The soundtrack for WWE 2K22 has just been revealed, along with a partnership between 2K Games and hip-hop superstar Colson “Machine Gun Kelly” Baker which will see him appear as a playable character in-game. After a nearly two-year absence in the wake of WWE 2K20’s disastrous launch, WWE and 2K are getting ready to return to the virtual ring once more in WWE 2K22. The developers at Crystal Dynamics are promising that this new title will be a vast improvement over not only the glitch-ridden WWE 2K20, but past WWE games in general.
Details about WWE 2K22’s roster, game modes, and revamped gameplay have been cropping up at a steady pace in the build-up to its release in March. 2K has provided fans with a closer look at WWE 2K22’s returning MyGM Mode, which will allow players to build their own roster of superstars and manage weekly shows just like a real WWE executive. Additionally, the annual WWE 2K Showcase mode will be centered around the legendary Rey Mysterio, who recently expressed his pride at begin chosen as the cover wrestler for WWE 2K22. He isn’t the only big star representing WWE 2K22, with more still to be revealed.
In a press release and YouTube video, 2K Games and WWE 2K announced that Machine Gun Kelly will serve as Executive Soundtrack Producer for WWE 2K22, and will even be featured as a playable character in one of WWE 2K22’s planned DLC packs. WWE Music Group Senior Vice President and General Manager Neil Lawi cited Kelly’s past work with WWE, including performances at WrestleMania and Tribute To The Troops, as a big part of the reason he was approached to helm WWE 2K22’s soundtrack, stating:
“[Kelly] has curated a unique soundtrack for WWE 2K22 that includes not only his own music but a diverse array of artists from The Weeknd to KennyHoopla. The 12-track soundtrack is the perfect complement to this edition’s enhanced gameplay.”
In addition to producing the soundtrack and appearing as a playable character, Machine Gun Kelly will be featured in advertisements for WWE 2K22, helping to promote the game alongside wrestlers like The Undertaker. The full song list can be seen below:
- Machine Gun Kelly - "Concert for Aliens"
- Machine Gun Kelly ft. YUNGBLUD & Bert McCracken - "Body Bag"
- Wu Tang Clan - "Protect Ya Neck"
- Motorhead - "Iron Fist"
- Poppy - "Say Cheese" (Live NXT version)
- Royal Blood - "Typhoons"
- Bring Me The Horizon - "Happy Song"
- The Weeknd - "Heartless"
- Turnstile - "I Don't Wanna Be Blind"
- Asking Alexandria - "The Final Episode (Let's Change the Channel)”
- KennyHoopla - "Hollywood Sucks"
The WWE 2K series has occasionally partnered with big-name musicians, such as WWE 2K17 enlisting the help of P. Diddy to select a mix of rock and R&B tracks to liven up the game’s menus. Most of the time, WWE 2K’s song lists are curated by either former or current WWE wrestlers, with past WWE Champion and Hollywood A-lister Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson picking out the tracks for WWE 2K18, John Cena sorting out the music for WWE 2K15, and an assortment of different WWE superstars handling the soundtrack for WWE 2K19. Eminem was originally contacted to curate the soundtrack for the ill-fated WWE 2K20, but negotiations eventually broke down in the summer of 2019. All the same, most of the figures who have partnered with WWE for their game soundtracks have had a presence in WWE programming in the past, just like Machine Gun Kelly.
Machine Gun Kelly is well-known for his blend of rock and contemporary hip-hop music in addition to his acting roles in films like Bird Box, and now it seems that he will be bringing his talents to the soon-to-be-released WWE title. His choices for WWE 2K22’s soundtrack seem to reflect this mixing of genres, consisting of a wide range of different artists for players to jam along with when the game makes its long-awaited debut next month.
WWE 2K22 launches on March 11th, 2022, for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
Source: WWE 2K/YouTube