So far with WWE 2K19, we’ve had the cover athlete reveal, the pre-order bonus wrestlers shown, and the special edition announced. But, technically speaking, the official roster reveal hasn’t started to roll out. That finally began on August 25, 2018, but perhaps not in the way you may have predicted.
Behold the #Bruiserweight! Step into the ring with @PeteDunneYxB for the first time ever in #WWE2K19! #i63 #NXTUK https://t.co/TMWIsw0EFY pic.twitter.com/1lUSWUC24h
— WWE 2K19 (@WWEgames) August 25, 2018
During filming for the NXT UK brand, WWE Superstar Xavier Woods took to the Insomnia Gaming Fest 2018 in Birmingham to reveal the first two wrestlers for the game who aren’t involved with other major marketing points. The two wrestlers are former WWE UK Champion Tyler Bate and current WWE UK Champion Pete Dunne.
Both Dunne and Bate made their WWE debuts during the first WWE United Kingdom Championship Tournament, which aired in 2017. The event was the beginning of a big push by WWE to get into and utilize the booming wrestling scene in the UK, and resulted in many new WWE hires, a second tournament, and now a new series for the WWE Network focused on the UK talent.
Get ready for a dose of British Strong Style! @Tyler_Bate makes his official @WWEgames debut in #WWE2K19! #i63 #NXTUK https://t.co/TMWIsw0EFY pic.twitter.com/vwzNXYyEAS
— WWE 2K19 (@WWEgames) August 25, 2018
UK-based wrestling promotions, such as Progress, have also built relationships with WWE, and wrestlers like Bate, Dunne, and others still make appearances there, despite being WWE-signed talent.
WWE 2K19 is the video game debut for both of these wrestlers, and their presence likely means we’ll see many more fresh faces in the game this year.
[Source: 2K Games via Twitter]