Universe Mode has long been one of the most popular modes in the WWE 2K series as fans are able to create and run their own shows with their own rosters, championships and storylines.
While it’s not the GM Mode that some fans still clamor for, there is still plenty of fun to be had in the open sandbox that is Universe Mode. In the latest preview blog post, 2K Sports detailed all of the new additions and improvements coming to the mode in WWE 2K18.
Some of the major changes surrounding the mode this year involve rivalries between superstars on a specific roster. In previous games, rivalries in Universe Mode were too generic and didn’t really add anything to the experience. WWE 2K18 is hoping that changes this year with features like “Potential Rivalries” and “Active Rivalries”, which are as straightforward as they sound. “Potential Rivalries” are those that are brewing, and could become full-fledged feuds in the near future while “Active Rivalries” are the results of all of the build-up between superstars.
In addition to general rivalries, there’s also the addition of “Intensity” that tells helps you understand the possibilities within each feud. The “Intesity” is broken up into four different levels:
- Low (Green): Sportsman-like conduct between the rivals; in short, a “friendly” rivalry;
- Medium (Yellow): Rivals are disrespectful and confrontational or growing frustrated from being on the losing end;
- High (Orange): Rivals are resorting to and responding with cheap shots and distractions against each other;
- Very High (Red): The rivalry has become hostile, with Superstars attacking each other.
Outside of the feuds in the mode, there’s also a better utilization of the brand split that returned to WWE television in 2016. The back-end of the mode is now better equipped to handle multiple PPVs in a single month, according the 2K Sports.
Power Rankings were added to Universe Mode this year to give players an idea of who the best superstars in your company are. Sometimes it can be easy to lose track of rising talent, but the Power Rankings will hopefully help with that issue.
Something we wanted to represent in Universe Mode is how some Superstars push past their limits and go on an unstoppable run, as well as how the underdogs can fight their way up to the very top to win and defend championship gold. Power Rankings will allow Superstars to achieve these kinds of runs by boosting them with temporary attribute bonuses if they can climb high enough in the Power Rankings. This allows low-powered Superstars to fight their way to championships and match up with the best of them or turn an already powerful Superstar into an unstoppable force.
Superstar Goals is a brand new addition to the mode that will add motivation aside from winning a championship to a superstar’s profile. The goals vary from retaining a title to reforming a past tag team, and each goal will have an impact on the match types specific wrestlers get involved in.
Lastly, new match types like 8-man matches will make their way into Universe Mode along with match types created by players using the Custom Match feature of the Creation Suite.
As you’re playing through matches, there’s a chance that one Superstar completely outclasses and overwhelms their opponents from the very start. Superstars with significantly higher attributes than their opponents can cause a squash match to occur, putting their opponents in a situation where they must mount a considerable offense to survive or suffer crushing defeat.
WWE 2K18 launches on Tuesday, October 17 for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and, for the first time ever on the same day, PC.
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