WWE 2K22 is coming and its slogan is promising that it "hits different", suggesting that the series' hiatus period might have been just the thing to reinvigorate it. Fans will certainly be hoping that WWE 2K22 is a significant improvement over the disastrous WWE 2K20, which led to WWE 2K21 being canceled.

But what do we know about WWE 2K22 so far? Well, thanks to SummerSlam 2021, we know the game is expected to release in March 2022, bucking the series' October release trend. 

We also know that when it does release, it'll feature new controls, updated graphics, and a redesigned engine. The game also uses a new facial scanning technology, and 2K claims that 85% of the in-game roster has taken part in having their likenesses scanned into the game.

WWE 2K22 will also include more than 3,400 new animations but more details about the game will be detailed in January 2022 in a full reveal. In the meantime, we've gathered everything we've learned so far about the game below for your perusal.

[Update: Could General Manager Mode be returning in WWE 2K22? Read on to find out more.]

WWE 2K22: cut to the chase

• What is it? A WWE wrestling sim from 2K Games
• When can I play it? March 2022
• What can I play it on? No platforms have been announced, but we’d hazard a guess that WWE 2K22 will release on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One and PC.

WWE 2K22 release date and platforms

WWE 2K22 is definitely happening, but it won't be out this year. During SummerSlam 2021, 2K and developer Visual Concepts revealed that WWE 2K22 will release in March 2022, which goes against the game's usual October release date trend. 

The game's release will line up with the run up to Wrestlemania, where WWE fandom is at fever pitch, but it means that the WWE Universe will have to wait a little longer before a proper wrestling game arrives. We hope, though, that this extra time will mean that when it releases WWE 2K22 might actually be a great wrestling game.

Why was WWE 2K21 canceled?

Back in April 2020, 2K released a statement explaining the sudden cancellation of WWE 2K21, and how it planned to make WWE 2K22 the best game yet.

“We hear you and we know you want more from the franchise, so we are applying what we’ve learned to the next WWE 2K simulation game with a renewed focus on quality and fun,” the publisher said. “As part of that commitment, we are extending the production timeline and will not be releasing a WWE 2K simulation game in 2020. We want to ensure the development team can create a great game that will entertain grizzled WWE 2K veterans, as well as newcomers who want to climb through the ropes and step into the ring for the very first time.”

There are high hopes, then, that WWE 2K22 will be a return to form for the franchise, but also that it will dramatically improve upon previous entries, which have been rather lackluster.

WWE 2K22 trailers

We've rounded up all the WWE 2K22 trailers below for your viewing pleasure, including some interesting insights from the development team which show some of the game's new technology in action. 

WWE 2K22 SummerSlam trailer

The second trailer for WWE 2K22 was unveiled at WWE SummerSlam, and showcased the game's new lighting engine. We also got a glimpse of some superstars who have been confirmed for the game, including Roman Reigns, Bobby Lashley and Kane. 

WWE 2K22 teaser trailer

The first trailer for WWE 2K22 dropped during Wrestlemania 37 and stars a photorealistic-looking Rey Mysterio and Cesaro battling it out. We get to see Rey performing his famous "619" finisher, along with various close-ups of Rey's new character model.

WWE 2K22 roster

The WWE roster has changed more than in previous years, partly due to Covid-19 resulting in multiple layoffs. It means that the WWE 2K22 roster may not be nailed down just yet, and could offer a few surprises. The break in development means the roster could look quite different, which should help freshen things up.

Some debutants we’re likely to see include Dominik Mysterio and Angel Garza, with popular NXT wrestlers also making the cut. We’d also expect the usual legends to make an appearance, like The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin, as well as prominent superstars like Asuka and AJ Styles.

So far, we know these WWE superstars will be included in WWE 2K22:

• Bayley
• Bobby Lashley
• Cesaro
• Charlotte Flair
• Drew McIntyre
• Dolph Ziegler
• Edge
• Finn Bálor
• Goldberg
• Kane
• Kofi Kingston
• Rey Mysterio
• Rhea Ripley
• Ricochet
• Roman Reigns
• Sheamus 
• Shinsuke Nakamura
• The Miz

WWE 2K22 news

General manager mode?

WWE 2K22 could see the return of fan favorite General Manager Mode, if a recent tease is anything to go by. The tease came from a from the official WWE 2K22 Twitter account which responded to a tweet suggesting it would be “cool if you could draft your own roster in 2K22” with a pretty teasing thinking face emoji. 

