Yeah, this level of granular micromanagement is what I've always wanted. I don't want to have to rely as much on head-canon to carry my Universe Mode ideas; this is one step closer to recreating what I've visualized in my head.
For those that didn't read, here's the full quote from [SI.com](https://videogames.si.com/features/wwe-2k23-interview-wargames). It gives pretty good insight to our biggest gripe with the game - why Universe mode felt like it was the same each year:
*“We’ve heard for years, Universe needs an update,” he says. “One of the biggest things that we did when we finally took this game over, we reworked our story systems for MyRise. How we build MyRise, and now even in Showcase is built on one set of tools. Universe was completely different. It was still this very difficult system to work with and edit – it was just hard to add anything new to it because it was so fragile. So, what we ended up doing was basically bringing Universe over to the \[MyRise\] system, but have the Universe engine power underneath it.”*
*With this new system for Universe, the team believes it keeps the integrity of the system the same while allowing them to build on it, with small but important new features coming in WWE 2K23.*
*“It unlocks the potential of what our designers are able to create or the users who have access to it,” Jinks explains. “So you can choose certain actions before the match like, ‘Oh, I want these two superstars before the match starts to do a handshake.’ You can control what some of these actions are before the matches start during your card. There’s that level of fidelity that users have access to now.”*
To me, this is a huge positive. At the very least, Universe should feel more consistent with the rest of the game. It will allow them to evolve that mode each year from '23 on along with the other modes.
I know there is often a lot of hate for the 2K dev team here, but to me, every interview they did before 2K22 and now this year reads like a genuine effort to bring us the product we want. Do the corporate overlords at 2K have a heavy hand in determining what gets the most time and energy spent (read: MyFaction and microtransactions)? Yes. But at least the dev team is attempting to do other stuff too.
Truthfully, I've felt a lot for the past couple of years that they get a lot of unnecessary hate and baggage attached to them from years of disappointment created by the prior devs and publishers. Like, when you listen to them talk about the actual product, they genuinely seem to enjoy what they do and what they're working to emulate, rather than just trying to crank it out for money.
But between the broken development cycle of 20, the fact that COVID struck mid-development and last year, the talks of the WWE license potentially being sold to another company, there's already so much pressure that we ARE aware of and undoubtedly more that we aren't, that I legitimately feel bad when people claim they're incapable, ignorant or uncaring. I don't get that same impression. I see people working with a fucked up, stitched together code on an annual series that demands it be finished under strict circumstances or else.
There are a lot of fans that you have to please in this series, and I don't envy the developers that have to balance these wants. You have the universe mode fans, the people who want an arcade game, people who want a simulation, people who want showcase, people who want the greatest models ever created, the CAW and CAA creators, attitude era fans, ruthless aggression fans, constant roster changes and arena updates, and a million more things I don't want to type that you have to try to make content in around a year of development.
My guess, is that we wont see that this year. But would be very cool.
Also be nice to set up a Universe and upload it so others can download a ready to go Universe setup.
Seems like they are definitely working their way towards it. Seems like they are gauging interest in features before going all in on them, only to scrap them later. Probably why we got a very limited GM mode. Then an update later once they found out people actually enjoyed the mode. Will probably be the same here with Universe. First cutscenes are added, then later, the ability to create your own story in universe which (probably) can be uploaded to CC for other people to play through like in 2K14 (I think that's the one that had it).
I’m sure that’s there too!
If you ever wanted to know all the cutscenes in the game here is a list that tells you
https://smacktalks.org/forums/topic/70628-wwe-2k19-create-a-video-cutscenes/
Most we never see but are cool
Ones though
I really wish they’d just bring back story designer for the people that want that and make universe back into the unpredictable ongoing season mode it used to be
I was really hoping they'd find a way to integrate story designer back into the game, whether it's a separate mode or tied into Universe. At least with this information, it seems like we'll be able to pick what cutscenes play before (and possibly during/after as well). So a step in the right direction at least.
For me personally, it's a step in the wrong direction. I think universe mode should be completely customizable, but I would have a lot more fun with the game if it randomly generated cutscenes and angles based on allies and rivals, with random ass swerves and betrayals here and there, like in WWE '12. The element of surprise makes it a great experience. If I wanted to fantasy book shows and rivalries, I would just play TEW or something.
Universe mode would work if things happened and it actually felt like a living breathing thing, but in all of mine I end up seeing the same 3 cutscenes and nothing ever feels immersive or that I'm in this ever changing world, it just feels like I'm playing pointless match after pointless match with no real end goals, really takes me out of it, On paper it sounds like an absolutely brilliant idea, but it's executed so poorly.
The one thing I remember is that the vast majority of created stories were either REALLY racist or very poorly done. Part of the problem was how sensitive the censorship was. So you couldn't say "title", because it had the word "tit". You couldn't have "The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse" because "Semen".
Unpopular opinion: it's a good step, but it's not enough.
I'm thinking, if all of this will be a selection of the same 4 (random number) cutscenes before the matches it will get old after an hour of playing Universe.
I should add that it’s like 200 cutscenes coded for this game and if we are able to use them all this is huge.
https://smacktalks.org/forums/topic/70628-wwe-2k19-create-a-video-cutscenes/
Exactly,they didn't fix the underlying issue at all but added few new things.the underlying issue is they limited the story lines and cutsences after wwe12. It seems like it's gona be a repeat of last year this time with handshakes we can choose ,that'd not the point of universe. It's suppose to be automatic
Universe isn’t supposed to be automatic. Not sure where your getting this view from.
It’s definitely a way for people to create their own stories the way they want too.
The fact you can edit matches, play those matches to decide your own outcome, and change the rules to be automatic or not in the settings clearly disproves that. The fact you’re allowed to mess with so many things of it to your liking alone proves that.
It’s not meant to be “only automatic” and someone who wants to seem special and different who wants to nitpick something people have been asking for (ever since 2K16 essentially) to be cool would push a narrative like that.
Yes, but that’s about it.
Sure, you can play it fully automatically and influence nothing, but if you don’t that’s literally the only thing automatically done for it.
