Speculation surrounding the WWE 2K22 cover star is finally over, with 2K confirming that veteran masked luchador Rey Mysterio is to front this year’s game. The publisher has also shared a WWE 2K22 release date: it’s coming to PS5, Xbox Series X, PS4, Xbox One and PC on March 11, 2022.
It’s Mysterio’s first solo WWE series cover, and fourth overall appearance on the box. He also featured in the background of 2003’s WWF Smackdown: Here Comes The Pain, as well as the 2007 and 2010 entries of Smackdown vs Raw.
Not only is former world, tag-team and cruiserweight champion the WWE 2K22 cover athlete, Mysterio also forms the focus of the returning Showcase mode, in which gamers get to replay memorable storylines and matches from years past. The man himself reveals that three of those bouts pit Mysterio against Eddie Guerrero, Shawn Michaels, and The Undertaker.
“We have the very first WrestleMania moment [between] Eddie Guerrero vs [myself] at WrestleMania 21,” Mysterio tells GamesRadar. “That moment kicked off the feud between Eddie and myself. Shortly after, Eddie left us and there was another special moment where I was able to face HBK in a memorial show for Eddie’s passing. As hard as that was, that moment was very special. I knew Eddie was looking down and enjoying that night along with all of us. We also have Undertaker v Rey Mysterio at the Royal Rumble.”
Four different editions of WWE 2K22 are on the way, with the standard versions priced at £49.99/$59.99 on PC, £59.99/$59.99 on PS4 and Xbox One, and £64.99/$69.99 on PS5 and Xbox Series X. A cross-gen bundle is available for £69.99/$79.99 which includes the digital edition for PS5/PS4 or Xbox Series X/Xbox One, along with a Starrcade ’96 Rey Mysterio DLC pack.
The WWE 2K22 Deluxe Edition retails at £84.99/$99.99 on your console of choice, and includes the Starrcade ’96 Mysterio pack, an Undertaker Immortal DLC pack, a season pass for five more upcoming DLC packs, Mega-Boost and Supercharger packs for MyRise mode, and bonus content for mobile game WWE SuperCard.
Those feeling especially flush can plump for the digital-only WWE 2K22 NWO 4-Life Edition at £104.99/$119.99. In addition to all that Deluxe Edition content you get MyFaction cards and alternate outfits for Hulk Hogan, Scott Hall, Kevin Nash and Syxx, a playable Eric Bischoff, the NWO Wolfpac Championship, and two additional arenas: WCW Souled Out 1997 and WCW Bash At The Beach 1996. Oh, and three days of early access, beginning on March 8.
That NWO 4-Live pre-order revelation means that Hogan, BIschoff, Diesel, Razor Ramon and X-Pac can all be newly confirmed for the WWE 2K22 roster.
As well as WWE 2K22 marking Rey Mysterio’s debut solo cover appearance, it’s also the first ever video game to feature his son, Dominik – and he understandably sees this as a family landmark.
“It’s really cool to be able to enjoy this game with my son now,” he says. “It’s no longer, ‘daddy I’m playing you on the 2K game.’ It’s, ‘Pops, it’s me and you: let’s team up and take some fools down.’ I would definitely love to see Angel Garza and Humberto Carrillo face Dom and Rey [in WWE 2K22] just because of that clash of lucha libre style. I’m also a big fan of Ricochet, so I would love to see Ricochet team up with whoever and face off against Dom and myself.”
The last WWE series cover stars were Roman Reigns and Becky Lynch, cementing their statuses as the two biggest players in the company. Indeed, despite that game – WWE 2K20 – launching nearly two-and-a-half years ago they remain in prime position, as Universal Champion and Raw Women’s Champion respectively.
Want to know how the game itself is shaping up? Then launch yourself off the nearest turnbuckle towards GR’s extensive WWE 2K22 preview.
