Much has been said about the return of the General Manager Mode in WWE 2K22 and its entertaining Showcase Mode featuring Rey Mysterio. However, the backbone and the reason to keep returning to a WWE 2K wrestling game has been the Universe Mode. It replaced the franchise's General Manager Mode in 2010 with WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2011.
The Universe Mode is the WWE wrestling game's equivalent of a season mode that's often found in other sports games. However, the Universe Mode takes into account the entertainment aspect of setting up rivalries and feuds. Players can create their shows, include legends to have one more run at the title and dominate or include their created Superstars to take on the likes of Brock Lesnar, John Cena, and Roman Reigns.
Even though the GM Mode made its return in WWE 2K22 with the new MyGM Mode, it's Universe that's still the meat and potatoes of the franchise. This list includes some of the best Universe Modes in the series.
5 WWE Smackdown Vs Raw 2011
- Released: 2010
- Developer: Yukes
- Platform: PS2
As the first game to use the Universe Mode as a viable replacement for the well-loved General Manager Mode, WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2011 had some big shoes to fill. Even though fans were undeniably disappointed with the lack of a GM Mode SvR 2011's Universe Mode was deep and replayable.
It was packed with storylines, over 100 cutscenes, rivalries, and alliances. All of which would contribute to the player's rankings and whether or not they would be able to challenge for their targeted championship.
4 WWE 2K22
- Released: 2022
- Developer: 2K Visual Concepts
- Platform: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S
After the disastrous WWE 2K15, the series benefitted from a leap in quality from WWE 2K16 onward. The Universe Mode featured in WWE 2K16 to WWE 2K20 were very similar. As a result, WWE 2K22 feels like the best of all those games in one package. WWE 2K22 also features a new option called Superstar Mode which allows them to follow the career of one chosen wrestler and take them to the top.
Moreover, if one is getting bored of sticking to one wrestler at a time, one can seamlessly switch between Superstar and Classic Mode. There are a ton of options for players to tailor their experience and make it their own including custom superstars, renders, and more. Unfortunately, WWE 2K22's Universe Mode suffers from bugs and other issues that seem to get worse with every patch. Additionally, at the time of writing, certain features like double title matches don't work as they should and wrestlers are incapable of holding more than one belt at a time.
3 WWE '12
- Released: 2011
- Developer: Yukes
- Platform: PS3, Wii, and Xbox 360
As the follow-up to WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2011, WWE '12 unsurprisingly took the Universe Mode to the next level. This was helped by having improved gameplay mechanics that made players want to take part in the matches instead of just simulating them.
WWE '12 allows players to make edits to their shows, rename them, and customize almost every feature. One can create title matches on any show. More importantly, the game's Universe Mode features a variety of cutscenes, winning and losing streaks matter and affect a wrestler's morale, and injuries also play a significant role.
2 WWE 2K14
- Released: 2013
- Developer: Yukes
- Platform: PS3 and Xbox 360
The first game in the franchise to use the 2K brand name is regarded by many fans as one of the best entries in the franchise. It has a great roster of superstars and was famed for having a reversible cover to satisfy the more hardcore fans that wanted Daniel Bryan, AKA Bryan Danielson, on the cover instead of The Rock.
The Universe Mode built upon the features of its predecessors, but it also introduced more freedom for players to customize their shows. The best feature in WWE 2K14's Universe Mode was the Rivalry Manager feature where players can customize, create, and track new rivalries within the Universe Mode. Despite having more features than WWE '13, this entry's Universe Mode appeared to have fewer opportunities for branching storylines as they triggered with less frequency than its direct predecessor. Players would spend far more time just simulating or wrestling in matches in a loop before any cutscenes would trigger.
1 WWE '13
- Released: 2012
- Developer: Yukes
- Platform: PS3, Wii, and Xbox 360
The last game to be published under the THQ banner, WWE '13 is often an overlooked gem in the franchise. It's also one of the first games to feature what would eventually become known as the Showcase Mode with its new Attitude Era Mode that featured six storylines set around WWE's most popular era.
The game's Universe Mode is arguably the best the series has produced with some credit going to Paul Heyman for his involvement in the development process. This time players could include their own customized arenas, there is a distinction between major and minor TV shows, and the create a Pay-Per-View feature made a return. One can even change the day that certain shows are aired if they wanted. Furthermore, there are more than 200 branching storyline possibilities that react organically. As a result, rivalries were less predictable but triggered more realistically than even the modern titles.