WWE 2K23 is just over the horizon, and one of the biggest decisions will be who takes the spotlight in this year's 2K Showcase.
While there are plenty of solid options, WWE 2K23 could have the opportunity for something truly special if Bray Wyatt gets the next 2K Showcase.
WWE 2K23 will feature the return of Bray Wyatt to the roster
As we look ahead to the eventual release of WWE 2K23, expected in just a few short months, there's plenty to be excited about.
Thanks to the success of WWE 2K22, they're coming into the next game with higher expectations but significantly more goodwill among fans.
Last year's installment pushed things forward all across the game, and that included a top-notch 2K Showcase following the lengthy career of the legendary Rey Mysterio.
However, last year also marked the first time in several years that Bray Wyatt was absent from the official in-game roster.
Of course, that wasn't the plan by any means, as we've learned in several ways that Bray Wyatt and his "The Fiend" character were set to be key parts of WWE 2K22.
Bray Wyatt himself confirmed an in-game storyline, likely one we could see back in MyRISE, would've made Dana Brooke into "The Shiend."
Separately, work done by WhatsTheStatus to locate unused assets in the code of WWE 2K22 found a fully rendered entrance for The Fiend.
Unfortunately, reporting from Mike Straw of SGO and through Fightful Select has confirmed WWE demanded Wyatt's removal from the game due to his release.
Now that Bray Wyatt is officially back in WWE, there's little doubt that he'll be back on the roster and the removed storyline could even make it back into MyRISE, but there's another way WWE 2K23 can highlight his return.
Bray Wyatt could be a truly magical 2K Showcase
As we've seen with his return to WWE, Bray Wyatt remains no stranger to cryptic messages and elaborate storytelling.
With nods both before, during, and after his return to his past history with The Wyatt Family and with other competitors, there's no shortage of big moments for a 2K Showcase.
On top of that, the 2K Showcase can do something else we've seen from Wyatt since his return by blending reality and on-screen stories.
Wyatt's return promo on SmackDown spoke truthfully, from the heart, and felt like we were seeing the Bray separate of the character for the first time.
Of course, it ended with the new masked version interrupting, and this blend of reality and story would work perfectly for the 2K Showcase.
All of the interviews covering Rey Mysterio's legendary career were done out of character by his peers, but Wyatt's could blur that line with both in and out of character anecdotes from his longtime friends and enemies.
We likely won't learn who gets the 2K Showcase until January 2023 at the earliest, but work done during the development of WWE 2K22 (prior to Wyatt's release) could give them a leg up in bringing him back into the game with a 2K Showcase.
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