Aside from the scintillating wrestling action that it offers to fans and avid gamers alike, the WWE 2K franchise is has become notorious for its hilarious collection of bugs and in-game glitches. While the franchise has improved since the lambasted and mistake-ridden WWE 2K20, the glaring glitches of entries past continue to besmirch the overall reputation of the game designers and their ability to foster the smoothest gameplay imaginable.
From deformed bodies and inanimate objects coming alive to lewd referees and awkward physics inside and outside of the ring, the most amusing glitches in the WWE 2K franchise have a little something for everyone to enjoy.
John Cena's Slo-Mo Transformation - WWE 2K14
As the first entry in the WWE 2K series, it should come as no surprise that WWE 2K14 came with its fair share of technical hiccups. However, especially considering the prominence to which movie star John Cena has risen in the interim, doing the iconic wrestler this dirty is even funnier now than then.
Pointed out by Gore and Perkins via YouTube, the slow-mo glitch shows Cena wrestling an opponent outside of the ring, where he suddenly floats into the air, his backside detaching at the waist as it floats above his torso, undulating up and down like a ghost in the night. For such a physical paragon, seeing Cena reduced to this distorted form is pretty funny.
Killer Ladder - WWE 2K15
John Cena continues to catch the brunt of the WWE 2K glitches. To be fair, ladders have presented WWE 2K with problems since the beginning. However, Danka on YouTube found the funniest one of all in WWE 2K15.
During a WrestleMania match between Randy Orton and John Cena, a ladder suddenly grabs Cena like the shark does Quint in the Orca in Jaws and yanks him several feet across the ring, pins him down, and puts him into a submission hold. When Orton pulls Cena to his feet, the ladder stays attached to his body for the remainder of the match. Watching Cena gyrate under the ladder is simply too funny.
Steel Cage Match Backfires - WWE 2K15
Another hysterical WWE 2K15 glitch is pointed about by Danka, in which a steel cage match between Kane and Jericho goes absolutely wild in the middle of the fight. The glitch occurs once both wrestlers exit the cage and near the scorer's table and return back.
Suddenly, Kane hovers in the air before being sucked into the chain-link fence, pulled, and stretched as the adjacent ropes of the ring go haywire. Meanwhile, Jericho's head repeatedly disappears into Kane's crotch as Kane randomly twists, turns, and finally floats to the top of the cage. Lasting well over thirty seconds, the sheer length of the glitch is enough to induce hearty laughter.
Mickie James As The Queen Of England - WWE 2K19
Ardent wrestling fans know full well that WWE superstar Mickie James is also a southern country singer. Some may even know that she hails from Richmond, Virginia, which is the birthplace stated in WWE 2K19, most of the time, that is.
Thanks to NandK Animations (via WrestleGamia), a hilarious mistake in the Royal Rumble edition of the game introduces Mickie James as hailing from Norwich, England, which could not be further than Richmond, Virginia. Funnier yet, the game further announces Mickie as Paige The Queen, doubling down on her random birthplace.
Shadow Wrestling - WWE 2K19
Spotted by John B via WrestleGamia, one of the most amusing glitches in the series hails from the 2K19's WWE Universe Mode in a match between Braun Strowman and The Invisible Man. Following a victory in the mode, players would normally be attacked by a random fighter, but during the glitch, the random wrestlers are totally invisible due to a rendering error, leaving one fighter to shadow box versus air.
Although it is considered one of the best WWE games, the glitch is more of a lazy rendering omission than a technical error, and the hilarious result comes in watching a wrestler futilely flail around swinging at nothing. Indeed, they took the Invisible Man moniker a bit too literally. The kicker is the "This Is Awesome" sign in the crowd.
The Referee - WWE 2K20
WWE 2K20 has more hilarious glitches per capita than any game in the series. One of the most humorous among them is the referee, who for some reason has his legs go out mid-match before dropping to the mat, slithering around the ring like a snake, flopping like a fish, interfering with the fight, and even engaging in seemingly deeply lewd poses (per WrestleGamia).
The ridiculous glitch is so bad and annoyingly distracting that it is difficult to complete the match with optimum results. Whether the ref is poking his arms through his legs or belly-flopping for a submission count, the glaring mistake is beyond the pale.
Triple Hug - WWE 2K20
Thanks to Redditor CockyIrishman via WrestleGamia, the supremely awkward triple hug amongst The OC in WWE 2K20 might be the most entertaining glitch in franchise history. With absolutely no rhyme or reason, the term "brotherly love" is taken to a new degree when Karl Anderson is gauchely sandwiched between mates Luke Gallows and AJ Styles.
The deafening silence of the announcers as they awkwardly leer at the three wrestlers cuddling goes on and on, only adding to the abject humor of such a silly sight.
Rolling To Nowhere - WWE 2K20
WrestleGamia credits @Chaotic_911 on Twitter for providing evidence of another roll glitch from WWE 2K20, in which wrestler Sasha Banks is seen trying to roll her body out of the ring during a three-way match in Showcase Mode. Alas, a technical malfunction has Sasha rolling in place for eternity during the Wrestlemania 32 bout.
Aside from the hilarity of the glitch lasting at least forty-five seconds long, it is the incredulous look on the Lynch sisters' faces as they stare down at Sasha that adds so much humor. Also, the long pause among the announcers only makes the glitch more amusing.
Ring Goes Haywire - WWE 2K20
The most absolutely wild glitch in WWE 2K20 comes during a three-way match between Alexa Bliss, Carmella, and Kairi Sane. The ropes around the ring literally start to go haywire, tangling all three wrestlers before Alexa and Kairi disappear into the mat like it was made of quicksand. When the two vanish beneath the ring, Carmella is left as the ropes eat her alive.
The beloved video game full of glitches devolves the match so badly that by the end, the wrestling ring resembles a swimming pool where the referee gleefully dips in and out of before starting a pindown count while the other wrestlers are completely submerged in the mat. Utter chaos. (Per WrestleGamia).
Becky Lynch's Horror Show - WWE 2K20
Those with a morbid sense of humor are bound to enjoy the unbelievably horrendous rendering of WWE Superstar and reality show star Becky Lynch in WWE 2K20 in the Create a Superstar mode. The more players attempt to customize Becky's visage, the glitchier the tech becomes, ultimately devolving Becky's face into a horror show that Greg Nicotero would be proud of.
It might be more acceptable if Becky Lynch were not the face of the game as the cover model. Alas, this glitch literally makes the WWE 2K franchise look far worse than many of the other glitches.