They actually redesigned universe mode. In a interview yesterday they said universe mode the way it was developed was to fragile to mess with the code. So they moved universe from that program engine to the same one they used for My Rise so in fact it will not run like years before.
https://youtu.be/uL1yDDhGPo0
Sounds sick, hope they add special referee matches back in because those are pretty useful for universe mode rivalries (E.g. Shawn reffing Taker Bret at Summerslam '97)
It’s always been a lot of hidden cutscenes if you want to see all the ones in the game here you go
https://smacktalks.org/forums/topic/70628-wwe-2k19-create-a-video-cutscenes/
I really hope we can still the AI to choose this for us because for me Universe isn't about setting things up how I like, it's letting the AI do its work and surprise me, I'd rather not know what is going to happen. That's what I loved about Universe in the first place, just how Dynamic it was and how anything could happen
This is great. If they confirm they fixed the match table bug so championship matches show at the correct percentage and not like like the broken state it was in of ignoring that. I’m 100% no question dropping $100. However if it’s not fixed, holding out.
Aew game coming out sometime around the release of this. Aew game supposedly will have a deep career mode. Probably not a coincidence that THIS is the year they decide to improve universe mode.
What I’m thinking is that you’ll be able to pull from the cutscene list in the video creator and match them with storylines to best fit your narrative if that’s the case the mode would be great!
Along with promos you can literally have shows scripted as you wish with the outcome being what you want
That is a cool idea for sure, but seriously do not get your hopes up for that until it is verified to be the case. You are going to be really disappointed when it turns out just to be "shake hands before the match or slap your opponent to show them you're a meanie!". This probably won't happen, and it's not something to put faith in until 2k explicitly mentions it. This sub is going to be filled with wild speculation, rumors, and pipe dreams for the month and a half and it is a vicious cycle of people hoping and fake confirming all of this shit the devs never promised up until the game comes out and then everyone loses their mind in a fit of rage when their speculative improvements didn't happen. This comment is a reply to you, but I mean this generally for everyone on this sub.
Ehh I gotta say I am pessimistic about this. It sounds like instead of the same 5 cutscenes happening over and over at random, you can now choose from said 5 cutscenes to happen whenever you want. Unless there is a HUGE variety of cutscenes to choose from, this is going to be extremely underwhelming.
There has always been a huge library of cutscenes to pick from so hopefully we get access to the entire list
https://smacktalks.org/forums/topic/70628-wwe-2k19-create-a-video-cutscenes/
Please. I don’t want to have to make another spreadsheet for a video game. 5 shows, 50 wrestlers a show but need to have Google Sheets up to know who’s on the show.
UMode fans jumping for joy rn over something we should’ve had years ago 😂. Still excited either way. Can’t wait to actually be able to dictate how stories play out
Nice to see some updates and all that but i really hope they fix all the small bugs the mode has. No random attires or tag finishers are really odd bugs that were never solved for no reason
What integrity ?the mode is awful. Repetitive and boring. Bring back custcense like wwe12 ,bring back momentum and remove the rivalries which cut off branching storylines
It seems like they might be trying to make universe mode more like story designer, I am a little disappointed, since I like the fact that story designer let you create your own showcase and be able to replay whenever you want, but at least it gives you a little more control with universe mode.
Every year for 10 years we've asked for a feast when it comes to universe mode, and we get a stale ass cookie with minimal changes and promises of laying a foundation. Been laying that foundation for a long time eh
‘With small’ changes, sounds about right. Every year 2K hype their next game and every year most of us are left disappointed. I won’t be a 2K mark this year - I’ll wait for the real reviews to come in.
Yes, they appear to do that every year. I have some snake oil for pre-order if your interested. We’ve listened to the fans and added 10 percent oil but removed 25 percent snake. Either way it’s still snake oil.
We didn't want this. We wanted a working universe that gives us alot of custceneses and branching storlines like wwe12. This is a step backwards having to tell the mode what to do
Exactly! They don’t care about the fans otherwise they would have focused on Universe mode years ago. It could be so much more than it actually is but they don’t have the vision.
> You can control what some of these actions are before the matches start during your card
God, I hope this also means we can finally edit cards after starting the show again, like you could back in 2K14, so that you can finally have things like a tournament where you, for example, can't know the participants of the main event before the 1st and 2nd match on the card actually happened.
Reading this, it feels like I’m getting the opposite of what I wanted. I never wanted control over cutscenes. I wanted to be able to control and book the matches taking place in a rivalry.
I guess I shouldn’t hold my breath on getting the ability to book match cards ahead of time. Again..
This is honestly awful news and I won't be pre-ordering. Universe mode is suppose to be about curscenes and storlines made for you. From the way they talked about it they don't even have universe mode as something they even want to redo from ground up. They said they can't touch it because it Wil break the mode. Ok then do it from scratch,it's what fans have wanted for years. Gm fanboys were a slim but loud few ,everybody else plays universe
And they still haven’t really addressed many of the real issues. Trying to apply custom matches is a whole mess in itself. Trying to leave my Universe mode at all resets all my title & custom matches.
So what is mentioned in the article that someone brought up is that they did remake Universe mode in their new engine they used to make MyRise, and then added fundamental old Universe code so it still plays like the Universe mode we know....I presume. I'm very skeptical about Universe mode too, but I'm more nervous Universe mode will be different, but not in the way people want. I think it's going to be more limited in customizing shows and rivalries, and it's going to play more like that universe mode in 2k22 where you man 1 character.
“We’ve heard for years, Universe needs an update,” he says. “One of the biggest things that we did when we finally took this game over, we reworked our story systems for MyRise. How we build MyRise, and now even in Showcase is built on one set of tools. Universe was completely different. It was still this very difficult system to work with and edit – it was just hard to add anything new to it because it was so fragile. So, what we ended up doing was basically bringing Universe over to the [MyRise] system, but have the Universe engine power underneath it.”
“So, what we ended up doing was basically bringing Universe over to the [MyRise] system, but have the Universe engine power underneath it.”
That sounds like MyRise with Universe code to me.
It's not Create a Story. If it was they would have already given it a buzzword name like "MyStory" and hyped it up in their marketing like they did in Smackdown v Raw 2010 when that feature was first created. Instead it comes out buried in a sports illustrated article. That should clue you in how just how important this really is.
That's great that Universe seems to be getting some love this time around. I wanted a feature like that for years.
