WWE 2K15

On August 4, 2014, IGN revealed that the game will feature a historical mode, which focuses on past WWE rivalries.[5] Called the "2K Showcase", the story mode is similar to WWE 2K14's 30 Years of WrestleMania mode in that it focuses on historical events, but will be more like the Attitude Era mode in WWE '13 where it emphasizes specifics rather than generalities. The mode goes into more depth, giving a more detailed look at personal rivalries, treating them as mini-documentaries, with in-match cut scenes and historical objectives to complete.

The 2K Showcase features 33 matches in total and is highlighted by two rivalries. The first rivalry "Hustle, Loyalty, Disrespect" is between John Cena and CM Punk from 2011 to 2013. The rivalry started with Punk beginning to rebel against Vince McMahon and the way he ran the company and later when he claimed he did not earn the respect he deserved. The rivalry ends with CM Punk's defeat by John Cena at Raw.

The second rivalry "Best Friends, Bitter Enemies" chronicles the feud between Triple H, Shawn Michaels and the wrestling stable Evolution. The showcase begins at SummerSlam (2002) and covers various matches from Raw and PPV's ending with Triple H defeating Shawn Michaels at Bad Blood 2004 in a Hell in a Cell match.

The 2K Showcase also allows players to unlock various arenas, wrestlers and attires from each rivalry period, including Triple H's 2003 and 2004 attire and the stable Evolution from 2004.

WWE 2K15 has three additional Showcases, which were available as DLCs. "One More Match" features the rivalry between Christian and Randy Orton during 2011, focusing in on Christian's quest for the World Heavyweight Championship.

"Hall of Pain" features Mark Henry's domination through 2011 and early 2012 and his path towards winning the World Heavyweight Championship and his brief resurgence challenging for the WWE Championship in early 2013.

"Path of Warrior" focuses on the career of The Ultimate Warrior, chronicling in on the rise of The Ultimate Warrior during the 1980s, commenting on the passing of the torch that Hulk Hogan demonstrated at "WrestleMania VI" and detailing Warrior's legacy within the WWE.

The game also has a "MyCareer" mode similar to NBA 2K15. Players take on the role of a Superstar made in the Creative Suite and follow the evolution of their WWE career, from the WWE Performance Center and NXT to the main event at WrestleMania, then your career is simulated 15 years into the future where you take place in one final match. This is the first time that the WWE 2K series features a Career mode and the first for the series overall since SmackDown vs. Raw 2010. Designed to be a branching, but linear, storyline in which players actions have effects on the future, MyCareer is reminiscent to story modes of earlier SmackDown games and WWF No Mercy in which decisions affected outcomes. The mode also features a morality system to allow players to decide whether they want to play as a face (fan favorite) or a heel (rule breaker) with each choice having an effect on the meter. There is also a 1-5 star match rating system that rates matches based on technique, pacing and momentum, with squash matches getting lower ratings and back-and-forth matches getting higher ratings. Wins and losses have little effect on match ratings with the goal being to put on the best match possible. This mode is exclusive to the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Microsoft Windows versions of the game.

Replacing MyCareer on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 is a mode called "Who Got NXT?" which is a story mode focusing on up-and-comers from NXT: Adrian Neville, Bo Dallas, Corey Graves, Rusev and Sami Zayn, the 5 playable NXT Superstars in the game.[6] The NXT Arrival arena was also exclusive to the PS3/360 version of the game.

Designed to be the spiritual successor to "Defeat The Streak" from WWE 2K14, Proving Ground pits players against John Cena, the top guy in WWE. This mode is only unlockable after completing the "Who Got NXT?" mode. The player will choose one of the 5 playable NXT Superstars to face Cena in a one-on-one match with a 30-minute time limit. Defeating Cena with all 5 NXT stars will unlock the entire roster (including created Superstars) to play the mode with.

• Avenged Sevenfold - "This Means War"
• Dizzee Rascal featuring Teddy Sky - "Heart of a Warrior"
• Florida Georgia Line featuring Luke Bryan - "This Is How We Roll"
• Rise Against - "Zero Visibility"

The PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions of the game were delayed three weeks from their original October 28 release date.[18] 2K stated "The additional development time enables our talented teams to ensure the WWE 2K15 next-gen experience fully meets our expectations."[19] The next gen versions were released on November 18, 2014.