Admittedly, that's far from a confirmation that General Manager Mode will definitely be in the game but it’s enough to give fans hope. Especially following previous reports from SportsGamersOnline that General Manager Mode was seen as a "top priority" and would be in the game. It’s likely that if the mode is going to be in the game, fans probably shouldn’t expect to see anything officially confirmed before January 2022 when the full reveal is scheduled to take place. 

Learning more in January 2022

2K games has confirmed that a full reveal will take place in January 2022 ahead of WWE 2K22's March release date. What exactly will be covered in the reveal isn't confirmed but it's likely that it'll be a chance to dive deeper into the finer details and improvements that have been made to the game in its longer development period, with 2K's announcement highlighting "new controls" and "incredible graphics" as well as "ultra-realistic and updated character models, and more than 3,400 new animations."

WWE 2K22 is "looking fantastic"
WWE 2K22 is reportedly "looking fantastic", according to Forbes' Brian Mazique. Mazique also said the game's control are "much cleaner" and that WWE 2K22 "feels like a wrestling fan's wrestling game."

While it's hard to take too much away from Mazique's comments, it's encouraging to hear that the game sounds like it's in good shape.

More WWE departures could affect final roster
WWE has released a number of high-profile superstars in recent months, which could shape the game's final roster. The likes of Braun Strowman, Aleister Black and Lana have all been let go this year, and recently WWE announced that Bray Wyatt and Ric Flair have also been released.

No Daniel Bryan?
There are rumors that Daniel Bryan might not appear in WWE 2K22. According to ScreenRant, wrestling writer Dave Meltzer has claimed in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that WWE has requested Bryan not appear in WWE 2K22's roster. This is amidst rumors that Bryan is considering signing with AEW. As these are only rumors at the moment, with neither WWE nor 2K confirming, they should be taken with a pinch of salt.

New entrance animations revealed
2K Games has shared another behind the scenes video, which shows some of the entrance animations in WWE 2K22. According to the the tweet from the WWE 2K22 devs Twitter account, there will be over 4,800 new or updated animations in the game. 

A number of WWE superstars were released
WWE announced that a number of notable superstars have been released from its roster, but how will this impact the game? Household names such as Braun Strowman, Lana and Ruby Riott have all been axed, so it remains to be seen whether they will be included in WWE 2K22. 

WWE 2K22's cover stars have been chosen... by the fans
While we still don't know which WWE superstars will grace the game's cover quite yet, fans have had they say on who they'd like to see. In a poll by the WWE Fox Twitter account, fans voted for Drew McIntyre and Sasha Banks as the superstars they'd like to see on the box.

Will 2K Games agree with the fans selection? We'll have to wait and see.

WWE 2K22 features thousands of new animations and mo-cap studio
WWE 2K22 will feature over 4,800 new animations for this year's entry, which is over a thousand more than usual. Patrick Gilmore, one of the game dev's, said that the team was continuing to add more as the game is developed. 

We also got to see the game's new mo-cop studio in action, and Gilmore revealed that it's two times bigger, which means the team can seamlessly capture moves, entrances and elaborate cutscenes that take place in and out of the ring.

WWE 2K22 has new face-scanning technology
WWE 2K22 will use an all-new face-scanning rig that’s equipped with 80 high-resolution cameras that allow Visual Concepts to create high-precision 3D sculpts of the superstars. The clip below shows WWE stars Booker T and Ric Flair enter the contraption – which looks like Darth Vader’s personal chambers – and pull various faces as they get scanned by the cameras.

WWE 2K22: what we’d like to see

While many wrestling game veterans would like to see WWE 2K22 build upon the rock-solid foundations that games like WWF No Mercy established, most people are clamoring for popular modes that were axed from previous games, like GM Mode from Smackdown vs Raw 2006. 

GM Mode let you sign wrestlers, book shows and create feuds, and players were awarded ratings based on how exciting the matches were. In a post on the official 2K forums, which asked fans for their top three requests (which not everyone stuck to), GM Mode was a prominent request.

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Forza Motorsport was first announced back in 2020. Since then, developer Turn 10 Studios has shown off gameplay, and revealed a rough release window for the game. It follows 2017's Forza Motorsport 7, and serves as a reboot of sorts for the series.

While there's still plenty that remains a mystery, it certainly looks like Forza Motorsport will be a technical showcase of what the Xbox Series X can really do. We can't wait to see how it compares to Gran Turismo 7 on PS5. 

At present, over 40 cars have been shown in pre-release footage, alongside a handful of tracks. The visuals are a serious upgrade, to say the least, and comments from the developers make it seem like Forza Motorsport will really push the limits in terms of car physics.

Here's everything we know about Forza Motorsport so far, including a look at gameplay, and details on when you'll get to play it. As more info is revealed, you'll find this page updated. Hopefully we'll hear more on the full release date in the coming months.

