WWE 2K14

Lore & Background

WWE 2K14 succeeded WWE '13 and was the last game to use WWE's 'scratch' logo from the Attitude Era. Its gameplay is primarily an update of WWE '13, with improvements to navigation, faster character movement, and new 'OMG!' moments. The game introduced 'The Streak' mode, where players defend The Undertaker's WrestleMania winning streak, and expanded the Create-a-Superstar suite to allow up to 100 created superstars and the use of existing superstars as templates.

Reader's Guide

The single-player campaign '30 Years of WrestleMania' recreates 45 matches across five eras: Hulkamania Runs Wild, The New Generation, Attitude Era, Ruthless Aggression, and Universe Era. Players complete primary and bonus historical objectives, sometimes following quick-time sequences. 'The Streak' mode lets players defend The Undertaker's 21-match WrestleMania winning streak against waves of opponents, with heightened difficulty. WWE Universe mode was overhauled with a Rivalry Manager that tracks rivalries and divides storylines into date-based periods. The game's reception was mixed-to-positive; IGN praised the campaign and creation suite, while GameSpot criticized the clunky core wrestling. Game Informer highlighted the nostalgia of the WrestleMania campaign.

Did You Know?

• The game's box art features The Rock as the cover athlete.
• Contrary to a common belief, WWE 2K14 was not the last game to use WWE's 'scratch' logo; the scratch logo appeared in subsequent games like WWE 2K15, and the last game to exclusively use it was WWE '13.
• The Ultimate Warrior was announced as a pre-order exclusive playable character in July 2013.

The 30 Years of WrestleMania Campaign

"The 30 Years of WrestleMania" is the game's most ambitious single-player mode, a 45-match campaign spanning nearly three decades of WWE history from the earliest WrestleMania events through WrestleMania 29. Divided into five eras, the mode weaves classic WWE footage, alternate gimmicks, and storylines built around the characters who defined each period. "Hulkamania Runs Wild" opens with Hulk Hogan's legendary clashes, including his bout against André the Giant at WrestleMania III and his confrontation with The Ultimate Warrior at WrestleMania VI. "The New Generation" spotlights Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels, capturing Hart's victory over Yokozuna and the Iron Man match between Hart and Michaels. The "Attitude Era" chapter revisits territory from WWE '13 while adding new narratives like The Undertaker facing Kane with Paul Bearer watching, and the no-disqualification title clash between Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock. The "Ruthless Aggression" era traces The Rock's departure and John Cena's rise, while the final "Universe Era" chapter culminates in The Rock and Cena's "Once in a Lifetime" rematch. Matches blend required primary objectives with bonus historical challenges, and some sequences guide players through quick-time input prompts rather than free control.

The Streak Mode

"The Streak" mode places players at the center of one of professional wrestling's most iconic narratives: The Undertaker's 21-match WrestleMania winning streak. The mode spans from WrestleMania VII, where he defeated Jimmy Snuka, through WrestleMania XXIX, where he overcame CM Punk, just before Brock Lesnar ended the run at WrestleMania XXX. Players can step into The Undertaker's shoes and battle successive waves of opponents attempting to break the streak, or they can select any wrestler from the roster and challenge The Phenom at any WrestleMania arena. What sets this mode apart is its deliberately elevated difficulty, described as higher than any previous WWE game. The Undertaker possesses unique tools: he can chokeslam the player if they grab him by the head, submit them with the Hell's Gate once he is grounded, and teleport behind the player using an animation previously reserved for his interference finisher. This combination of narrative weight and mechanical challenge makes "The Streak" a standout gauntlet experience.

Gameplay Evolution and Creative Tools

WWE 2K14 builds directly on the foundation of WWE '13, layering meaningful improvements across its core systems. Navigation has been overhauled for more fluid walking, running, and dragging motions, while characters now move at a quicker pace. To prevent players from spamming running attacks, "starting up" animations play before a character can sprint. Chain reversals have been reworked so that every reversal results in an offensive attack, eliminating the stalemate loops that plagued the previous entry. Catapult finishers can now be deployed offensively, and certain characters can launch an opponent into the air before catching them for a catch finisher. Seven new "OMG!" moments allow specific finishers to be performed on two opponents simultaneously and let players interact with the arena environment. The nearfall system has been refined to accommodate counts beyond two. A "Slobberknocker Mode," adapted from the Streak gauntlet, adds a new match format. On the creative side, Create-a-Superstar now offers up to 100 save slots and lets players use existing superstars as templates for custom variants, while Create-a-Championship has been expanded beyond its limited predecessor.

A New Era for WWE Gaming

WWE 2K14 marks a pivotal turning point in the franchise's history. Developed by Yuke's and published by 2K, it is the first installment in the WWE 2K series and the first WWE game released after Take-Two Interactive secured the video game license from THQ through a bankruptcy filing. It also carries the distinction of being the last WWE video game to feature the company's "scratch" logo, a design first introduced during the Attitude Era. The title launched in late October and early November 2013 across North America, Japan, Australia, Europe, and India. Marketing built momentum through a June 4 announcement at the WWE Global Business Partner Summit, where Executive Vice President Casey Collins confirmed The Rock as the cover athlete, followed by the official cover and trailer reveal on the June 24 episode of WWE Raw. In July, The Ultimate Warrior was announced as a pre-order exclusive playable character. The game received generally mixed-to-positive reviews and was succeeded by WWE 2K15 the following year.