It has been a decade full of ups and down for wrestling games and more so for the fans that like to play them. Since WCW folded in 2001, the WWE has held a monopoly in the wrestling entertainment business for close to two decades. Sadly, this has been reflected in the gaming industry too. TheWWE 2Kseries is the only licensed wrestling franchise released in the West that has been worth players' time.
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With the exception of theFire Proseries, there hasn’t been a wrestling game that fans of the genreconsider something to be specialsince the AKI developed wrestling titles on the Nintendo 64 likeWWF No Mercy.Nevertheless, wrestling fans are a tenacious bunch, and those that have remained faithful to their favorite genre still find a lot to love about the games that casual players won’t notice.
Updated by Michael Llewellyn on June 15, 2025:The WWE franchise has dominated TV stations for years and with the exception of the upcoming AEW promotion, it’s had no real challenge to its dominance. This was also reflected in the gaming world too as WWE videogames were the only mainstream wrestling franchise that most fans were aware of. As a result, many fans will take what they can get just so they could play something different. While many games didn’t score well with reviewers they still managed to find a way into the wrestling fan’s hearts. It’s also interesting that despite the huge budgets, the two most critically acclaimed games on this list aren’t WWE games.
14TNA IMPACT! Cross The Line
Released as both a follow-up and a port of the originalTNA IMPACT!found on home consoles,TNA IMPACT! Cross the Lineis a wrestling game designed for handheld consoles. Compared to other wrestling games of the timeCross the Line’sscores are average at best.
However, PSP gained something of a fan following because of its roster. It features wrestlers such as Hulk Hogan, Kurt Angle, Booker T, and AJ Styles. In addition, the game features a solid amount of match types from Free for All and the Ultimate X match.
13Lucha Libre AAA Heroes Of The Ring
Developed by the Mexico-based Larva Games Studios,Lucha Libre AAA Heroes of the Ringis based on the Mexican wrestling promotionLucha Libre AAA Worldwide.It was built using the Unreal Engine and the visuals definitely looked the part.
It did suffer from stiff animations, however, and the gameplay is very reminiscent of its WWE counterparts. Furthermore, it was probably a little too slow when compared to the real-life Lucha style of high-flying wrestling. That said, it was still considered a good alternative to the WWE wrestling games that were getting released on a yearly basis.
12WWE 2K18
WWE 2K18marked a visual step up from its predecessor. It brought back several long-requested game modes from the previous entries that had been missing for a few years.
The game could now feature eight wrestlers in the ring at once, meaning Royal Rumbles look closer to their TV counterparts. In addition, the game brought back the Backstage Brawl mode. Here, players can take their wrestlers backstage, fight with a myriad of available weapons, and even use the environment to gain an advantage.
11WWE 2K17
Continuing on from the success of its predecessor, WWE2K17improved on its predecessors with a larger roster, better visuals, andthe return of legendslike Goldberg.
It built upon the mechanics ofWWE 2K16with more responsive controls making for a much better wrestling experience. Unfortunately, at the time of its release, the Showcase mode was removed in favor of expanding the MyCareer mode. This was mitigated somewhat with the inclusion of the Legends Showcase DLC.
10WWE ‘12
WWE ‘12was the successor toWWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2011and along with the new name, developer Yukes tried to implement several new gameplay mechanics.
Yukes removed the weak and strong grapple system, which would return later titles, andreplaced it with a new systemwhere wrestlers perform different moves depending on their physical condition. While it was a good idea, in theory, it essentially took the control away from the player in matches. It prevented players from performing the moves they wanted to at different stages of the match.
9WWE 2K16
Fans were starting to lose faith in the series after the disastrousWWE 2K15failed to live up to the expectations, soWWE 2K16was released in 2015 for a huge variety of systems, with a lot of promise.
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WithWWE 2K16,Yukes put all their effort into improving the gameplay mechanics and started a three-year run of well-receivedWWE 2Kgames among fans. Even if casual players couldn’t see much of an improvement, the gamers that stuck with the series for years could see that it was a step in the right direction.
8WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2011
The wrestling mechanics ofWWE Smackdown vs Raw 2011were more or less the same as in previous years. However, Yukes introduced a more realistic physics engine, which had a big impact on extreme match types like Ladders and Tables contests.
In addition to the physics, Universe Mode made its first appearance inWWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2011. This mode would go on to be a staple in every entry going forward as an alternative to the General Managermode from previous entries.
7WWE 2K14
WWE 2K14was the first game to be published under the 2K banner, with Yukes still taking the lead on creating the game. At the time, it was one of the mostfeature-packed entries in the WWEseries with several additions and improvements to the mechanics.
WWE 2K14was a dream come true for fans of the Golden and Attitude eras of wrestling. Game modes like 30 Years of Wrestlemania, The Streak Mode, and DLC brought in characters like The Ultimate Warrior and the nWo.
6Total Extreme Wrestling
First released on the PC in 2004,Total Extreme Wrestlingis a wrestling management sim that deserves a mention on this list. Even though its mechanics remained the same, it has been consistently updated all the way through the decade right up to theTotal Extreme Wrestling 2020edition.
For fans of the General Manager mode that has been absent in theWWE 2Kseries for years,Total Extreme Wrestlingis a dream come true. Players take on the role of a wrestling promoter attempting to become the next Vince McMahon. Created storylines develop organically and stars can be built-up or destroyed.
5WWE All Stars
Unlike theWWE Smackdown vs. Rawseries,WWE All Starswas a comedic arcade wrestling game designed to appeal to all gamers. The characters resembled a 3D version of the arcade coin-opWWF Wrestlefestand had an action figure appearance.
It featured gaming modes like the Path of Champions, which was a 10-man gauntlet, and the Fantasy Warfare which contained dream matches between Legends and their modern-day equivalent.