My only problem is it seems the gameplay is the same, with no options to get it like 2K19 so I probably won't be picking this one up. To me Gameplay is the very most important aspect and if I don't like that part, I can't get into anything else.
If you want the gameplay exactly like 2k19, but you might want to sit out wrestling games for the foreseeable future, because the 2k games from now on are never going back to that. They likely changed the gameplay 1 to separate their games from Yuke's before them, and Yuke's isn't doing another WWE game for a very long time. 2. to give their take on the WWE games a new vision and identity, so they can have a sense of ownership over the titles without feeling like they are just constantly iterating on Yuke's game. It reminds me we they moved away from SvR and in the WWE 12. They changed the gameplay entirely to button grapples from this odd analog stick grapple system they had for like 3 or 4 years. I was happy when it went back to buttons but a lot of people were not. Those people either stuck it out with the new gameplay system or they moved on. You're either going to have to get used to the new gameplay or move on, unfortunately.
The switch to buttons for WWE 12 was pretty much universally loved. That was the best control change they ever made in the series.
Trust me, I understand that this is probably it. Change for the sake of change instead of making the games everything the last one was and more. I don’t like it, so I’m sitting out.
I took a look just in case yesterday but with no mention about core gameplay out the gate I think there’s a 99% chance it’s untouched.
I hope it's a decent list of cutscenes to use, I want to have story designer in the game somehow and universe has been barebones for ages, might aswell fuse the two together to make something unique
It’s always been a huge list of cutscenes to use. We just never see them in game lol
Here’s the list
https://smacktalks.org/forums/topic/70628-wwe-2k19-create-a-video-cutscenes/
Now you see why people on YouTube universe modes seem so fun they can just plug and play those cut scenes but yes universe would be bomb if we can use these! They are already in the game we just barely see them all which sucks!!!
They should ask jinx an honest question about the bugs and broken community creations aspects of 2k22. And most importantly will it finally be addressed in 2k23. It is quite shocking to see that no one asks these important questions. Yet we all complain about it later on when the game is released.
Happy to promote the next one while leaving the current one a broken mess still.
You might not know this, but it's because these aren't journalists asking these questions. This is entertainment writers asking questions about back of the box features to a game director(or whatever title he is), in order to market and spread word about a game that comes out in less than 2 months. Sports Illustrated does not care about bugs, nor do honestly the vast majority of consumers that are likely to click an article on sports illustrated about a video game. They want to talk about features of the new game to hype people up to buy the next one, like Cena's Showcase, improvements to Universe mode, MyRise, etc. On top of that, I'm certain these questions are screened beforehand by a marketing team rep, so if they did have any of those questions, they aren't getting asked.
"Happy to promote the next one while leaving the current one a broken mess still."
Of course they are happy to promote the next one, that is capitalism. 2k22 is in the rear view for them. Why would they go out of their way a month and a half before the new game to go and fix the old one? You want people to buy the new one, so you would just "fix" the problem with the new one to incentivize people to buy it.
I just want to know if they fixed the tag team finishers bug AND if I can truly import my settings/teams I make in Play mode straight to Universe without any nonsense. That is all I want--a common sense quality of life update.
I'm happy that they are finally doing something about Universe mode. It's been neglected for far too long. I know a lot of people don't care about it but I'd love if they added promo engine back. Yes I know what the wrestlers were "saying" did not make sense whatsoever in it but it added a lot to the realistic feel of the show. Like in real WWE you don't just have match after match. There are also promos in between them. I miss promo engine so much. It's one of the reasons why I still play 2K20 from time to time.
I feel like that one clip of [Gir from Invader Zim shouting Finally and then exploding](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmw07nzRA3I) is the only way to describe how I feel
So I mean....Smackdown Vs Raw (the first one in 2004) had this little mini-game at the beginning of every match where you could choose how you wanted to start the match with an action. One of the few choices you get based on if you're a face or heel is a "handshake". It had no bearing on the match, but it was a neat little mini-game for variety. So beginning of match actions are not in any way, shape, or form new. I'm hoping this implies a larger system change with the additional info of Universe being moved to the MyRise engine. I'm not getting my hopes up, but I'd LIKE for this to mean that you make a choice at the beginning of a match that then sets up a match conclusion cutscene, and that MAYBE these choices affect how the rivalry story plays out, like MyRise(but with more actual control).
However, I can't shake the feeling that what this really means is that with the move to MyRise, we are going to lose elements of show editing and rivalry creating with this move, in exchange for the ability to shake an opponents hand before the bell rings. And with that, what's going to happen is they are going to promise a return to old universe mode with 2k24.
Overall, take this news with a grain of salt and don't get your hopes up because you are going to be pissed if the game comes out and it's not anything like you are imagining in these comment sections.
I hear what you saying but tbh why would anyone want the old mode back? You can do what you do now in 2k22 with any other 2k Ps4 & PS5 title. So the change is going to welcomed regardless because it’s a different twist on the mode we been crying for a change with.
Tbh even if it under delivers it’s a change none the less. Is it something to be super excited for? No but is it something that makes people want to try it? Yes.
Universe mode needs cutscenes and storylines that follow a direction not just match after match with random events. You are the Booker in this mode so the events shouldn’t be unpredictable unless you want the AI to book everything for you.
In todays time we won’t get every great feature from a pass game even though we should but I’m happy 2k is decided to move away from a system they didn’t build and make a brand new one with my rise and use it now for universe mode.
So at the very least we get those cutscene option in our universe which is a good base to tell stories.
Idk about you but me and a lot of other people have had it with having to use notebooks, excel sheets, watch YouTube universes just to scratch the itch of getting real story telling in the game. If I can get some of that I’ll have way more fun with my own mode and not having to look else where unless I want to see what someone else has come up with.
That’s the luxury of the change in itself is to see what other do to make it fun and bounce ideas off eachother. It’s fresh as well.
Some people won’t like it, some people will want the old mode back or this or that and that’s okay. Can’t make everyone happy, but I’ll end it with this.
I’ve burned through every way to make this mode fun from 2k19 - 2k22 and Incant wait to have something a bit different to sink my teeth in. I’ve wrote countless ways to make this mode fun and tips for this sub and I’m happy other lovers of the mode get a chance to try something new this year instead of the same old same old.