Forza Motorsport: cut to the chase

• What is it? The eighth entry in the Forza Motorsport racing series
• When can I play it? Spring 2023
• What can I play it on? Xbox Series X|S and PC

Forza Motorsport: release date and platforms

Forza Motorsport will arrive in Spring 2023 (likely between March and June), and will release on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S and PC. 

With the game being targeted for the newest consoles available, we can reasonably expect it to take advantage of some new features, such as ray tracing or a 120fps mode. It's rumored that Forza Motorsport will launch on Xbox One too, but that remains unconfirmed. It'll also be available on Xbox Game Pass from day one.

However, there's currently some doubt regarding this launch window. During September’s Forza Monthly stream, General Manager Dan Greenawalt and creative director Chris Esaki offered a development update, confirming polishing won't begin until next year. Greenawalt said: 

"The final stage, which will be entering as we get into next year, is polish. And polish is really critical. If you've got a massive game like [Forza] Motorsport and a lot of new systems you're rethinking, that's a lot of surface area to polish. And it takes a lot of time. The real art of game development, is not biting off more than you can polish. [...] We're deep in production now, and we'll be heading into that polish phase, sometime in the next year."

No delay has been confirmed yet by Microsoft but we'll keep this updated as we learn more.

Forza Motorsport: gameplay

Forza Motorsport looks like a racing sim as pure as they come, providing a big update on what Forza Motorsport 7 offered. For starters, it'll be a "huge generational leap" over previous games. Chris Esaki, the game's creative director, shared details on how Forza Motorsport’s physics have evolved from Forza Motorsport 7. 

“To put the physics work into perspective… the changes we made from Forza Motorsport 7 till now, is more than the changes we made from [Forza Motorsport] 4 through [Forza Motorsport] 7. It’s basically a huge generational leap coming to the game.” 

According to Esaki, the tire collision model has also been overhauled.  From the first game to Forza Motorsport 7, tires have always had a single point of contact with the track surface, and refreshed at 60 cycles per second (60Hz). 

In Forza Motorsport, there are now eight points of contact with the track surface, and the engine will refresh at 360 cycles per second (360Hz). That’s a 48x fidelity jump for a single-tire collision. Multiple tire compounds have been confirmed too, a series first. Tire compounds such as hard, medium and soft will deepen the gameplay and racing strategy, and Esaki said it will lead to “exciting new gameplay decisions during a race.” 

Environmental factors will also need to be taken into account in Forza Motorsport, and have the potential to make each lap feel different, according to Esaki.

“We’re working on things like track temperature and how it affects things like grip and tire pressure, and tire wear. In addition, you can imagine how changes in the time of day and weather, along with the new tire wear modeling and all of the new compounds lead to a much deeper driving and racing experience.”

Forza Motorsport trailers

Forza Monthly (June 2022)
Shortly after the Xbox and Bethesda Showcase reveals for Forza Motorsport were shown, a new Forza Monthly video was published. This broke down the main announcements that happened at the show, and went a little more in depth on what was shown.

Gameplay Demo
The official trailer for Forza Motorsport was immediately followed by a stunning gameplay demo, which showcased the fictional circuit known as Maple Valley. Fully utilizing ray-tracing and new dynamic time features, seeing is believing and you can watch the full demonstration below.

Official Trailer
During the Xbox and Bethesda Showcase in June 2022, Forza Motorsport received an official new trailer. Lasting just over a minute, we got a look at how hard Turn10's pushing this new Xbox hardware.

Announcement trailer
Forza Motorsport was announced with a world premiere trailer at Microsoft's Xbox Games Showcase in 2020. The trailer doesn't give much away but the in-engine footage is certainly impressive. Check it out below:

Forza Motorsport: playtests

Turn 10 revealed that the Forza Feedback Panel will be how players can get their hands on the next Forza Motorsport, so the game can be shaped by the community.  Signing up is simple: you must be over 18 years old and agree to a confidentiality statement, which you can opt out of at any time if you decide to leave the program. 

The first playtest took place on May 8, 2021, and resulted in a “ton of great feedback” from the community. According to creative director Chris Esaki. Esaki said that after the playtest, the team was pretty sure that everyone is “super hyped and energized” by what was shown. He also explained that the reason why only small parts of the game are being tested is so Turn 10 gets “critical feedback” on “focused areas”. 

But if you happened to miss out on the first playtest, fear not. More playtests are expected to take place in the future, though we're waiting for an exact date on when these will take place.

