Wrestling titles stand out from the crowd when it comes to yearly sporting instalments in video games, and an awful lot of that stems from its icons.

There's the inherent glitz and glamour, but now that the likes of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, John Cena, and Dave Bautista have levelled up into pop culture icons in their own right, there's a certain stardom about the WWE that brings it to life.

A lot of these incredible successes are owed to moments of electricity in the ring. Luckily, 2K knows this - and in announcing WWE 2K24, it has unleashed on fans anticipation for perhaps the most essential wrestling campaign in gaming history.

WWE 2K24 features cover stars Cody Rhodes, Rhea Ripley, and Bianca Belair

The WWE 2K cover star title is one that means an awful lot in the wrestling community, as is the case with the likes of EA Sports FC and Madden. 2024 has introduced a wealth of new cover stars, headlined by icon Cody Rhodes.

The wrestler, who began his tenure with the WWE back in 2006, has made it to the cover of WWE 2K for the very first time. Rhodes is far from alone, as his Deluxe Edition cover counterparts are Bianca Belair and Rhea Ripley, two of wrestling's most consistent fighters in recent memory.

Their appearance makes for the first female-only cover in the franchise's history, and many agree that there are few more deserving of the title. It doesn't end here, as another edition of the game has reared its head. This year introduces the Forty Years of Wrestlemania cover, celebrating wrestling's greatest accomplishments since the company's inception.

It's this celebration of the history of Wrestlemania that accentuates this year's instance of WWE 2K - and it comes together in a new campaign that has the potential to turn the game on its head.

WWE 2K24 introduces the Showcase of the Immortals

In place of the standard Showcase mode, which shook things up last year by charting John Cena's most iconic losses rather than wins, comes Showcase of the Immortals. It's a mode that hopes to exemplify the magic of the last 40 years of Wrestlemania.

The game features some classic match-ups that put you in charge of the action, from Hulk Hogan versus Andre the Giant in Wrestlemania III to The Undertaker taking down HBK. There's plenty to explore in the mode, and as Visual Concepts revealed to us in our interview, it plays out almost like a visceral history lesson.

There's a lot to look forward to in WWE 2K24, but there's no doubt that the new Showcase is a headliner here. We'll see you on the ropes.