Summary
WWE 2K24continues to iterate and has one of the largest rosters of any wrestling game, boasting well over 200 individuals ranging from professional wrestlers to managers and even the likes of legendary boxer Muhammad Ali. Even so, many of the industry’s top names are missing from the lineup.
Whether excluded due to controversy or because they’re currently signed with another promotion, it’s still a shame not to have them. We thought we would look at the biggest names still absent, not counting those we know who are coming later in DLC packs.
Although none of these wrestlers are currently in the game, there is a robust character creation suite you can use to recreate them. Many people already have, so a quick trip to thecommunity creationspage will fill out your roster with legends and icons in no time.
What A Rush
The Road Warriors, Hawk and Animal, remain to this day one of the greatest tag teams of all time. With an exhilarating entrance and iconic presentation they helped define professional wrestling in the 1980s and their absence from WWE 2k24 is a real shame.
Whether you prefer to call them The Road Warriors or The Legion of Doom, they deserve to be in the game. Holding championship titles across the world, they have inspired countless tag teams ever since.
Other wrestlers have had a stint with The Road Warriors, such as Droz and Heidenreich, but none of them are playable in WWE 2k24 either.
9AJ Lee
Let’s Light It Up
AJ Lee was a bright spot during the dark Divas days of WWE. Out-wrestling and out-performing the vast majority of the other women on the roster at the time, she broke the mold of what a WWE ‘Diva’ was expected to be and went on to win three championships.
Seeing her feature in a WWE game has never felt likely. In her real life, April Mendez is married to CM Punk, who was openly contentious with WWE for many years. He has since returned to the company though, so it seems plausible that his wife may also bury the hatchet some day soon.
8Goldberg
Who’s Next? Not Goldberg
Goldberg’s Legends contract with WWE expired, which is why he doesn’t feature in WWE 2K24. For many of you, this will be a travesty, Goldberg is a true legend in the wrestling industry for his dominance and undefeated streak in WCW.
His moveset is in the game, so you can still enjoy the power of a Jackhammer finisher, but that doesn’t feel like anywhere near enough. Everyone wishes Goldberg was there on the roster. Well, except maybe Bret Hart.
7Paige
Not Her House Anymore
Paige was one of the standout Divas Champions, a title which boasted sparse prestige outside of a few special champions. Ever engaging, Paige battled controversy to become of WWE’s top performers, even inspiring a movie about her life. Fighting With My Family may not be an entirely accurate biopic, but Florence Pugh is excellent as a young Paige.
Forced to retire from in-ring competition due to medical issues, Paige has since returned to being an active wrestler for rival promotion AEW under her real name, Saraya. This completely precludes her from featuring in a WWE game, but it’s still a shame not to see her on the roster.
6The Big Show
Tall Paul
For many, The Big Show is one of the best ‘big men’ in the business. Despite becoming something of a meme for flipping between being a face and heel performer with startling regularity, there’s no question that The Big Show was a top performer for decades.
Currently signed to AEW under his real name, Paul Wight, he can’t be featured in a WWE game. At least for now, it seems inevitable that The Big Show will feature in a future WWE game when his AEW career comes to an end.
5Sasha Banks
The Boss
Sasha Banks was one of the top performers in WWE until she left, dissatisfied with the treatment of her and the WWE Women’s Tag Team division in general. As she’s no longer a part of the company, she isn’t present in WWE 2k24, and it’s a loss for everyone.
Like so many of the top names in wrestling not currently signed with WWE, Sasha Banks is signed to AEW under the name Mercedes Mone, continuing to establish herself as a legend in the business.
4Chris Jericho
No Y2K24 For Us
Chris Jericho is one of the all-time greats, known for continually reinventing himself in the industry to great success. Signed with AEW and establishing himself as their first-ever AEW Champion in 2019, he doesn’t have a current contract with WWE.
When Jericho retires, something many fans are calling for him to do, he will be a first-ballot WWE Hall of Fame pick and secure a Legends contract, featuring in future WWE games for many years to come.
3Christian
Father Of The Year
Christian has always been a brilliant performer, best known to most as part of the Edge and Christian tag team. Since going solo he’s continued to have an excellent career, holding championships in multiple promotions, including his current one, All Elite Wrestling.
Ask anyone and they’ll say his current work is the best of his career, which is why it’s such a shame not to have him in WWE 2k24, even if it is understandable. He’s undeniably a future WWE Hall of Famer, so it’s just a matter of time until he returns to the series.
2Edge
We Thought We Knew Him
The Rated R Superstar has had a legendary career, creating memorable moments ever since his debut. Although currently signed to AEW under his real name Adam Copeland, Edge remains many people’s favourite WWE Superstar of all time.
His moveset exists in the game, along with his iconic entrance animation and pyrotechnics, but the man himself is unfortunately absent. It doesn’t feel quite right without him, but he’ll make his return someday.
1Brock Lesnar
There, But Not There
Brock Lesnar in WWE 2k24 is an unusual case. He’s in the game, you’re able to play as him, but only in a few matches of theShowcase mode. He isn’t selectable anywhere else in the game. It’s a bizarre thing, stemming from Brock being mentioned in association with a lawsuit. They decided to play it safe and remove him from television as well as the game, but it was too late to take out his involvement in the Showcase.
Brock is a living legend. Universal Champion, WWE Champion, Royal Rumble winner, Money In The Bank winner, King of the Ring winner, the man who broke The Undertaker’s streak - the list goes on. There have been signs recently that WWE are acknowledging his existence again, so it’s possible that he may be quietly enabled in the game again. Until then, if you want to play as Brock, you’re going to be playing a lot of Showcase mode.