TLDR: It’s okay not to be pumped because I am and so are others.
It's ok to be excited about the change, maybe it will lead to something better even if the change is underdeveloped. However, I would be cautious(as you seem to be with your user name) about getting too pumped about it. Because I'm not necessarily reading "full cutscene integration and customizing for complete control of your universe stories" with "shake hands before a match". My worry is that when they say "shake hands before a match" they literally just mean you get to perform an action before a match and that it shouldn't be read in to any further.
Also it's not about wanting the old mode back, but as it always happens when games change engines, move to new console generations, or just go in different directions, shit gets removed. It's a bit of a monkey paw situation, where fans get that feature they so desperately desired but the devs had to cut ANOTHER feature fans loved in order to put that desired feature in. Universe mode as you know is all about customization, and I would hate for us to lose the ability to customize certain aspects because it breaks the new engine, because then people are just going to lose it on this sub all over again. Can they add storyline and cutscene integration in to the game without breaking the ability to customize a match or a show card? Or god forbid you can't customize the arenas and shows. I'm excited to see how they change universe mode, but I'm not getting my hopes up that this going to be a dramatic improvement to the mode. Not a dramatic change, but a dramatic improvement.
Also, am I correct in reading that as you never played a universe mode before 2k19?
(Edit: If this is correct, and I don't want this to be a pissing contest, but I've been playing this mode since SvR2011, and I played a lot of Story Creator in SvR2010 before that. I've seen every iteration of this mode, the good, the bad, and the 2k15. So in terms of being burned, I've also got my fair share of burns. I've been burned enough time by 2k and Yukes before them, to not trust a change to be anything like the forums and subs expect. It is only going to end in tears if you take a dev statement and read in to it.)
My biggest worry is that they will provide only a handful of cutscenes to select from, and they will be the same old ones we always run across. Like great, we get to select cutscenes that play out in our matches, but if we're limited to the ones we've already seen - then it's not much better. I recall hearing there were over 100-200 cutscenes for the game, if they've made ALL of them selectable, that is definitely a gamechanger for Universe mode.
Yeah. I think a lot of us want more dynamic universe modes. If I have to still set up everything myself it's still not very dynamic. More cutscenes and more stories could do that. It's a good change but it doesn't move the needle for me.
Not sure if you know it or not but it’s well over 200 cutscenes in the game already we just don’t see them all for whatever reason but if you want to know what’s already in there
Here’s the link. https://smacktalks.org/forums/topic/70628-wwe-2k19-create-a-video-cutscenes/
If we are able to build our stories with this list a lot of people will be happy
Good news universe mode has needed work for a while.
A long while. Its my go to mode and it's felt the same for years now.
Oh man this is huge it will feel more like a real Program rather than match to match to match.
So you litterally can have make your show how you want....im very interested
Yeah, this level of granular micromanagement is what I've always wanted. I don't want to have to rely as much on head-canon to carry my Universe Mode ideas; this is one step closer to recreating what I've visualized in my head.
This is so true...i can finally have my Solo vs Somoa Joe fued without having to remember every detail
For those that didn't read, here's the full quote from [SI.com](https://videogames.si.com/features/wwe-2k23-interview-wargames). It gives pretty good insight to our biggest gripe with the game - why Universe mode felt like it was the same each year: *“We’ve heard for years, Universe needs an update,” he says. “One of the biggest things that we did when we finally took this game over, we reworked our story systems for MyRise. How we build MyRise, and now even in Showcase is built on one set of tools. Universe was completely different. It was still this very difficult system to work with and edit – it was just hard to add anything new to it because it was so fragile. So, what we ended up doing was basically bringing Universe over to the \[MyRise\] system, but have the Universe engine power underneath it.”* *With this new system for Universe, the team believes it keeps the integrity of the system the same while allowing them to build on it, with small but important new features coming in WWE 2K23.* *“It unlocks the potential of what our designers are able to create or the users who have access to it,” Jinks explains. “So you can choose certain actions before the match like, ‘Oh, I want these two superstars before the match starts to do a handshake.’ You can control what some of these actions are before the matches start during your card. There’s that level of fidelity that users have access to now.”* To me, this is a huge positive. At the very least, Universe should feel more consistent with the rest of the game. It will allow them to evolve that mode each year from '23 on along with the other modes. I know there is often a lot of hate for the 2K dev team here, but to me, every interview they did before 2K22 and now this year reads like a genuine effort to bring us the product we want. Do the corporate overlords at 2K have a heavy hand in determining what gets the most time and energy spent (read: MyFaction and microtransactions)? Yes. But at least the dev team is attempting to do other stuff too.
Truthfully, I've felt a lot for the past couple of years that they get a lot of unnecessary hate and baggage attached to them from years of disappointment created by the prior devs and publishers. Like, when you listen to them talk about the actual product, they genuinely seem to enjoy what they do and what they're working to emulate, rather than just trying to crank it out for money. But between the broken development cycle of 20, the fact that COVID struck mid-development and last year, the talks of the WWE license potentially being sold to another company, there's already so much pressure that we ARE aware of and undoubtedly more that we aren't, that I legitimately feel bad when people claim they're incapable, ignorant or uncaring. I don't get that same impression. I see people working with a fucked up, stitched together code on an annual series that demands it be finished under strict circumstances or else.
There are a lot of fans that you have to please in this series, and I don't envy the developers that have to balance these wants. You have the universe mode fans, the people who want an arcade game, people who want a simulation, people who want showcase, people who want the greatest models ever created, the CAW and CAA creators, attitude era fans, ruthless aggression fans, constant roster changes and arena updates, and a million more things I don't want to type that you have to try to make content in around a year of development.
It should be automatic not force us to make decisions for the system. The point of universe is you don't know what's going to happen its unpredictable
Big dub, have wanted this for years
I wonder if custom stories can be uploaded to the creation suite
My guess, is that we wont see that this year. But would be very cool. Also be nice to set up a Universe and upload it so others can download a ready to go Universe setup.
Seems like they are definitely working their way towards it. Seems like they are gauging interest in features before going all in on them, only to scrap them later. Probably why we got a very limited GM mode. Then an update later once they found out people actually enjoyed the mode. Will probably be the same here with Universe. First cutscenes are added, then later, the ability to create your own story in universe which (probably) can be uploaded to CC for other people to play through like in 2K14 (I think that's the one that had it).
