a crowd favorite or a bad guy. Promo this year is about saying what players want to say and sticking to their word.
MyCAREER Invasion
Just like last year, MyPLAYERs can populate players MyCAREER save. However, this year, players will actually see them backstage. They act just like any WWE Superstars seen backstage: players can talk to them, pick them up as tag partners, get side quests involving them and even ambush them. It’s up to players what role their friends’ MyPLAYERs will have in their MyCAREER.
WWE 2K18 will release on October 17th for the PS4 and Xbox One, as well as this Fall 2017 for Nintendo Switch. Early Access players will receive their copies and in-game bonuses beginning four days early on October 13th.
