WWE has ebbed and flowed constantly throughout its existence. We had the huge popularity of the lewd and crude Attitude Era, the toned down yet still biting Ruthless Aggression times, and finally the PG period that saw many hardened fans, myself included, walk away for years. Now the wrestling promotion has come to Netflix, things are changing all over again.
Its arrival on the streaming platform last week came with an overhauled presentation, plenty of excellent matches, and a comprehensive showcase of its biggest stars to an audience of fans new and old. But no matter how much the product itself changes, video games remain constant. It’s a part of WWE’s identity that, for several decades now, has seen new entries each and every year. Unfortunately, most of them aren’t very good.
How Could WWE 2K Evolve During The Netflix Era?
Don’t get me wrong, there have been some bangers. WWF No Mercy, Smackdown Here Comes The Pain, and the last two WWE 2K titles have all been great fun, but there have been more stinkers than shiners – likely because there is an incentive to quickly churn out an entry every year with updated rosters, modes, and a game that reflects how exactly WWE has grown in the past 12 months. But in the modern era, that isn’t enough time to make a triple-A experience without cutting a few corners.
I don’t expect this philosophy to change during the Netflix era, but there are potential ways in which WWE could leverage its association with the streaming service to make each game so much more varied, enjoyable, and unexpected. Whether that comes in the form of support in Netflix Games, official crossovers, or just more resources to work with, there’s plenty worthy of discussion.
Give Us Some Seriously Wild Crossover DLC
During the Netflix debut, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson was quick to make a Squid Game reference during his opening promo, both as a way to promote the popular show and to make it clear that WWE Raw now shared a stage with the viral Korean drama. Wrestlers are joining a platform with some of the biggest shows on the planet, whether it’s Arcane, Stranger Things, Bridgerton, or Wednesday. While the streaming giant makes a habit of cancelling beloved shows, there are a select few that have become juggernauts.
So why not take advantage of that and throw some of these universes into WWE 2K as downloadable content? In recent years, the annual series has been returning to its arcade roots, showing more interest in plug-and-play fun than the intricacies of a simulator.
This attitude is reflected in its roster too, which isn’t afraid to add pop stars, podcasters, and an assortment of wrestlers from across history each with different costumes. Throwing a few Netflix big hitters into the mix wouldn’t feel out of place, not to mention the cross promotion that no longer has to deal with weird legal red tape. Besides, players are just going to create them eventually anyway, so why not make it official?
Netflix Games And WWE Could Be A Match Made In Heaven
My colleague Tessa Kaur has already written about how Netflix Games is criminally underrated and continues to deliver a number of fantastic games at no extra charge. But even people who play games aren’t logging onto Netflix to play Hades, they watch Peep Show for the hundredth time like everyone else. So, despite its existence, it’s hard to picture exactly how WWE would work with Netflix Games even though they seem like a perfect fit for the service.
WWE isn’t going to give away annual entries for ‘free’ (or at least covered by your regular subscription), while there is little chance of older titles being brought back either, so that leaves us with mobile games like SuperCard. Maybe there will be some added bonuses for linking your account or a head start for players jumping in for the first time, but I doubt this element of Netflix will play much of a role. It’s a shame, because in another world, if it actually took off, things would be very different.
Expect Plenty Of Netflix Mentions In WWE 2K25
WWE 2K25 is set to launch in March, so chances are Visual Concepts is already getting it ready for certification and polishing the final build. But we’ve known about the arrival of Raw on Netflix for months now, so there’s a solid chance it will have dedicated stages alongside commentary from the likes of Michael Cole and Wade Barrett mentioning the partnership.
It is going to become a constant facet of everything WWE for the foreseeable future, and that includes how the product is incorporated into annual video games. Now, if only this saw devs handed additional resources and time to make each entry that much better, but we don’t live in that world. Maybe one day…
WWE 2K24
WWE 2K24 continues the WWE 2K series with Cody Rhodes as its cover star. Also celebrating 40 years of WrestleMania, 2024’s installment reintroduces dormant match types to the fold, including casket and special guest referee bouts.