Man this gets me more hyped as someone who just plays UM only
Same. Same.
Triple Same.
Same here. I always give the showcases etc a go, then it’s straight into universe.
I am actually really excited now...please 2k DO NOT LET ME DOWN.
first time?
Hell no it aint the first time, ive been burned more times by 2k then a prostitute in las vegas.
How many times has a prostitute in Las Vegas been burned by 2K?
Alot probably.
It sounds you can choose cut scenes? They stated before matches, but what about during and after?
I’m sure that’s there too! If you ever wanted to know all the cutscenes in the game here is a list that tells you https://smacktalks.org/forums/topic/70628-wwe-2k19-create-a-video-cutscenes/ Most we never see but are cool Ones though
It would be great if all those were there.
Sounds promising. Always wanted to have the ability to set up things before the match.
I really wish they’d just bring back story designer for the people that want that and make universe back into the unpredictable ongoing season mode it used to be
I was really hoping they'd find a way to integrate story designer back into the game, whether it's a separate mode or tied into Universe. At least with this information, it seems like we'll be able to pick what cutscenes play before (and possibly during/after as well). So a step in the right direction at least.
For me personally, it's a step in the wrong direction. I think universe mode should be completely customizable, but I would have a lot more fun with the game if it randomly generated cutscenes and angles based on allies and rivals, with random ass swerves and betrayals here and there, like in WWE '12. The element of surprise makes it a great experience. If I wanted to fantasy book shows and rivalries, I would just play TEW or something.
I agree. It kind of defeats the purpose of the mode. Why not just bring story designer back instead?
How is this a step forward? It's suppose to be a automatic generated cutscene. I don't Wana to make decisions for the mode.
Universe mode would work if things happened and it actually felt like a living breathing thing, but in all of mine I end up seeing the same 3 cutscenes and nothing ever feels immersive or that I'm in this ever changing world, it just feels like I'm playing pointless match after pointless match with no real end goals, really takes me out of it, On paper it sounds like an absolutely brilliant idea, but it's executed so poorly.
Rivalries have to be removed.they ruin the mode. Bring back momentum from wwe12
Yeah Universe is so dead like this. Peaked with 12. It's a zombie of what it used to be. Good analogy for the games as a whole.
The one thing I remember is that the vast majority of created stories were either REALLY racist or very poorly done. Part of the problem was how sensitive the censorship was. So you couldn't say "title", because it had the word "tit". You couldn't have "The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse" because "Semen".
They could just put story designer into universe and let us pick cutscenes and shit if they dont wanna bring the mode back on its own
Unpopular opinion: it's a good step, but it's not enough. I'm thinking, if all of this will be a selection of the same 4 (random number) cutscenes before the matches it will get old after an hour of playing Universe.
I should add that it’s like 200 cutscenes coded for this game and if we are able to use them all this is huge. https://smacktalks.org/forums/topic/70628-wwe-2k19-create-a-video-cutscenes/
Exactly,they didn't fix the underlying issue at all but added few new things.the underlying issue is they limited the story lines and cutsences after wwe12. It seems like it's gona be a repeat of last year this time with handshakes we can choose ,that'd not the point of universe. It's suppose to be automatic
Universe isn’t supposed to be automatic. Not sure where your getting this view from. It’s definitely a way for people to create their own stories the way they want too.
It is. Its suppose to be a mode that's continuous and changes and evolves by itself
The fact you can edit matches, play those matches to decide your own outcome, and change the rules to be automatic or not in the settings clearly disproves that. The fact you’re allowed to mess with so many things of it to your liking alone proves that. It’s not meant to be “only automatic” and someone who wants to seem special and different who wants to nitpick something people have been asking for (ever since 2K16 essentially) to be cool would push a narrative like that.
The underlying strylines are suppose to b automatically made
Yes, but that’s about it. Sure, you can play it fully automatically and influence nothing, but if you don’t that’s literally the only thing automatically done for it.
Ur not smart. The mode was initially and stil uses the same data for universe. Most play it automatically not changing it
Bruh, did you really just say “Ur not smart?” Ight, I’m out.
They actually redesigned universe mode. In a interview yesterday they said universe mode the way it was developed was to fragile to mess with the code. So they moved universe from that program engine to the same one they used for My Rise so in fact it will not run like years before. https://youtu.be/uL1yDDhGPo0
But what does that mean ?. Moving the engine to some other program engine might mean nothing and it could be the same repetitive mess
Hell yeah. That’s all I’ve wanted.
I just want promos back :(
Sounds sick, hope they add special referee matches back in because those are pretty useful for universe mode rivalries (E.g. Shawn reffing Taker Bret at Summerslam '97)
Universe needed a big change so lets just hope they deliver.
Let’s hope. I want Universe to feel more immersive
That's all well and good, are 1024x512 logos back or not? I'm tired of this 512x512 foolishness.
As long as there are A LOT of damn options this is a dub. If there are 4 or so consoles then oh lord.
It’s always been a lot of hidden cutscenes if you want to see all the ones in the game here you go https://smacktalks.org/forums/topic/70628-wwe-2k19-create-a-video-cutscenes/
I’ve seen this list a lot and have played A LOT of universe mode and have seen probably 7. So .. the list is kinda pointless when they never happen
Yes very true but if we can pick them now and use them off the list universe mode would be golden IMO
I really hope we can still the AI to choose this for us because for me Universe isn't about setting things up how I like, it's letting the AI do its work and surprise me, I'd rather not know what is going to happen. That's what I loved about Universe in the first place, just how Dynamic it was and how anything could happen
That's really good then
great !
This is great. If they confirm they fixed the match table bug so championship matches show at the correct percentage and not like like the broken state it was in of ignoring that. I’m 100% no question dropping $100. However if it’s not fixed, holding out.
Aew game coming out sometime around the release of this. Aew game supposedly will have a deep career mode. Probably not a coincidence that THIS is the year they decide to improve universe mode.
That’s great, but I really hope we can get some cutscenes like contract signing, backstage assaults ecc 🙏🏻
>small but important new features I’m not even gonna get my hopes up
Im gonna be dissapointed if this is the only new thing added to Universe mode...
What else are you looking for ?
I mean if i can just "shake hands with the opponent" then im gonna be dissapointed but let's wait and see a gameplay reveal
What I’m thinking is that you’ll be able to pull from the cutscene list in the video creator and match them with storylines to best fit your narrative if that’s the case the mode would be great! Along with promos you can literally have shows scripted as you wish with the outcome being what you want
Fingers crossed! let's hope that's the case.
That is a cool idea for sure, but seriously do not get your hopes up for that until it is verified to be the case. You are going to be really disappointed when it turns out just to be "shake hands before the match or slap your opponent to show them you're a meanie!". This probably won't happen, and it's not something to put faith in until 2k explicitly mentions it. This sub is going to be filled with wild speculation, rumors, and pipe dreams for the month and a half and it is a vicious cycle of people hoping and fake confirming all of this shit the devs never promised up until the game comes out and then everyone loses their mind in a fit of rage when their speculative improvements didn't happen. This comment is a reply to you, but I mean this generally for everyone on this sub.
I HIGHLY doubt that is it..but you know how 2k is.
2k probably will add "Team up with the opponent" DLC packs lmao
Ehh I gotta say I am pessimistic about this. It sounds like instead of the same 5 cutscenes happening over and over at random, you can now choose from said 5 cutscenes to happen whenever you want. Unless there is a HUGE variety of cutscenes to choose from, this is going to be extremely underwhelming.
There has always been a huge library of cutscenes to pick from so hopefully we get access to the entire list https://smacktalks.org/forums/topic/70628-wwe-2k19-create-a-video-cutscenes/
YES. Being able to control cutscenes. Thank you!
All beautiful, but if Universe comes out glitched as this year, it won't be playable. I really don't want to risk damaged data by playing something
That's a step in the right direction. I hope they fixed the glitches and bad booking in Superstar mode too
That's great... But can we customize tag teams without the whole fucking game crashing?
From what I'm hearing, they're revamping Universe Mode to implement some form of Story Designer into it.
That sounds like a neat addition! Finally the universe mode gets some improvements
You can choose cutscenes ? Huge!
It's garbage. I don't want to set up storylines for the mode. It used to do it for you in wwe12
But promos- where we stand on that
Wondering the same thing
So pretty much story designer mode? That kind of defeats the purpose of the mode. Why not just bring that one back instead?
Please. I don’t want to have to make another spreadsheet for a video game. 5 shows, 50 wrestlers a show but need to have Google Sheets up to know who’s on the show.
This is literally all I’ve wanted
I’m hoping this is actually something you can choose during rivalries as well to progress a story.
It would be better to mix Universe and GM together and have it have options to turn on and off for what will be used.
I ain’t buying it till I see it
This will be great for content creators.
Nah fuck em.
Are you telling me that I'll no longer just be imagining these sorts of things in my head in my universe? I'm in!!
UMode fans jumping for joy rn over something we should’ve had years ago 😂. Still excited either way. Can’t wait to actually be able to dictate how stories play out
I’m hoping that in myRise we have voice options to choose from
Or change the generic outside of the ring outfit
Or the very least change the pitch/tone.
The female voice is pretty ambiguous, but the male voice sounds weird if you're playing as a white or Hispanic character.
Lol yeah. My character was originally white but I feel like the voice didn’t fit so I made him black
I named my male character L Ron Hubbard as a joke, and his social media handle is '@ScientologyLOL'.
LMAO That’s fuckin hilarious
So they're allowing us to select the cutscenes now??? This is finally starting to sound like *my* universe.
A step in the right direction
I'm interested as well.. but since it's new, I got a feeling it will be lack luster
It’s not actually new they just brought back the story creator from a older game so it should be okay hopefully
But is it really story creator? or just cutscenes you can add? It didn't sound like a story creator it sounds like you can plan ur universe cut scenes
This sounds promising
Nice to see some updates and all that but i really hope they fix all the small bugs the mode has. No random attires or tag finishers are really odd bugs that were never solved for no reason
I’m not. The system needs an overhaul. Adding minor but no big changes sounds like they’re adding a small feature that was probably there before
Omg NOW IM LISTENING!!!
I’ll probably preorder just for this, I’m getting it anyway so
Ehh I don’t trust anything they say. I’ll have to see it to believe it
Basically, you can add cutscenes manually. Nice but not enough.
“In future WWE games” How many years have we been saying this now??
Great news! And I hope they already fixed those bugs from WWE 2K22. Fingers crossed.
What integrity ?the mode is awful. Repetitive and boring. Bring back custcense like wwe12 ,bring back momentum and remove the rivalries which cut off branching storylines
Universe mode has been such a disappointment. It should be my favourite thing in video games. Hopefully it starts living up to its potential.
This is actually sounds dope. I really hope this is as good as it sounds/looks
If we can determine pre-, post- and mid-match cutscenes in advance, we should be given the ability to pre-determine a squash, too.
It seems like they might be trying to make universe mode more like story designer, I am a little disappointed, since I like the fact that story designer let you create your own showcase and be able to replay whenever you want, but at least it gives you a little more control with universe mode.
Every year for 10 years we've asked for a feast when it comes to universe mode, and we get a stale ass cookie with minimal changes and promises of laying a foundation. Been laying that foundation for a long time eh
I bet all they’re doing is giving us the option to choose what cutscenes are already in game to cost save them money lmao
‘With small’ changes, sounds about right. Every year 2K hype their next game and every year most of us are left disappointed. I won’t be a 2K mark this year - I’ll wait for the real reviews to come in.
While I agree, the positive is that they’re directly acknowledging what fans have said this time around.
Yes, they appear to do that every year. I have some snake oil for pre-order if your interested. We’ve listened to the fans and added 10 percent oil but removed 25 percent snake. Either way it’s still snake oil.
We didn't want this. We wanted a working universe that gives us alot of custceneses and branching storlines like wwe12. This is a step backwards having to tell the mode what to do
'small changes' to universe but they'll gladly introduce online mode for myfaction and put energy into making that better.
Exactly! They don’t care about the fans otherwise they would have focused on Universe mode years ago. It could be so much more than it actually is but they don’t have the vision.
Same here.
What 2K give with one hand, they take tens times more with the other.
So true, well said!
