WWE 2K20: Why fans want GM Mode back and why it should come back

With WWE 2K20’s release fast approaching, fans are clamoring for the return of GM Mode. So, what makes this game mode so popular?

We’re still a little more than two months away from WWE 2K20 hitting store shelves, Gamefly, Amazon, eBay, or any other outlet folks use to nab their video games. In the interim, 2K has given potential consumers many reasons to plunk down $60 for the company’s latest installment of the series.

Chyna will be on the roster, marking her first appearance since WWF SmackDown 2: Know Your Role. Reigning RAW Women’s Champion Becky Lynch is one of the cover stars. The NXT Four Horsewomen will have their rise through the WWE ranks chronicled in the game’s “2K Showcase” mode. They added a woman-centric MyCareer option.

Oh, and the actual gameplay will probably be good too, though some will find some issues with it.

Those titillating teasers notwithstanding, there is one game mode that virtually every avid WWE gamer yearns to see return: GM Mode.

The fervor for GM Mode’s reappearance grew stronger when New Day member, UpUpDownDown host, and co-holder of the SmackDown Tag Team Championships, Xavier Woods, seemed to hint at its inclusion in WWE 2K20 with this cryptic tweet.

https://twitter.com/XavierWoodsPhD/status/1158405182763536384?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1158405182763536384&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thesportster.com%2Fnews%2Fxavier-woods-teases-gm-mode-wwe-2k20%2F

Now, this obviously indicates nothing more than Woods’ hope that GM Mode will be in the game, but that didn’t stop people from losing their collective minds over the slightest possibility of a comeback for the beloved feature.

So, what is it about this game mode that gets people pumped about its revival?

To explain that, let’s first go over what GM Mode is. In short, it is basically the equivalent of Franchise Mode for games like Madden, NBA 2K, FIFA, or MLB: The Show.

Born out of the first brand split, the game mode debuted in SmackDown vs. RAW 2006 and allowed players to control either RAW or SmackDown — this was expanded to WWE’s ECW in the 2008 edition — and tasked them with competing against the opposite show for fans and revenue over the course of a calendar year, with each show’s fandom fluctuating based on the quality of the weekly shows and the pay-per-views.

GM Mode became a fixture in the SvR games in 2006, 2007, and 2008 before the mode was removed from the 2009 edition in favor of modes like “Road to WrestleMania”, “Create a Story”, and “WWE Universe”, the latter of which carries all the elements of GM Mode without the stakes or incentives.

So if Universe Mode offers almost everything that its spiritual predecessor does, why are so many still attached to this bygone version?

Part of the answer actually lies in the appeal of the parallel game modes in the aforementioned sports games: the idea of building a roster and maximizing it in ways that the actual people running the team/promotion supposedly fail at.

Since the Attitude Era’s conclusion in 2001, WWE has struggled to consistently create compelling storylines or new stars to keep the fans satisfied.

Naturally, much like someone who takes the reins of a failing hockey team in EA Sports’ NHL game and turns them into a Stanley Cup contender, GM Mode served as a creative outlet for players to draw up their own infrastructure for long-form stories and dream matches.

Is your favorite wrestler buried in the midcard? Push them in GM Mode. Thought a specific feud was dumb? Book a better one in GM mode. Even if you wanted to hotshot a bunch of championship and gimmick matches Vince Russo-style, GM Mode provided you the latitude to do so.

Again, Universe Mode offers a lot of these same benefits, but we know that given the choice between the hollow knockoff and the original that everyone loved, people prefer the original.

Thus far, 2K has announced some great features for WWE 2K20, but if they really want to put it over the top, they should give the people what they want as it regards to GM Mode.