On April 21, 2015, WWE announced an upcoming Windows PC release in Spring of 2015.[2] A week later, 2K announced the release date of April 28, 2015.[3] This marks the first game in the WWE 2K series to be released on PC, as well as the first WWE game to be released on PC since WWE Raw which was released in 2002. All previously released downloadable content was included at no extra cost, except Paige, who was exclusive to the Season Pass.[20] The PC version is similar to the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions, featuring MyCareer and 2K Showcase game modes. The PC version is exclusive to Steam, with no retail release planned.[21]

A version of the game for mobile devices, developed by n-Space, was released for Android and iOS on April 16, 2015.[22] 2K called it the "first simulation-based WWE video game for mobile devices".[23] The mobile version features 10 playable superstars, three match types, full entrances & move sets, create a superstar, live multiplayer and a career mode.[24] In July 2015, an update was released that improved controls and responsiveness.[25]

The Season Pass includes all three 2K Showcase story mode DLCs, the Accelerator DLC, and exclusive access to WWE Diva Paige.[29]

IGN gave the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions a 5.9 out of 10, saying: "WWE 2K15 is like seeing Brock Lesnar going from breaking The Undertaker's streak to losing to Hornswoggle during the pre-show in back-to-back WrestleManias. Not only is it surprising, it's also pretty sad. I would frequently grab my copy of last year's grappler with the intent to quickly check some changes, only to find myself reluctant to switch back due to the far better roster and single-player experience. Do yourself a favor, save your money, and buy WWE 2K14. The minor improvements to combat and commentary in 2K15 don't even come close to making up for what was lost."[41] Game Informer gave the game a 7 out of 10, stating "This version of WWE 2K15 works if you're not planning on buying a new-gen console anytime soon... Custom creators, on the other hand, might as well continue to build up their creations on 2K14.[36]

IGN gave the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions a 7 out of 10, stating "WWE 2K15 on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One doesn't quite meet the expectations set by previous entries in the series. While the wrestlers look amazing and the combat feels significantly better, "MyCareer" mode is an absolute slog and everything else has been done better in previous years. Between the narrower historical mode, the shuttered creation suites, and the dearth of combat options for bigger groups, WWE 2K15 has lost some of the tools that brought previous entries to the main event."[40] Eurogamer gave the game a 3 out of 10, stating "WWE 2K15 is a kick in the teeth. Graphically assured as it is, almost every other element of the 15-year-old series has been cut back, tampered with pointlessly or outright ruined. The series hasn't been good for a long time now, but this year is the first it's been actively bad. The wait for a great new WWE game continues."[35] Hardcore Gamer gave the game a 3/5, saying "some players may pine for the older days of this franchise, where gameplay was frenetic and fast-measured. WWE 2K15 steps away from that methodology, and in turn delivers a much more deliberately-paced game, and one that is more intent on providing an authentic, one-to-one recreation of the drama that goes down in the squared circle."[44]

PC Gamer gave the Microsoft Windows version of the game a 67 out of 100, calling the game "a capable attempt to recapture the magic of WWE, let down by the decision not to update any single element of the console versions."[42] Rock, Paper, Shotgun stated "It's a disappointing game," adding "WWE 2K15 is a lot like the WWE itself – burying its female performers, mishandling its roster, screwing up its own booking and failing to establish characters".[45] GameWatcher gave the game a 7.5 out of 10, stating "unlike the game's release on consoles, the presence of mod support means that WWE 2K15 will actively evolve over time on PC. Until the mod community flourishes however and assuming the game's rough edges prove tolerable, WWE 2K15 remains an enjoyable wrestling yarn the likes of which PC players haven't been graced with in, well, forever. Maybe not the best there was or the best there is and certainly not the best there ever will be then, but it's a good start all the same and after all, legends have been fashioned from less."[43]

Pocket Gamer gave the mobile version a 7 out of 10, commenting that it is "a pretty solid experience, and it flourishes the deeper you get into it", while criticizing the price of the game.[46] Gamezebo rated it 3.5 out of 5 stars, praising the graphics, multiplayer and controls but lamenting the overall lack of content.[47] Technology Tell gave the album a "D" rating, calling it "a lazy, unresponsive, and completely shallow experience"[48] 148 Apps gave a 4 out of 5 stars rating and called the game "surprisingly complex".[49] Game Informer stated the game is "a bare-bones, yet mechanically functional mobile title" and said it laid down a good groundwork for the next game.[50]

In December 2014, it was announced that WWE 2K15 had outperformed WWE '13 and WWE 2K14 in the same holiday sales time period.[51] As of August 2015, WWE 2K15 has shipped over three million copies.[52]