WWE 2K24's ECW Punk Pack adds CM Punk, Terry Funk, The Sandman, and the Dudley Boyz to the roster, many of whom have been absent from WWE games for years, among other additions. The Dudley Boyz haven't appeared in a mainline game in 8 years, Funk in 12 years, CM Punk in 10 years, and The Sandman in 17 years. That makes this particular piece of WWE 2K24 DLC all the more exciting, with long-loved but absent superstars coming to the roster. Of course, CM Punk is perhaps the biggest draw, with the superstar recently returning to WWE and feuding with the likes of Seth Rollins and Drew McIntyre. Punk and McIntyre's feud, in particular, seems to be building to some intense matches once both superstars are medically cleared.
The Best War Games recently spoke with Visual Concepts creative director Lynell Jinks about constructing this DLC pack, with the WWE 2K24 dev revealing why CM Punk didn't make the main roster and discussing the entire process from concept to ship. Of course, with CM Punk's overall rating being 1 point higher than Drew McIntyre's, we also had to ask if Drew factored in at all. The following transcript has been edited for clarity and brevity.
WWE 2K24: How to Get VC
Learn the best ways to earn VC in WWE 2K24 and unlock rewards, upgrades, and more.
CM Punk's Debut in WWE 2K24
Q: When did the team at Visual Concepts find out that CM Punk was back? Was it with everybody else at Survivor Series?
A: We get a slight head's up, and when I say slight, I mean maybe a few hours before and rightfully so. We never, ever want to be the cause of any accidental leaks, right? I don't want to put that on our shoulders or anything like that, so I prefer not to know. Because if something like that were to ever get out and we spoiled that, basically ruined Christmas for someone, I would hate it. Yeah, we find out pretty much at the same time you guys find out, maybe just slightly earlier.
Q: How did the early days of getting CM Punk into the DLC work out?
A: If you think about the development cycle for us, you know, we ship in March. After, we look at how the game is doing, fix issues people might be having with patches, start working on DLC, and also start coming up with ideas for the next game. Overall, I would say it takes about nine months for us to get the game out the door and to first parties, which is around fall, right? You have to submit the game to Microsoft and Sony and basically have everything in the game that it's going to ship with. It doesn't have to be polished, but it has to have everything in the game. That way, when they're doing their testing, they'll know what to expect in the final submission a couple of months later. That cut-off is before Survivor Series, so when anyone debuts after the summer, it's a hard ask to get that person into the main game.
Q: Is it a bit easier with DLC?
A: Yeah, for DLC, all bets are off, and it's just basically coming up with a cool pack and surrounding someone with people who are relevant. It's also working with WWE to see who they have video game rights to, for us to include in the game. It's a fun process, but at the same time, it sometimes takes a while just due to people coming back, who we have access and the rights to.
Q: Did Drew McIntyre's rating factor into CM Punk's at all?
A: No, no, it did not.
Ratings have been a thing this year. You know, we redid them and not everyone is happy, but for us, the math is mathing now. Some people are happy, some aren't, and it's impossible to please everybody. I'm surprised Drew hasn't said anything, so yeah, we'll see.
WWE 2K24: ECW Punk Pack Legends
Q: CM Punk is obviously not the only character. We get Sandman, Terry Funk, and the Dudley Boyz. I was kind of curious how you decide on their ratings since they haven't been on active WWE TV in a good while?
A: Yeah, so legends go on a different scale, right? They get measured accordingly. With current superstars, you can look at the lay of the land and be, "Okay, where does this superstar rate among their peers?" When you're looking at legends, there's so much to go off of. Do you go based on their early career, their middle career, the biggest they've ever been, or do you look at when they were on their way out?
That's the body of work we have to look at and then come up with some form of rating. If we're trying to replicate a certain particular era, like you look at Terry Funk and that ECW version, it's easier to say "he was probably here." Considering the body of work as well, we sometimes take creative liberties there just to make sure they are hitting that legendary status.
Q: One thing I noticed about the ECW Punk pack was that every character hasn't been in a mainline WWE game in a long time. Punk's a decade, Sandman's 17 years, Dudley Boyz are like 8, and Funk's 12. I was curious if this history or absence from the games influenced the overall pack in some way?
A: Oh, absolutely. Every year we're trying to figure out some packs, so once Punk came in, that helped define one of the packs. Then, you're like, "Who could we surround him with that makes sense?" We don't want it to feel like this arbitrary pairing, and a lot of this stuff is dictated usually by one or two people, right? It doesn't make sense to add DDP among a bunch of NXT people, but what if we formed a WCW pack with Great Muta and Lex Luger too? A lot of that gets figured out once we pick out the main superstars or legends in those packs.
Q: Do any of these characters have any sort of unique interactions with the other stars, weapons, or anything like that?
A: Yeah. Sandman has some cool Easter eggs. There's definitely some cool stuff, and if you look down the line at some of the other DLC packs, if there's a certain person who likes to interact with a certain object or fruit, you're probably going to see something there.
Q: If you could add just one more ECW star to the game and it could be anyone, no limitations or anything like that, who would it be and why?
A: I think there's one person that everyone knows who it is. I think he's even been saying he wants to be in the game, but you know, that's not for me to say and get anyone in hot water until they figure out the details. I think there's one person I feel like everyone wants to see, even himself, in a WWE 2K game.
Q: When releasing DLC in a WWE 2K game, is there any sort of special reactions you commonly see with DLC packs?
A: For me, it's about "do people want to see a certain pairing?" Whether it's like someone wants to see the Dudley Boyz go against New Day or whomever or to pair Jade up with Bianca and go after DMG Control. There's so much of that, and there's more once you go the historic route, it's like "Man, I can't wait to whoop Honky Tonk Man with Ultimate Warrior" or to take Jimmy Hart to manage the Hart Foundation, right? There's just so much to that.
For me, It's almost like collecting action figures. I can't wait to use these characters in my sandbox, do these things with them, or bring them into my Universe mode, and we think about all that stuff.
Q: As a wrap-up, is there anything else you'd like to add about the ECW Punk Pack?
A: Just can't wait for people to hit the GTS on Drew McIntyre, just saying! I'm just saying!
Man, I can't wait. That feud is going to feed families once they are both healed.
Yeah, just seeing this version of CM Punk in our game is like "Oh man, he looks so good." Playing with him in the ring, though, it feels like him. It's him, the moves and everything. I remember when we had him in the game last time. You know, okay, it was him, but we didn't scan him back then. It wasn't our best effort at representing someone's likeness, and when you look at this one, it's like, "Holy crap, this dude looks amazing!"
[END]
WWE 2K24
- Released
- March 8, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
FORTY YEARS OF WRESTLEMANIA
WrestleMania 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 ROSTER
WWE 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 TYPES
From 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 MyRISE
Unleash 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 FACTION
Assemble 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!
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Blood, Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Visual Concepts
- Publisher(s)
- 2K
- Franchise
- WWE 2K
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Genre(s)
- Sports, Fighting
