WWE 2K24 was recently released, with wrestling fans and gamers alike enjoying the latest entry in WWE's video game franchise. Prior to the release, the playable characters and their ratings are always a talking point. Fans often complain about what they perceive as inaccurate or questionable ratings, so it's nice to finally have a little more information about who decides what the final ratings will be, and why.
WWE 2K Developers Take Many Factors Into Consideration
Roman Reigns sits at The Head Of The Table both in WWE and in WWE 2K24, having the highest rating in the game at 97. Nobody is going to dispute that decision, but when Gunther and Logan Paul both score a 90, some fans might get a little upset without any added information or explanation.
Every WWE 2K Game Ranked, According To IGN
Find out what is the best WWE 2K video game in history, according to IGN.During an interview with Rob Pasbani of Knotfest, Bryan Williams, a video game developer for WWE 2K24, explained how the ratings are decided for the games. He shared how the goal is to really differentiate characters, and that having too many wrestlers in the high 80s and 90s detracts from that:
"We, as a team, we just felt that there was an abundance of characters in the 90s and the high 80s, which is great, I’m sure, for the talent. For us on the design side, we’re really big on character differentiation and making sure that when you select a character that they are of their appropriate hierarchy on the card because not everybody can be a Roman Reigns. You have people that are at the tippity top of the card and then you have people that are not, but there’s no slight on anybody."
He also stated how the development team looks at the last calendar year and bases the ratings off what those wrestlers accomplished during that time. Wins, losses, championship wins, and even sustained pushes are taken into consideration:
We’re basically looking at the last calendar year and that’s what we do with the current talents. You know, we kind of take all that into account to kind of see "Did they hold championships? Were they winning more than they were losing? Are they consistently pushed in a certain area?" All that goes into effect.
WWE Surprisingly Has Little Say When It Comes To The Ratings
In one of the more surprising revelations during the interview, Williams mentions how WWE basically has very little say in the ratings. When asked about WWE's input, he had this to say:
“It’s mostly us. It’s 98% us. The WWE, they trust us. I think we are trusted partners with them. We’re always trying to do right by them and their talents.”
For a company that is so protective of its image and its employees, it was a bit of a shock to learn that WWE doesn't micromanage certain decisions about the game, especially something that they can actually have a say on.
