Randy Orton
After a lengthy absence through injury, the Legend Killer returned at Battleground to set up a Summerslam match with Brock Lesnar. Yet disappointingly, it was as a good guy. GR+'s first move in Universe mode, then, will be to switch him back to being a heel – his dastardly moveset and mannerisms are much better suited to fan boos.
Randy Savage
Having gone the entire noughties without appearing in a WWE game, Macho Man is now considered a series regular – this will be his fourth consecutive appearance. No word one whether he'll be joined by long-time wife and manager Miss Elizabeth, but you'd hope so.
Razor Ramon
Say hello to the Bad Guy. Dropped last year (but kept in as DLC under his real name of Scott Hall), Razor returns for more toothpick-slinging, Razor's-Edge-hitting squared circle action. And with this year's ladder match updates, the timing couldn't be more appropriate – he and Shawn Michaels provided the template for that style of bout via a WrestleMania 9 masterclass.
The Revival
Last year’s NXT tag champs, Blake & Murphy, earned DLC spots for WWE 2K16, but the current title holders go one better – heading direct to disc. Dash Wilder & Scott Dawson are a welcome throwback to the ‘80s, prioritising in-ring generalship over flashy flips and dives. And while they might look generic, they’ve in fact put on some of NXT’s best matches in 2016.
Ric Flair
Woo! With daughter Charlotte appearing in a WWE game for the first time, there was no way Yuke's could omit this Limousine-riding, jet-flying, kiss-stealing, wheeling-dealing son of a gun – giving you the opportunity to add to his 16 previous World Championship reigns, should you so wish. Come on, one more for the road: Woooo!
Rick Rude
The Ravishing one enjoyed a storied career, from unforgettable feuds with Jake Roberts and the Ultimate Warrior, to a reinvention as DX's original manager and mouthpiece. He sadly passed away in 1999, but features here for the third year in a row: potentially facilitating an unlikely reunion with Shawn Michaels and Triple H.
Ricky Steamboat
One of the great wrestling technicians of the '80s, The Dragon starred in what many consider to be the best match of the entire decade - an Intercontinental Championship tilt with Randy Savage at WrestleMania 3. A brief 2006 comeback produced similarly fluid encounters with Chris Jericho, before injury forced him to call it a day (at least in WWE rings) for good.
Rikishi
Stiiiiink-face! Daddy Usos' finisher, in which he introduces his ample backside to a fallen foe's grill, is as low brow and downright immature as wrestling gets – so naturally, we're delighted to see him, and said cheek-to-cheek move, return to the roster for a second consecutive year.
The Rock
No in-ring appearances for The Great One this year so far, but that won't stop him being a fixture in WWE games for the next decade and beyond. Fancy granting him a ninth WWE Championship reign, and reigniting his classic feud with Stone Cold Steve Austin in the process? Hit Universe mode and get Rock Bottoming.
Roman Reigns
Ongoing, underwhelming fan reaction has turned the man being groomed as John Cena Mk II into the modern reincarnation of Lex Luger, yet still WWE persists in pushing him to the moon. He's desperate for a run as a no-prisoners, ass-whupping bad guy – anyone with sense will make that happen in WWE 2K17.
