The WWE 2K franchise has become a mainstay in the video game industry, and while not every entry has been well-received, WWE 2K22 and WWE 2K23 have proven how bright the franchise's future is. Of course, only a relatively small number of elite superstars have been able to grace video game covers, as each 2K title only focuses on one superstar (except WWE 2K20). Still, there are a lot of current superstars who deserve their shot, perhaps if not right now then certainly down the line.
Since its rebrand in 2013, the WWE 2K series has been released annually (minus the period developer Visual Concepts to ensure there was not another WWE 2K20 fiasco). In that decade, several high-profile stars have graced the game's covers, but the current roster has the makings to produce several cover stars over the next decade too.
WWE 2K Possible Future Cover Stars
Previous WWE 2K cover stars in chronological order
- The Rock
- John Cena
- Stone Cold Steve Austin
- Brock Lesnar
- Seth Rollins
- AJ Styles
- Becky Lynch
- Roman Reigns
- Rey Mysterio
- John Cena
The first, and most obvious, choice for the next cover star, is LA Knight. The wrestler has experienced what could only be described as a meteoric rise in popularity since the turn of the year. His flashy style, exceptional promo skills, and simple, effective catchphrases have seen him quickly become one of the biggest stars in the company. Many have compared LA Knight to the likes of Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock, and while it's perhaps too early to hold him in such high esteem, it is easy to see the Maryland-born grappler finding himself in contention for a major world title in the imminent future. His merchandise sales are through the roof, and putting him on the cover of a future WWE 2K game would be a great way for WWE to capitalize on this, especially once he has some more experience and high profile matches (like his Payback match against The Miz) under his belt.
Cody Rhodes is another name that quickly springs to mind. Known as The American Nightmare, Rhodes has been a main-event player since his return to WWE. A Royal Rumble win in January saw him main-event WrestleMania against Roman Reigns, where he ultimately lost, before getting dragged into a feud with Brock Lesnar. Rhodes' popularity is at an all-time high, and seeing him on the cover of a WWE 2K game would come as no surprise.
Becky Lynch is currently the only female WWE superstar to have been featured on the cover of a WWE 2K game, but in current Women's World Champion Rhea Ripley and legend-in-her-own-right Charlotte Flair, the WWE has two more bankable stars who are more than capable of featuring on the game's cover. Women's wrestling has never been as impressive as it is right now, both in terms of the athleticism on display and the level of energy and competitiveness to the matches, so it's pretty easy to imagine another female cover star sooner rather than later.
In terms of other stars who may find themselves on the game's covers in the future, the long-standing Intercontinental Champion Gunther, and young, upcoming stars Grayson Waller and Austin Theory are just a few of the possible names who could be in contention. WWE currently boasts a roster brimming with talent, and the company looks to be in great shape, with a bright future ahead. This is great news for the WWE 2K series which should equally move from strength to strength in the coming years.
WWE 2K23 is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.