WWE 2K16 roster update: The New Day, Ricky Steamboat, and 6 more make the cut
Mark Henry
Only one thing about this former Olympians inclusion here troubles us: Henry is a current in-ring performer, yet his character model comes from the late 1990s when he was WWEs least believable grappler, by some margin. Perhaps its an oversight; but more likely youll need to fork out for DLC to get his proper model. Gah.
Mick Foley
After retracting his likeness from last years game because he felt the royalties were insufficient, Mick returns for 2K16 and hes clearly happy with the potential paycheque this time, as all three of his famous characters are in. That means Dude Love, Mankind, Cactus Jack and sad times for long-term rival Triple H.
Mikey Whipwreck
This represents the biggest shock inclusion since the series beginnings, perhaps with the exception of Fred Durst (we kid you not) back in WWF Smackdown: Just Bring It on PS1. Trained by Mick Mankind Foley, the one-time ECW World Champion (and two-time TV Champ) features due to his 1995 bouts with Steve Austin, then known as The Extreme Superstar.
Mr McMahon
You cant have a bespoke Stone Cold mode without his arch-enemy coming to the party armed with Popeye biceps and a three-sizes-too-small wife-beater. The big boss just turned 70 in real life, but in-game he looks not a day over 45 just young enough for a few more bloody tussles with the bad-ass bald beardie.
Naomi & Tamina
The announcement of these Team BAD members is good news so long as its followed-up by confirmation that stablemate Sasha Banks is in too. Banks is WWEs best female wrestler right now, and the game wont feel complete without her to grapple rivals such as Paige and Charlotte. Cross your fingers and watch this space.
Nation Of Domination
D-Lo Brown! Kama Mustafa! Faarooq! Now 2K really is spoiling us. This late-nineties faction helped The Rock become a bona fide grap legend, but as a collective have been absent from WWEs virtual offerings for more than a decade. Finally the trio has come back to the pretend-o-ring! as The Great One would, uh, never actually say.
Neville
Newcastles pocket rocket took his WWE videogame bow this time last year, and soon followed that up with a promotion from NXT to the main roster. Now established as the companys premier high-flyer, his supremely acrobatic moveset should mean lots of online use and a disheartening amount of top-rope move spamming.
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The New Day
The happy-clapping triumverate has proven to be WWEs most entertaining act of 2015, serving up acrobatic contests with squads like the Prime Time Players and Lucha Dragons, and bringing the funnies too such as a Summerslam parody of Empire State Of Mind even better than Jay-Zs original. Theyre the current tag team champs, and merit a lengthy run with the straps.
Paige
The leader of Team PCB (it stands for Paige, Charlotte and Becky original, no?) hasnt been able to wrestle Nikki Bellas Divas Championship away in 2015, but remains the most popular lady on the roster. Sadly, shes not yet cut a promo based upon follow Norwich madam Delia Smiths infamous lets beeee avin you halftime rant at Carrow Road.
Prime Time Players
Titus ONeil is another of the Es most overlooked all-rounders although over the summer he and Darren Young did finally score the tag title run they should have been granted years ago. Better together than they ever were as solo combatants, dont make the same mistake WWE did by placing them in a flat, lazily-booked break-up storyline.
I'm GamesRadar's sports editor, and obsessed with NFL, WWE, MLB, AEW, and occasionally things that don't have a three-letter acronym – such as Chvrches, Bill Bryson, and Streets Of Rage 4. (All the Streets Of Rage games, actually.) Even after three decades I still have a soft spot for Euro Boss on the Amstrad CPC 464+.