One of the highlights of last year’s WWE 2K22 was the return of a general manager mode with MyGM. For the first time since WWE SmackDown vs Raw 2008, players were able to grab the pencil and take over as head booker for their chosen brands. That game, and the two that came before it, set the bar for a different style of gameplay alongside the fast paced arcadey in-ring action the SDvR series became known and beloved for. While a more menu-based experience, General Manager Mode (or WWE 24/7 in WWE SmackDown vs Raw 2008) allowed gamers to book Raw, SmackDown, and even ECW against one another in weekly matchups, with each brand trying to put on the best show and gather the most money and fans.

While WWE 2K22 initially received praise for its GM Mode, MyGM, players quickly realized it was the barest of barebones modes. A patch about a month after release added tag team belts and additional matches to the weekly cards, but in the end MyGM was more of a foundation than a fun-to-play competition. Still, many could see the beginning of a good game was there, and that hope was enough to run several years’ worth of simulations. Popular YouTubers like WWE’s own Xavier Woods/Austin Creed have made a secondary career out of gaming, and the returning opportunity to play the role of general manager led to Creed and fellow WWE Superstar Tyler Breeze bringing back their Battle of the Brands series, and this year’s MyGM has a lot of surprises directly related to that show. 

With that said, this year’s iteration of the WWE 2K series has a number of improvements, and has received plenty of praise. It’s not going to change the world, but it’s a fun way to spend the time between Raw and SmackDown. Let’s go through some of the best improvements to MyGM in WWE 2k23.

The New Hosts Are Amazing

Most gamers are only going to run through a tutorial once. Even in sports games, it’s easy to overlook the guidance that developers included and just try to figure it out on one’s own, mashing and tapping buttons until something happens. WWE 2K23’s MyGM subverts that by immediately throwing up a bright white screen, something much different than last year’s clip segment with a Stephanie McMahon voiceover. Xavier Woods, a.k.a. Austin Creed of YouTube channel UpUpDownDown, introduces players to this year’s MyGM alongside his on-screen rival, Tyler Breeze. The pair share jokes and inside references to their gaming show as well as their wrestling careers, with Breeze making sure Woods mentions that Breeze is now considered a “WWE Legend” – a decision made in part so Breezy could continue to be a part of both the show and the game.

Usually, the hosts of these in-game segments are lower-tier Superstars (no offense to last year’s tutorial host, Drew Gulak) but WWE and 2K games made a fantastic call by including Woods and Breeze. Their Battle of the Brands show made a point to gently criticize last year’s MyGM outing while still showing a love for the product, and their addition to WWE 2K23 does a lot to show fans that they are appreciated. 

More GMs, More Shows, More Choices

If 2022’s MyGM was the foundation, this year’s version is definitely more of a finished structure. Sure, there is still plenty of work to be done, but the MyGM in WWE 2K23 is infinitely more playable than the previous iteration. Right from the jump, players are presented with a wider variety of selectable GMs. Returning are Adam Pearce, Sonya Deville, and Stephanie McMahon, as well as the Custom Superstar slot. New to the game are Kurt Angle, Eric Bischoff, Mick Foley, and MyGM’s hosts, Xavier Woods and Tyler Breeze. Up to four human or computer controlled players can now participate, twice as many as last year, and there are now six shows to choose from – Raw, SmackDown, NXT, NXT 2.0, and (surprisingly) WCW. Those of us old enough to have survived the Monday Night Wars will definitely appreciate the chance to book Ted Turner to victory.

Once those decisions have been made, session settings are accessed. AI difficulty is no longer tied directly to game difficulty, meaning your opposing GMs can make better decisions while the game can be adjusted to add extra matches during shows, change budgets in later seasons, and adjust morale for signed superstars. Budget, turn order, and use of the new Shake Up cards are also adjustable. 

New Weekly And Monthly Options In WWE 2K23 Make The Years Fly By

The draft and weekly gameplay remains largely the same as last year – take turns picking talent, remembering to factor in things like budget, gender, popularity, stamina, and superstar labels like Specialist, Cruiser, Giant, Fighter, and Bruiser.

In 2K22, only singles and tag matches were available, with few match types to choose. This year features singles, tag team, triple threat, and fatal four way matches, with 11 singles match types and 7 choices for the other matches. Everything from returning match types like Tables and Extreme Rules, to newcomers Submission, Backstage Brawl, and Last Man Standing matches allow for show variety, added fan interest, and more superstars appearing on weekly cards. Cost and stamina effects will come into play as the weeks go by, but overall these additional options add a lot to the overall gameplay.

The addition of several new power-up cards also spices up weekly gameplay. Various buffs for players’ shows, and nerfs to their opponents, keep the week to week grind interesting. Shake Ups, which are long-term cards with various larger reaching effects, have also been included and add even more variety to MyGM.

The Fun Continues Even After WrestleMania

Traditionally, once the Show of Shows has come to a close, so does the season in MyGM. Fans and cash are tallied, and a winner is declared. In WWE 2K23, that’s only partly true. A winner is still declared, but then something magical happens – players move on to season two!

After a season, a number of “keepers” is allowed based on the player’s performance. Winning the season means only two or three Superstars can be held, while a lower grade means retaining more talent to help in the next year of booking. A new draft is performed, and players continue on their quest to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, a feat that can only be attained by acquiring ten Hall of Fame trophies over multiple seasons. Trophies are awarded for revenue earned, fans won, and seasons finished while ranked first overall. This provides a little extra motivation and allows players a few different avenues towards an overall victory.

The New MyGM Is A Blast, But There’s Plenty of Room For Improvement

Overall, MyGM in WWE 2K23 is a great time, and a huge improvement over last year’s version. The addition of multi-person matches, secondary titles, and multiple seasons provide welcome variety to what could easily become a stale management mode. However, there are still a few issues that should be addressed by next year. For example, the lack of online play for MyGM stands out. It cannot be stressed how disappointing it is that a mode that basically consists of menu navigation and human resource management is not available online, while the actual gameplay runs smoothly across any current generation system. Resourceful players have already found workarounds – PlayStation gamers can use Screen Share to take turns, and PC gamers have Steam Remote Play as an option. Xbox Series X/S gamers have reported using Remote Play to share a console, although that has a spotty record at best. 

Roles also remain a point of contention among players. Matches suffer if the suggested combinations of fighter/bruiser and cruiser/giant aren’t used, which begs the question, have these developers not seen Rey Mysterio’s old matches against Psychosis or Juventud Guererra? Do they not appreciate a Gunther versus Sheamus style “big meaty men slappin’ meat” battle? As much as opposites attract, two masters of a style can provide as much entertainment, if not more.

There’s a lack of storytelling inherent to booking matches and nothing else, and MyGM is largely bland in that regard. There are no established tag teams or factions, and no promos available to establish those relationships. For the most part, wrestlers fight, rivalries build and are resolved, and the participants go their separate ways. Aside from Call Out promos and run-ins, rivalries don’t see any real interaction. Universe Mode has greatly expanded its storytelling tools and options, and it would be nice to see some of those changes implemented in the MyGM side of things as well. After all, what’s pro wrestling without a little daytime television drama mixed in?

Nitpicks aside, WWE 2K23’s MyGM represents a huge step forward in gameplay and design. More variety, a wider selection of GMs, the addition of two more playable spots, and games spanning multiple seasons all reflect the developers’ attention to concerns the community had over the last year, and it seems like the game can only improve going forward.