Forza Motorsport: car list

What kind of cars can we expect to see in Forza Motorsport, and more importantly, which vehicle will grace the game's cover? While it's hard for us to guess the whole roster currently, we do at least get a sense of how many cars will be in the game, based on Forza Motorsport 7's total.

Forza Motorsport 7 featured 700 cars and 32 tracks, which is an impressive amount. While there's no guarantee the next game will beat this figure, mostly owing to the fact the cars will likely have to be remodelled or upgraded for the next-gen systems, we hope Forza Motorsport comes close to this figure.

So far, we have had 41 cars confirmed to be in Forza Motorsport, nine of them new. In fact, user YoungRhombus has kept a running list over on the GT Planet forums. Big thanks to them, as we've used this list to help build the one featured below:

As more cars are confirmed, they'll be added to this section.

• Acura - 2020 #6 ARX-05 DPi (NEW), 2018 #36 Gradient Racing NSX GT3 (NEW)
• Apollo - 2018 Apollo Intensa Emozione
• Aston Martin - 2017 #7 Aston Martin Racing V12 Vantage GT3, 1958 DBR1
• Audi - 2021 RS e-tron GT, 2018 #44 R8 LMS GT3 (NEW)
• BAC - 2014 Mono
• BMW - 2018 #1 BMW M Motorsport M8 GTE, 2017 #24 BMW Team RLL M6 GTLM
• Brabham - 2019 BT62
• Cadillac - 2021 #31 Whelen Racing DPi-V.R (NEW)
• Chaparral - 1966 #66 Chaparral Cars 2E
• Chevrolet - 2020 Corvette Stingray Coupe, 2020 #3 Corvette Racing C8.R (NEW), 1969 Camaro SS Coupe
• Dodge - 2018 Challenger SRT Demon, 2014 #93 SRT Motorsports Viper GTS-R, 1969 Charger R/T Hemi
• Eagle-Weslake - 1967 T1G
• Ferrari - 1967 #24 Ferrari S.p.A 330 P4
• Ford - 1969 Mustang Boss 302, 1966 #2 GT40 Mk II Le Mans
• Formula Drift - 2020 #151 Toyota GR Supra, 2018 #64 Nissan 370Z
• Ginetta - 2019 #6 Team LNT Ginetta G60-LT-P1(NEW)
• Honda - 1967 RA300
• Koenigsegg - 2020 Jesko
• Lamborghini - 2020 Huracan EVO, 2018 #63 Squadra Corse Huracan Super Trofeo EVO (NEW)
• Lola - 2014 #70 Mazda Speedsource B12/80
• Mazda - 1991 #55 Mazda 787B
• McLaren - 2019 Senna GTR (NEW), 1966 M2B
• Mercedes-AMG - 2018 GT3 (NEW)
• Mercury - 1970 Cougar Eliminator
• NIO - 2016 EP9
• Nissan - 2020 GT-R NISMO [R35], 2019 370Z NISMO
• Porsche - 2021 911 GT3, 2017 #911 Porsche GT Team 911 RSR2018 Challenger SRT Demon, 2014 #93 SRT Motorsports Viper GTS-R, 1969 Charger R/T Hemi

Forza Motorsport track list

So far, we know about five tracks that are set to be included in Forza Motorsport. Once again, thanks to YoungRhombus for keeping a running tally. The confirmed tracks are as follows:

• WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca
• Maple Valley Raceway (Fictional)
• Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps
• Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit (NEW)
• Circuit Hakone (Fictional, NEW) 

Forza Motorsport: news and rumors

Forza's introducing a corner mastery system
While we're waiting on Forza Motorsport's next big reveal, Turn 10 has given fans a small update in a new Twitter post. Introducing a new "corner mastery system", Turn 10 advised this lets you focus practice sessions on those trickier corners around a track. Better still, you can compare corner scores in real time, competing with other players.

Xbox One on the cards?
Initially believed to be console exclusive for Xbox Series X|S alongside a PC release, leaked images suggest that Forza Motorsport could potentially come to Xbox One too.

Earlier this year, on r/gamingleaksandrumors, two pre-release images of Forza Motorsport appeared, said to have been taken in July 2021. There's not much to glean from the photos themselves, these only show a garage and a team looking to start this race, but the interesting part is that they reportedly come from an Xbox One build. 

That's since been "verified" by a mod on this subreddit, though it remains officially unconfirmed by Microsoft and Turn 10. Around the same time, separate Forza Motorsport rumors also emerged from Windows Central's Jez Corden, who advised in the latest Xbox Two podcast that it's in beta and some influencers have already played it.

No Xbox One version has been mentioned previously and, given how the game is expected to take advantage of newer features, like 4k resolution and ray tracing, it'd certainly be a surprise.

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