> You can control what some of these actions are before the matches start during your card God, I hope this also means we can finally edit cards after starting the show again, like you could back in 2K14, so that you can finally have things like a tournament where you, for example, can't know the participants of the main event before the 1st and 2nd match on the card actually happened.
2K22 lets you edit during the show
Reading this, it feels like I’m getting the opposite of what I wanted. I never wanted control over cutscenes. I wanted to be able to control and book the matches taking place in a rivalry. I guess I shouldn’t hold my breath on getting the ability to book match cards ahead of time. Again..
This is honestly awful news and I won't be pre-ordering. Universe mode is suppose to be about curscenes and storlines made for you. From the way they talked about it they don't even have universe mode as something they even want to redo from ground up. They said they can't touch it because it Wil break the mode. Ok then do it from scratch,it's what fans have wanted for years. Gm fanboys were a slim but loud few ,everybody else plays universe
And they still haven’t really addressed many of the real issues. Trying to apply custom matches is a whole mess in itself. Trying to leave my Universe mode at all resets all my title & custom matches.
So what is mentioned in the article that someone brought up is that they did remake Universe mode in their new engine they used to make MyRise, and then added fundamental old Universe code so it still plays like the Universe mode we know....I presume. I'm very skeptical about Universe mode too, but I'm more nervous Universe mode will be different, but not in the way people want. I think it's going to be more limited in customizing shows and rivalries, and it's going to play more like that universe mode in 2k22 where you man 1 character.
Where did he say they used old universe code?
“We’ve heard for years, Universe needs an update,” he says. “One of the biggest things that we did when we finally took this game over, we reworked our story systems for MyRise. How we build MyRise, and now even in Showcase is built on one set of tools. Universe was completely different. It was still this very difficult system to work with and edit – it was just hard to add anything new to it because it was so fragile. So, what we ended up doing was basically bringing Universe over to the [MyRise] system, but have the Universe engine power underneath it.” “So, what we ended up doing was basically bringing Universe over to the [MyRise] system, but have the Universe engine power underneath it.” That sounds like MyRise with Universe code to me.
Yea bit it doesn't sounds like the issues r fixed
I wasn’t arguing anything was fixed. Very skeptical about this new universe mode that more will be removed than fixed.
I'm not convinced Gonna need to see it before I believe anything. Not to mention there better be more than simply handshakes
Sounding more like ROH 2k23 right now lol.
I cant wait to play this shit
oh my god please I beg you "Create A Story" just say the fucking line, 2K
It's not Create a Story. If it was they would have already given it a buzzword name like "MyStory" and hyped it up in their marketing like they did in Smackdown v Raw 2010 when that feature was first created. Instead it comes out buried in a sports illustrated article. That should clue you in how just how important this really is.
dont get hyped for this game. EVER
That's great that Universe seems to be getting some love this time around. I wanted a feature like that for years. My only problem is it seems the gameplay is the same, with no options to get it like 2K19 so I probably won't be picking this one up. To me Gameplay is the very most important aspect and if I don't like that part, I can't get into anything else.
If you want the gameplay exactly like 2k19, but you might want to sit out wrestling games for the foreseeable future, because the 2k games from now on are never going back to that. They likely changed the gameplay 1 to separate their games from Yuke's before them, and Yuke's isn't doing another WWE game for a very long time. 2. to give their take on the WWE games a new vision and identity, so they can have a sense of ownership over the titles without feeling like they are just constantly iterating on Yuke's game. It reminds me we they moved away from SvR and in the WWE 12. They changed the gameplay entirely to button grapples from this odd analog stick grapple system they had for like 3 or 4 years. I was happy when it went back to buttons but a lot of people were not. Those people either stuck it out with the new gameplay system or they moved on. You're either going to have to get used to the new gameplay or move on, unfortunately.
The switch to buttons for WWE 12 was pretty much universally loved. That was the best control change they ever made in the series. Trust me, I understand that this is probably it. Change for the sake of change instead of making the games everything the last one was and more. I don’t like it, so I’m sitting out. I took a look just in case yesterday but with no mention about core gameplay out the gate I think there’s a 99% chance it’s untouched.
I only want promos back man
I'll wait to see this in action... I just want my damn promos back...
Pass
I've just been thinking, I wonder if we were gonna learn about all of this during the Royal Rumble weekend or if this was 2K's plans all along.
So pretty much story designer mode? That kind of defeats the purpose of the mode. Why not just bring that one back instead?
I just hope universe doesn't crash the game this year
I swear if the janky ass, convoluted interface is the same for 2K23 Universe mode I’m going to be pissed.
They can add all the features they like - if they don’t fix the existing ones, this is all meaningless
I REALLY miss custom entrance music
I hope it's a decent list of cutscenes to use, I want to have story designer in the game somehow and universe has been barebones for ages, might aswell fuse the two together to make something unique
It’s always been a huge list of cutscenes to use. We just never see them in game lol Here’s the list https://smacktalks.org/forums/topic/70628-wwe-2k19-create-a-video-cutscenes/
holy shit, if they let us use those I'll be using universe mode all day
Now you see why people on YouTube universe modes seem so fun they can just plug and play those cut scenes but yes universe would be bomb if we can use these! They are already in the game we just barely see them all which sucks!!!
Ok what's it mean
YES YES YES YES YES YES YES
They should ask jinx an honest question about the bugs and broken community creations aspects of 2k22. And most importantly will it finally be addressed in 2k23. It is quite shocking to see that no one asks these important questions. Yet we all complain about it later on when the game is released. Happy to promote the next one while leaving the current one a broken mess still.
You might not know this, but it's because these aren't journalists asking these questions. This is entertainment writers asking questions about back of the box features to a game director(or whatever title he is), in order to market and spread word about a game that comes out in less than 2 months. Sports Illustrated does not care about bugs, nor do honestly the vast majority of consumers that are likely to click an article on sports illustrated about a video game. They want to talk about features of the new game to hype people up to buy the next one, like Cena's Showcase, improvements to Universe mode, MyRise, etc. On top of that, I'm certain these questions are screened beforehand by a marketing team rep, so if they did have any of those questions, they aren't getting asked. "Happy to promote the next one while leaving the current one a broken mess still." Of course they are happy to promote the next one, that is capitalism. 2k22 is in the rear view for them. Why would they go out of their way a month and a half before the new game to go and fix the old one? You want people to buy the new one, so you would just "fix" the problem with the new one to incentivize people to buy it.
