2K Games has officially revealed the cover stars for WWE 2K24, shining a spotlight on three performers who’ve had a stellar few years in WWE. The primary cover star for this year’s game is Cody Rhodes, who will feature on the Standard Edition of the game – but Bianca Belair and Rhea Ripley will also get a chance to shine on the game’s Deluxe Edition.
As noted, Belair and Ripley are the first women’s duo to cover the WWE 2K series, with Belair notably being the first woman of colour to feature on a WWE 2K cover. After years of solid matches and rivalries, and kicking down barriers for women in WWE, both Belair and Ripley have earned their spot on the cover of the upcoming game.
Ripley in particular has hit a number of milestones over her last few years in wrestling, not only elevating women’s wrestling as a whole with a number of hard-hitting, gripping matches, but also cracking the barrier between the men and women of WWE, ushering in a number of rare intergender matches.
“I’ve proven myself to be the most dominant competitor to ever hold the WWE Women’s
World Championship,” Ripley said of her place on the deluxe cover. “Earning the accolade of WWE 2K24 cover Superstar is only fitting, and I’m proud to add it to my list of accomplishments.”
Read: WWE 2K23: Rhea Ripley wants intergender matches in future games
Cody Rhodes is equally a worthy pick for the Standard Edition cover, having carved out his own path to the top over the last few years. Rhodes has had a strange career in WWE, initially being dismissed and forced to follow in the footsteps of his father (Dusty Rhodes) and brother (Goldust), before leaving the company, carving out his own path on wrestling’s indie scene, and returning as a stronger, more well-rounded wrestler.
In 2023, Rhodes had a string of high-profile WWE matches – including an incredible, heart-breaking bout against Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 39 – and further cemented his position as one of the most compelling wrestlers in WWE. While he’s yet to secure the top title at the company, he’s certainly earned his place on the cover of WWE 2K24.
“I’ve been known to keep a checklist of key milestones I want to experience on the path to finishing my story,” Rhodes said of the achievement. “As an avid gamer, being named WWE 2K cover Superstar is very, very close to the top of that list and I’m very happy to work with the teams at 2K and Visual Concepts to bring that dream to life.”
Should it be a sign of things to come, we can expect to see more from Rhodes in the coming months – and particularly on the way to WrestleMania season.
Beyond the cover stars, 2K Games has also revealed more about what to expect in WWE 2K24, which feature several “franchise advancements,” according to a press release. One of these advancements is an updated 2K Showcase …of the Immortals mode, which celebrates 40 years of WrestleMania – but players can also look forward to new match types (Ambulance, Special Guest Referee), new MyRISE stories, and fresh graphical improvements.
As detailed, WWE 2K24 Standard Edition launches on 8 March 2024, with the Deluxe Edition and Forty Years of WrestleMania Edition (which features an homage to the stars of WrestleMania) launching earlier, on 5 March 2024.
Here’s the breakdown of the incoming editions:
- Standard Edition (AUD $59.99 on PS4 | XBO | PC, AUD $69.99 on PS5|XSX) – Includes the game without cross-gen gameplay.
- Standard Cross-Gen Digital Edition (AUD $69.99) – Includes the cross-gen version of WWE 2K24 for PlayStation and Xbox consoles.
- Deluxe Edition (AUD $99.99) – Includes the Standard Cross-Gen Digital Edition, plus a Season Pass to all five post-launch DLC content packs, as well as MyRISE and MyFACTION bonuses, and three days of early access.
- The Forty Years of WrestleMania Edition (AUD $119.99) – Includes everything in the Standard Cross-Gen Edition and Deluxe Edition, as well as a special Forty Years of WrestleMania Pack that features new attires for Randy Savage, Rey Mysterio, Triple H, Charlotte Flair, Rhea Ripley, and other bonuses.
Note: Anyone who preorders WWE 2K24 will get the Nightmare Family Pack, which includes two versions of Cody Rhodes (Undashing and Stardust), 1976 Dusty Rhodes, WWE Hall of Famer Dusty Rhodes, and “Superstar” Billy Graham, as well as MyFACTION content, including Pharoah Rhodes (Cody’s dog) as a Gold Rarity Manager Card.
Stay tuned to hear more about WWE 2K24.