WWE 2K22: Create a Superstar guide — Face photos and CAWs

WWE 2K22‘s massive Creation Suite will have you making countless CAWs (create-a-wrestler or, in this case, create-a-superstar). With a plethora of options, you might feel overwhelmed if you’re a newcomer to the series. Here’s our WWE 2K22 guide to help you create a superstar, including face photos, attires, and movesets for your CAWs.

Note: For more information, check out our WWE 2K22 guides and features hub.

WWE 2K22 guide: Face photos and attires for your CAWs

WWE 2K22 – Uploading face photos, logos, and other designs

Before you start making your own wrestler in the game, perhaps you’ll want to acquire face photos to help you with the process. Mind you, the whole CAW process in WWE 2K22 and past wrestling games tends to be very time-consuming. As such, we’ll just follow some beginner-level concepts.

• If you want to see yourself in the game, take a selfie where you’re staring directly at the camera. Keep your face impassive (no grinning or wacky stuff).
• If you want to use the face photo of a wrestler, look for a corresponding image via Google search. Again, try to find something where their face is impassive and staring ahead.

For this particular project, I decided to make an MJF CAW in WWE 2K22. I used a picture from Wikimedia Commons (as you can see above). Next, we need an image editing program. In my case, I use Paint.net, which is free and user-friendly, too.

• Cut out only your/the wrestler’s face (don’t include the neck, hair, and ears).
• Create a new file and set the measurements to 512×512. Delete the background so that you’ll only see those little square pixels. Paste the face photo there.
• Due to lighting, there might be some discoloration. If this is the case, you’ll want to download the Smudge tool. Go to Effects -> Tools -> Smudge and drag the pointer from the edge of the face so that the color is spread all over the upper section. Don’t bother with the cheeks or chin.
• When you’re done, save the image as a PNG file.

Next, to upload face photos in WWE 2K22, you’ll need to go to the correct site. Sign in with your username for the platform that you’re using and click on the Upload Images button. From there, you should see several options. For instance, 512×512 is for medium-sized logos, whereas 1028×1028 can be used for the mat canvas. Since we’re discussing face photos, you’ll want to pick the corresponding button.

Note: As of the time of this writing, WWE 2K22 has a QR code in an in-game menu which leads to the wrong upload site. The current game can’t be chosen and only the older titles are available. The one I linked above for  https://wwe2k.2ksports.com/ should work properly.

Once you’ve uploaded a face photo or any logo using WWE 2K22‘s site, check back in-game and go to Online -> Community Creations -> Image Manager -> Incoming. You should then be able to acquire the pics here.

Note 1: Downloaded images will appear in the Local tab. You can press “Y” on the gamepad to access the Deletion Utility if you want to discard some stuff.

Note 2: It’s possible to experience crashes when you check the Incoming tab. Just relaunch the game if this occurs.

WWE 2K22 – Making your own CAW or Create a Superstar

Now that you have what you need, go to Creations -> Superstar -> New Custom Superstar. That leads to a screen that asks you to select a starting weight class and archetype:

• Weight classes – Cruiserweight, Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight, Super Heavyweight.
• Archetypes – Striker, Technician, Powerhouse, High Flyer.

Note 1: Even if you pick something here, it’ll revert to a default option. However, later on, you can go to Body -> Body Type to make changes. It’s worth adding that your character’s weight is tied to their height, too.

Note 2: The next couple of screens will ask you to pick a Persona (i.e., outfit template). You can just press the start button to ignore this.

For your pic, go to Face -> Face Photo -> Downloaded. Choose your/the wrestler’s face and align it with the CAW on your screen.

A good rule of thumb here is to check if the mouths/lips are aligned first. Then, you can adjust the positions or sizes of the eyes, eyebrows, and nose when you need to.

Note: You’ll also see the Color Picker function. Choose the one that matches the rest of the character’s skin tone.

For my MJF CAW in WWE 2K22, I just added sideburns, a goatee, and a matching hairstyle. For his mole, I used one of the movable scars and recolored it.

Note: If discoloration persists, you can go to Face Paint -> Tattoos and use the oval shape. Resize the oval (lengthen it if you want) and use the hue from the Color Picker to make transitions smoother.

Regarding the attire choices, I used the following:

• One black elbow pad on the left arm.
• White wristbands on both wrists.
• Medium-sized kneepads on both legs.
• Black boots.
• Black trunks with basic design. I just used one of the “Goldberg-ish” designs and used that on the sides of the trunks. For the lettering, MJF does use the GTA San Andreas-style graffiti/script, but I didn’t create that separately.
• There’s a scarf that you can recolor to make it look like the one he wears. You can only pick two colors for this part, so I went with brown and white.

After that, you can go to Personal Information -> Name. For the Presentation Name, just go with “M,” “J,” and “F” for his first, middle, and last names respectively.

As for the menu pose, just look for the most arrogant one you can find. You may also change these settings individually so that his smirk is more pronounced.

Note: It’s also possible to create a custom render for your character.

At this point, you can customize your MJF CAW’s moveset in WWE 2K22. You can’t do it from the custom superstar menu, so you’ll have to switch to Creations -> Moveset. For templates, you can take a look at YouTube channels like Internet Wrestling Database. Some users, like ImmortalxxBlade, have videos of the attacks used by CAWs in past games.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQt0JlPOF50

WWE 2K22 is available via Steam. For more information, check out our guides and features hub.