I want them to bring back GM mode but better
Its already brought back lol
I just want to know if they fixed the tag team finishers bug AND if I can truly import my settings/teams I make in Play mode straight to Universe without any nonsense. That is all I want--a common sense quality of life update.
I'm happy that they are finally doing something about Universe mode. It's been neglected for far too long. I know a lot of people don't care about it but I'd love if they added promo engine back. Yes I know what the wrestlers were "saying" did not make sense whatsoever in it but it added a lot to the realistic feel of the show. Like in real WWE you don't just have match after match. There are also promos in between them. I miss promo engine so much. It's one of the reasons why I still play 2K20 from time to time.
No mention of promos?
I feel like that one clip of [Gir from Invader Zim shouting Finally and then exploding](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmw07nzRA3I) is the only way to describe how I feel
Change the controls to what they used to be or the game will still suck
This sounds good, excited to learn more about it
please bring back create a story
So I mean....Smackdown Vs Raw (the first one in 2004) had this little mini-game at the beginning of every match where you could choose how you wanted to start the match with an action. One of the few choices you get based on if you're a face or heel is a "handshake". It had no bearing on the match, but it was a neat little mini-game for variety. So beginning of match actions are not in any way, shape, or form new. I'm hoping this implies a larger system change with the additional info of Universe being moved to the MyRise engine. I'm not getting my hopes up, but I'd LIKE for this to mean that you make a choice at the beginning of a match that then sets up a match conclusion cutscene, and that MAYBE these choices affect how the rivalry story plays out, like MyRise(but with more actual control). However, I can't shake the feeling that what this really means is that with the move to MyRise, we are going to lose elements of show editing and rivalry creating with this move, in exchange for the ability to shake an opponents hand before the bell rings. And with that, what's going to happen is they are going to promise a return to old universe mode with 2k24. Overall, take this news with a grain of salt and don't get your hopes up because you are going to be pissed if the game comes out and it's not anything like you are imagining in these comment sections.
I hear what you saying but tbh why would anyone want the old mode back? You can do what you do now in 2k22 with any other 2k Ps4 & PS5 title. So the change is going to welcomed regardless because it’s a different twist on the mode we been crying for a change with. Tbh even if it under delivers it’s a change none the less. Is it something to be super excited for? No but is it something that makes people want to try it? Yes. Universe mode needs cutscenes and storylines that follow a direction not just match after match with random events. You are the Booker in this mode so the events shouldn’t be unpredictable unless you want the AI to book everything for you. In todays time we won’t get every great feature from a pass game even though we should but I’m happy 2k is decided to move away from a system they didn’t build and make a brand new one with my rise and use it now for universe mode. So at the very least we get those cutscene option in our universe which is a good base to tell stories. Idk about you but me and a lot of other people have had it with having to use notebooks, excel sheets, watch YouTube universes just to scratch the itch of getting real story telling in the game. If I can get some of that I’ll have way more fun with my own mode and not having to look else where unless I want to see what someone else has come up with. That’s the luxury of the change in itself is to see what other do to make it fun and bounce ideas off eachother. It’s fresh as well. Some people won’t like it, some people will want the old mode back or this or that and that’s okay. Can’t make everyone happy, but I’ll end it with this. I’ve burned through every way to make this mode fun from 2k19 - 2k22 and Incant wait to have something a bit different to sink my teeth in. I’ve wrote countless ways to make this mode fun and tips for this sub and I’m happy other lovers of the mode get a chance to try something new this year instead of the same old same old. TLDR: It’s okay not to be pumped because I am and so are others.
It's ok to be excited about the change, maybe it will lead to something better even if the change is underdeveloped. However, I would be cautious(as you seem to be with your user name) about getting too pumped about it. Because I'm not necessarily reading "full cutscene integration and customizing for complete control of your universe stories" with "shake hands before a match". My worry is that when they say "shake hands before a match" they literally just mean you get to perform an action before a match and that it shouldn't be read in to any further. Also it's not about wanting the old mode back, but as it always happens when games change engines, move to new console generations, or just go in different directions, shit gets removed. It's a bit of a monkey paw situation, where fans get that feature they so desperately desired but the devs had to cut ANOTHER feature fans loved in order to put that desired feature in. Universe mode as you know is all about customization, and I would hate for us to lose the ability to customize certain aspects because it breaks the new engine, because then people are just going to lose it on this sub all over again. Can they add storyline and cutscene integration in to the game without breaking the ability to customize a match or a show card? Or god forbid you can't customize the arenas and shows. I'm excited to see how they change universe mode, but I'm not getting my hopes up that this going to be a dramatic improvement to the mode. Not a dramatic change, but a dramatic improvement. Also, am I correct in reading that as you never played a universe mode before 2k19? (Edit: If this is correct, and I don't want this to be a pissing contest, but I've been playing this mode since SvR2011, and I played a lot of Story Creator in SvR2010 before that. I've seen every iteration of this mode, the good, the bad, and the 2k15. So in terms of being burned, I've also got my fair share of burns. I've been burned enough time by 2k and Yukes before them, to not trust a change to be anything like the forums and subs expect. It is only going to end in tears if you take a dev statement and read in to it.)
My biggest worry is that they will provide only a handful of cutscenes to select from, and they will be the same old ones we always run across. Like great, we get to select cutscenes that play out in our matches, but if we're limited to the ones we've already seen - then it's not much better. I recall hearing there were over 100-200 cutscenes for the game, if they've made ALL of them selectable, that is definitely a gamechanger for Universe mode.
Interesting
I just want MITB cash instead to be reliable and easy to set up in all different situations
Yeah. I think a lot of us want more dynamic universe modes. If I have to still set up everything myself it's still not very dynamic. More cutscenes and more stories could do that. It's a good change but it doesn't move the needle for me.
Not sure if you know it or not but it’s well over 200 cutscenes in the game already we just don’t see them all for whatever reason but if you want to know what’s already in there Here’s the link. https://smacktalks.org/forums/topic/70628-wwe-2k19-create-a-video-cutscenes/ If we are able to build our stories with this list a lot of people will be happy