WWE 2K Tutorial

Details

• Game: WWE 2K22
• Developer: Visual Concepts / 2K Games
• Engine: Proprietary Engine
• Game Mode: 1-8 players
• Platforms: PC, PS5, XBSX, PS4, XBO

Responsibilities

• Overall success of the FTUE Tutorial
• Defining and scripting the objectives
• Directed the FTUE video and writing the script
• Building the AI behavior tree

Overview

WWE2k22 is an PC and Console brawler for up to 8 players. Players fight in melee PvE or PvP matches to determine who the best of the best is. Players can also learn the legend of Rey Mysterio by playing his greatest matches in Showcase mode, or build and manage their own brand in MyGM mode.

I was the lead designer for the WWE2k22 First Time User Experience (FTUE) Tutorial, this is the first tutorial the WWE2K franchise has ever made.

I chose Drew Gulak to 'teach' the player and Rey Mysterio because he is known for his condescending 'PowerPoint' gimmick and isn't nearly as famous as Rey. Having this lesser wrestler talk down to our featured superstar should be amusing to new players and flabbergasting to veterans. This also allowed me to tap into Drew’s snarky humor by directing it at Rey and not the player themselves. As a bonus, if the player decide to attack Coach Drew during the tutorial I reward them with bonus dialogue.

My representation of Coach Drew and his humor was so widely welcomed, that he became the face of the tutorial pop-ups for all five different game modes, and is featured in the sequel's tutorial as well.

My Role

I was the lead designer for this major feature and I was responsible for the overall FTUE success, creating the objectives, setting up triggers, making the AI behavior tree, and deciding what to teach our players. I worked closely with one other designer Tom Lafferty to write the script, create loading screen tips for new players, work with WWE to direct the Tutorial video, and playtest.

My design goals were to focus on only what players need to know to win their first match and the brand new mechanics for this installment. I had to constantly push back against teaching the hundreds of advanced and situational moves that the game supports and wrote the design document for an advanced 'Training Yard' where players could learn and practice the harder techniques (unfortunately this was cut due to time restrictions). By keeping the tutorial under 5 minutes in length and relying heavily on humor I can keep players from getting bored and make replays painless if they need to practice a specific technique.

To further make the tutorial more accessible I made it so it is impossible to lose (the opponent will cancel a pin at a 2.9 count), pop-up tips only appear if a player becomes stuck rather than constant bombardment, and I let skilled players dominate and end the match early if they are only interested in claiming their rewards.

• Lead designer for the FTUE Tutorial:
• Writing the script
• Defining and scripting the objectives
• Scripting Triggers and events
• AI behavior tree

• New player tips on loading screens
• Managing voice talent
• Video script
• Playtesting