Minor Spoilers for WWE 2K23 and WWE 2K24 Ahead
When Cody Rhodes eliminated CM Punk at the 2024 Royal Rumble, it was a message to the WWE Universe that his story was back on track, that he would face Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 40, and that the past year hadn’t been for naught. However, that all came crumbling down when The Rock returned, and Cody stated that the WWE Legend would be facing Roman at WrestleMania instead. Not only was The Rock and Roman’s face-off quickly flooded with dislikes on WWE’s YouTube channel, but it led to theWe Want Cody movementthat, reportedly, saw WWE Creative pivot to putting Cody back up against Roman. The Rock has teased going after Roman before, such as his Head of the Table promo, but the timing was off. Still, his return in this instance was surprising, but perhaps somewhat predicted byWWE 2K23andWWE 2K24.
It should be noted that the pivot into Hollywood Rock has been well-received by fans and is a good direction after all of this. However, several reports suggest that The Rock vs. Roman Reigns, at least at one point, was legitimately planned.
More so than the past two entries,WWE 2K24’s MyRise mode deals with key real-world elements, if with an alternate timeline-like approach. For example, the Men’s Undisputed storyline throughline is Roman Reigns vacating his Undisputed WWE Universal Championship for Hollywood, tying Cody Rhodes into that with the new PC becoming the champion, and even bringing Gunther to the world title scene (something many fans want to see in real-world WWE).WWE 2K24’s use of The Rock, or lack thereof in a specific area, after his role inWWE 2K23is a nice little parallel for his real-world return to WWE.
WWE 2K23 and Mudslide The Movie
WWE 2K23was released in March 2023, featuring its own MyRise storylines for male and female superstars. The maleWWE 2K23MyRise mode of The Lockfeatures one storyline where one of their appearances is undercut by an event hosted by The Rock. It was a promotional activity highlighting his newest Hollywood movie,Mudslide. Interestingly, this lines up to some degree with The Rock’s real-world Hollywood career. The Rock’sBlack Adammovie had come out a few months before the game’s release, andFast X(released in May 2023) featured a cameo from him. At the start of 2023, The Rock was very much associated with Hollywood, moreso than WWE, and the game’s use ofMudslidereflects this. The same applies toMudslide 2’s appearance inWWE 2K24.
WWE 2K24 and Mudslide 2
Mudslide returns inWWE 2K24, but this time as part of the Unleashed (Women’s) storyline. This MyRise mode sees players establishing their identity as an indie wrestler within WWE, letting them explore who they are across a couple of storylines. One of these sees that wrestler get booked in a Hollywood movie, which isMudslide 2. The player’s character stars opposite of John Cena, with no indication that The Rock is involved in the sequel. Now, it’s not uncommon forWWE moviesto replace superstars with other superstars in sequels (The Marinestars John Cena, whileThe Marine 2stars Ted DiBiase Jr, for example), but the timing is quite interesting.
On the January 1 episode of WWE Raw, The Rock returned and shot a promo asking if he should sit at The Head of the Table. A month later, he returned after The Royal Rumble and shot that now-infamous segment, withThe Rock essentially challenging Roman Reigns at WrestleMania. A month later, of course,WWE 2K24would be released. Now, it’s not necessarily impossible, but it’s very unlikely that The Rock was involved inMudslide 2in-universe as of January. The likelier scenario seems to be thatWWE 2K24 planned to have Cena involved with Mudslide 2 from the get-go, and whether that’s just for variety or because intentionally to remove the in-universe Hollywood association with The Rock, is up in the air.
Either way,WWE 2K23associates The Rock with Hollywood at a time when he was deep in the trenches of movie releases.WWE 2K24does not associate The Rock with Hollywood at a time when he has returned to the WWE, at least for some time in the ring and more permanently as a TKO board member.
WWE 2K24 Makes a Bet - Coincidence or Prediction?
At the end of the day, it’s more likely a coincidence than anything serious. It’ll be interesting to see what happens with Mudslide moving forward, and of course much more interesting to see how The Rock, Roman Reigns, and Cody Rhodes' story continues to build heading into WrestleMania 40. This does give fans reason to keep an eye on Mudslide 3 inWWE 2K25though. If John Cena returns for a serious run at the start of 2025 (he previously indicated 50 is his hard age limit and is currently 46) after being the star ofMudslide 2, it’d be worth watching who appears inMudslide 3and if they were to return to WWE thereafter. That’s not likely to happen, but it’s still a fun idea/concept with theWWE game.
WWE 2K24
WHERE TO PLAY
FORTY YEARS OF WRESTLEMANIAWrestleMania is the biggest event in sports entertainment, where Superstars become WWE Legends. Experience a gripping retelling of WrestleMania’s greatest moments in 2K Showcase of the Immortals, where you can relive a collection of some of the most unforgettable, career-defining matches.AN ICONIC ROSTERWWE 2K24 boasts a star-studded roster featuring WWE Legends like “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Undertaker, and Andre the Giant, alongside current WWE Superstars like “The American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes, John Cena, Rhea Ripley, and Roman Reigns, whose larger-than-life entrances and signature moves are heightened by ultra-realistic graphics.NEW MATCH TYPESFrom Guest Referee to Casket, Gauntlet, and Ambulance matches, there are a bevy of new match types to experience in WWE 2K24, including support for multiple Superstars in Backstage Brawl.PROVE YOURSELF IN MyRISEUnleash your raw talent and become the undisputed champ in MyRISE, featuring two thrilling career arcs and original storylines chronicling your ascent to WWE stardom from the men’s and women’s divisions.BUILD YOUR FACTIONAssemble your favorite WWE Superstars and Legends in MyFACTION. Acquire cards, build a dominant faction, compete in online multiplayer and the all-new ranked quickplay. Plus, earn exciting promotional and final rank rewards as you climb the new seasonal leaderboard!
