WWE 2K22 Beginner’s Guide: Top 5 Tips for Wannabe Wrestlers

by Mike Alexander / Articles, WWE Guides / 03 Jan 2022

The thrill of a great wrestling match is something people of all ages can enjoy. Whether it’s NXT, RAW, or a Main Event, the showmanship and dedication from the athletes always creates something special to watch. For superfans or even those of us who want some extra WWE action besides the televised events, we have the WWE 2K games that let us fulfill our kayfabe fantasies. The latest game, WWE 2K22, is the best one yet, and if you’re looking to dominate your friends in local multiplayer matches, or just rise to the top of the single-player mode, this WWE 2K22 Beginner’s Guide has a few tips that will help you get there. Do you hear that? Your entrance music is playing, so let’s get started!

Become A Combo King

When you start on your WWE 2K22 journey, you’ll probably spend the majority of your time button-mashing. Especially if you haven’t played any of the previous WWE games. In past entries, this was really your only option for attacking. But, in WWE 2K22, there is a brand new combo system that forms the basis of your matches. These combos will let your wrestlers pull off devastating attacks that will leave your opponent dazed.

Each wrestler has their own list of combos, which can be found in the combos tab of the pause menu. Getting familiar with the combos of different wrestlers can make you a force to be reckoned with, as tactical use of combos will almost always beat out button mashing.

Master Advanced Techniques

Continuing the topic of button mashing, you’re going to want to avoid using it as a crutch. There will be times where your opponent has you locked into a combo or grapple, and your first instinct will be to mash buttons to try to escape.

But, WWE 2K22 is a game of nuance, and mashing buttons in these situations won’t do you any good. For these situations, you’ll want to have mastered the reversal, and if that fails, the breaker move. A reversal will let you escape an enemy’s offensive before it even starts, but does require excellent timing. An icon over your wrestler will show you when it’s the right time to perform a reversal.

If you whiff the timing on the reversal, your last resort will be to perform a breaker, which allows you to escape a combo before it ends, but you will still take some damage. To perform a breaker, you will need to match the input of your opponent’s incoming attack before it hits you. It’s difficult to know the right input and timing for any given attack since it varies from wrestler to wrestler, but you’re going to want to try to learn this as a fall back. Mastering the reversal should be your first priority, and if you get good with those, you’ll rarely need the breaker.

Pay Attention To The Meters

WWE 2K22 has 3 meters at the bottom of the screen associated with your character: the health, special, and finisher meters.

The health meter is self-explanatory. As it gets depleted, your actions will become increasingly slow and sluggish.

The meter just below that, the special meter, has a few different uses, and determines what tactical and special moves are available to you. It is separated into three sections. Using one segment of the meter will let you pull off a defensive maneuver, recovering quickly from the ground to your feet, ready to attack.

Two segments will let you perform a payback move, which varies depending on what you select at the beginning of a match. Some payback moves are defensive buffs, some are powerful strikes, and some are dirty schemes that will get you disqualified if the ref catches you using them. Things can get pretty wacky, but just be careful of what you use and where you do it. These moves can only be used once per match.

Using a full three segments of your special meter will allow your character to perform a signature move. These flashy attacks depend on your wrestler, but landing one successfully will immediately fill your finisher meter.

This final meter is used for performing powerful attacks that will make your opponent more susceptible to round-ending pins. There are requirements that have to be met before you can perform a finisher, but the game will let you know when a finisher will be the most effective.

Arm Yourself

As with previous WWE 2K games, you’re able to obtain weapons from beneath the ring. If you find that a match isn’t going your way and you have to force the W, you can always resort to hitting your opponent with a folding chair.

To obtain a weapon, you will need to exit the ring by standing next to the ropes and pressing your right bumper. Then, standing next to the ring on any side, you press and hold the left bumper to bring up a weapon wheel full of options to select an instrument of destruction from.

The weapons available to you will differ based on your match style, but anything you use will give you an advantage. Just make sure the ref doesn’t see you!

Take Control Of The Situation

In the early part of WWE 2K22, you’ll probably notice your opponent dragging your tired, battered body around to position you for a specific attack. The game doesn’t tell you this till much later in the game, but you can do this too! All you need to do is press circle on the DualSense (or B on an Xbox controller), then your left bumper.

This will initiate a drag. Dragging is helpful for setting up body slams off of a turnbuckle for huge damage.

To let go once your opponent is in place, all you have to do is press the left bumper again. Be sure to do whatever move you’re planning quickly, as your opponent will recover after a short time.

Conclusion

There you go, wrestling fans! A few tips to guide your WWE 2K22 experience and dominate your opponents. I hope this guide was helpful and that you become the WWE Superstar you always wanted to be. Good luck!

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Mike Alexander

Mike has been playing video games since he was able to hold a controller, having been fascinated by Sonic 2 on his mom’s Sega Genesis. That fascination and passion for the art form has grown exponentially nearly 30 years later, and he doesn’t see that fading away anytime soon.
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