The game itself was a significant step up from its predecessor, WWE 2K15 , primarily due to a drastically expanded roster and the return of popular creation features.

is a professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's and Visual Concepts, and published by 2K Sports. The PC release features the largest roster in the franchise's history at the time of its release, boasting over 120 unique playable characters. It also includes the popular 2K Showcase mode focusing on the career of "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, and a heavily revamped MyCareer mode.

Allowed players to initiate rest holds during a match to regenerate their own stamina while draining their opponent's.

Following the heavily criticized, bare-bones release of the previous year, 2K overhauled several core systems: