Last year’s WWE 2K entry brought back the long-beloved General Manager Mode experience, and while it wasn’t perfect, there certainly was plenty to build upon. This time around, built they have. Additionally, they’ve even increased the amount of GM options a player has to choose from while expanding on Power Cards — items that can help in a pinch or long-term. So, we’re going to break down all playable GMs, Brands, Power Cards, Shake Ups, and their abilities in WWE 2K23’s GM Mode.
All Playable GMs in WWE 2K23 GM Mode
A small handful of GMs from WWE 2K22 return in this one, including Adam Pearce, Sonya Deville, and Stephanie McMahon, but for those looking to run their shows as William Regal or Shane McMahon will find themselves out of luck. Though, there remains an option to create and select a Custom Superstar.
Still, five new GM options join the ranks in WWE 2K23, including Battle of the Brands co-hosts and stars Xavier Woods (Austin Creed) and Tyler Breeze. The former is the host of UpUpDownDown on YouTube, whereas Breeze — who used to wrestle for WWE — often joins him.
Elsewhere, three WWE Hall of Famers have been thrown into the mix, and they are Olympic gold medalist Kurt Angle, the Hardcore Legend Mick Foley, and former Senior Vice President of WCW, Eric Bischoff. Including the Custom Superstar option, that gives players nine options to choose from.
- Adam Pearce
- Sonya Deville
- Stephanie McMahon
- Xavier Woods
- Tyler Breeze
- Kurt Angle
- Eric Bischoff
- Mick Foley
- Custom Superstar
Not only do players have a healthy amount of options to choose from, each GM comes with their very own unique Power Card. Now, their cards differ from the ones you can earn while progressing through GM Mode, in that they are a one-time use only. As for the abilities these cards boast, they vary greatly.
| GM | Power Card | Power Card Ability |
| Adam Pearce | Instigator | Increases the Levels of all Active Rivalries by 1 |
| Sonya Deville | Power Up | Power Cards in the Store are Free this Week |
| Stephanie McMahon | The McMahon Presence | Double the Money from Arena Attendance this Week |
| Xavier Woods | Cheat Code | Select a Superstar from an Opposing Brand. They Will Permanently Join Your Roster Next Week (Cannot be a Champion) |
| Tyler Breeze | Quick Recovery | All Your Superstars Immediately Recover 20 Stamina |
| Kurt Angle | Heart of Gold | All Charity Promos are Free to Book & have their Results Doubled This Week |
| Eric Bischoff | Backstage Booking | Booking Costs for all Show Logistics are Free this Week |
| Mick Foley | Cactus Jacked | Select an Opposing Brand, & 2 Random Superstars from their Show will be Injured Next Week |
| Custom Superstar | Legend Whisperer | The First Legend you Sign this Week will be Free |
It’s not clear how much of a factor Money plays into GM Mode this time around, but if it’s more important than last year’s entry, a one-time use of The McMahon Presence may come in handy during a crucial moment. That said, Breeze and particularly Woods have an excellent Power Card to their name. But, do not overlook the fact that you can actually injure a couple of performers if you happen to go with Mick Foley.
Either way, there is plenty of variety here.
All GM Mode Brands (& Their Effects) in WWE 2K23
With the addition of several new faces comes a couple of different brands for players to choose from as well. And, like the GMs, each brand gives the user a one-time special ability that can be triggered at almost any time. Holdovers from 2K22 include Raw, SmackDown, and NXT, but they are joined by the likes of NXT 2.0 as well as Bischoff’s WCW.
| Brand | Power Card | Power Card Ability |
| Raw | This is War | Select an Opposing Brand to have 3 Randomly Selected Superstars that Cannot be Booked in Matches Next Week (Cannot be Used Before a PPV/PLE) |
| SmackDown | Birth of Legends | 6 Random Superstars on your Roster will have their Popularity Increased by 6 |
| NXT | Fighting Champion | Title Matches Booked for this Week will Receive a Large Match Rating Boost |
| NXT 2.0 | Fresh Meat | Reduce the Price of the Next 3 Free Agents you Purchase this Week by 50% |
| WCW | Classically Trained | Extend the Duration of all Your Current Legends Contracts by 5 Weeks |
Don’t sleep on the importance of that Contract Duration for WCW. But seeing as there are multiple seasons in GM Mode this time around, that may not be as important as it could’ve been last year. Regardless, let’s get to the rest of the cards.
All Power Cards & Their Abilities in WWE 2K23 GM Mode
Power Cards were already a crucial part of WWE 2K22, and as the season wore on, it became important to stock up on the likes of Health Spas and especially Pre-Match Physios in order to keep your most popular superstars in tip-top shape. Those two cards return in WWE 2K23, but they’re not alone.
| Power Card | Power Card Ability |
| x2 Arena Cost | Select An Opposing Brand, Their Arena Costs Are Doubled Next Week. (Cannot Be Used The Week Before A PLE). |
| x2 Crew Cost | Select An Opposing Brand, Their Crew Costs Are Doubled Next Week. (Cannot Be Used The Week Before A PLE) |
| A Superstar’s GM I / II / III | Raises The Selected Superstar’s Morale. |
| Backstage Brawler | One Randomly Booked Backstage Brawl Match On Your Show Will Receive A Higher Than Normal Rating. |
| Beginner’s Luck I / II / III | Raise The Popularity Of The Superstar With The Lowest Popularity On Your Roster By 5 / 10 / 15. |
| Best Friends Forever | Select An Opposing Brand, Reduce 2 Of Their Rivalries By 1 Level. (Selected Randomly, Cannot Drop A Rivalry Below Level 1 & Cannot Be Used The Week Before A PLE) |
| Coast To Coast | A GM Interference Booked This Show Will Provide An Additional +2 Show Bonus & Be Free To Book This Week. |
| Contract Negotiation I / II / III | Add 2 / 4 / 6 Weeks To A Free Agent’s Or Legend’s Contract Duration. |
| Double Cost | Double The Cost Of An Opposing Brand’s Matches For Next Week’s Show. |
| Fix Match | Guarantees That The Chosen Superstar Will Win Their Match This Week. |
| Free Advertising Booking | Any Advertising Show Logistic Booked This Week Will Be Free. |
| Free Crew Booking | Any Crew Show Logistic Booked This Week Will Be Free. |
| Free Special Effects Booking | Any Special Effects Show Logistic Booked This Week Will Be Free. |
| Good Talent | Select An Opposing Brand, Increase The Price Of All Legends & Free Agents Next Week By $20K. |
| Health Spa I / II / III | Send Superstar To A Top Spa To Recover 6 / 12 / 18 Stamina This Week. They Will Be Busy & Unable To Be Booked For This Week’s Show. |
| Injury Rehab I / II / III | Reduces The Injury Time For One Superstar By 1 / 2 / 3 Week(s). They Will Be Busy & Unable To Be Booked For This Week’s Show. |
| Limited Stock | Select An Opposing Brand, Double The Price Of Their Power Cards In The Shop Next Week |
| Pre-Match Physio | Reduces The Probability That A Superstar Will Become Injured In A Match. |
| Special Promotion | Ensures That You’ll Retain Most Of Your Fans This Week. |
| Stark Matchup | One Randomly Booked Iron Man Match On Your Show Will Receive A Higher Than Normal Rating. |
| Submissive | One Randomly Booked Submission Match On Your Show Will Receive A Higher Than Normal Rating. |
| Superstar Training | Trains One Of Your Enhancement Talent Stars To Become A Permanent Superstar For Your Brand. |
| The Bigger They Are | One Randomly Booked Falls Count Anywhere Match On Your Show Will Receive A Higher Than Normal Rating. |
| There Can Be Only One | One Randomly Booked Last Man Standing Match On Your Show Will Receive A Higher Than Normal Rating. |
| Too Extreme | One Randomly Booked Extreme Rules Match On Your Show Will Receive A Higher Than Normal Rating. |
| Tornado Alley | One Randomly Booked Tornado Tag Match On Your Show Will Receive A Higher Than Normal Rating |
| To The Moon | Only Usable On Superstars With Less Than 60 Popularity. +15 Popularity To A Superstar After Their Next Match. |
| Veto Champ | Block An Opposing Brand From Booking One Of Their Champions In Next Week’s Show. |
| Veto Random Superstar | Prevents A Random Superstar On An Opposing Show From Competing In Next Week’s Show. |
| Veto Star | Block An Opposing Brand From Booking Their Most Popular Superstar In Next Week’s Show. |
With so many more matches to choose from this time around, it makes plenty of sense that there would be plenty of accompanying cards to mark the occasion. Not only that, but there have been some alterations with holdovers from 2K22 as well. All in all, though, the aim is the same. You must use these Power Cards intelligently, but at least you’ll be able to make up for any missteps along the way.
Plus, given GM Mode has introduced Seasons as well as Seasonal and Career Goals, there will be countless opportunities to earn Power Cards throughout your playthrough.
All Shake Ups in WWE 2K23 GM Mode
Sometimes after Premium Live Events (PLEs), players will get to choose a Shake Up card. These are new to WWE 2K, and quite straightforwardly shake up your and your opponent’s season.
They come in three tiers — Bronze, Silver, and Gold — with Gold-tier Shake Ups being the toughest to acquire. Not only that, but Shake Ups can take effect immediately if the player so chooses, and will remain active for a set number of shows/weeks.
| Shake Ups | Shake Ups Ability |
| A+ Medical Team | Superstars Who Cut Promos Or Sit Out A Show Regain An Additional 4 Stamina. |
| Cardio Focus | All Of Your Superstars Lose Less Stamina From Matches. |
| Cardio Training | All Superstars Lose Much Less Stamina From Matches. |
| David & Goliath | Superstars Who Win Against Legends Gain 10 Popularity But The Legends Lose Morale. |
| Deep Discounts | All Match Types Are Free. |
| Directed Anger | Having An Unhappy Superstar In A Match Slightly Increases Match Quality. |
| Fan Favorite | Select A Superstar. Whenever This Superstar Is Used In A Match, You Gain 1,000 Fans. |
| Free Advertising | All Promos Cost 75% Less. |
| Generous Commissioner | Whenever You Complete A Commissioner Goal, You Have A Chance Of Earning A Random Extra Power Card. |
| Generous Cruisers | Cruiser Superstars Triple The Cost & Fan Gain Of Charity Promos. |
| Instant Spa Day | Select A Superstar With Less Than 50 Stamina, Their Stamina Is Increased To 75. |
| Master & Apprentice | Superstars That Are In A Match With A Legend Gain 5 Popularity. |
| Power Play | Gain 4 Power Cards. |
| Pride & The Fall | Your Most Popular Male & Female Superstars Each Lose 35 Popularity & Your Least Popular Each Gain 50 Popularity. |
| Roster Reversal | Superstars Above 65 Popularity Lose 15 Popularity & 5 Random Superstars Gain 25 Popularity. |
| Safety Violations | All Match Types Cost 25% Less But Superstars Use More Stamina. |
| Second Wind | All Of Your Superstars Gain 40 Stamina. |
| Skirting The Rules | Extreme Matches Are Free But Participating Superstars Lose More Stamina. |
| Specialist PR Training | All Of Your Specialist Superstars Get +3 Mic Skill. |
| Soft Landing | Superstars Are Far Less Likely To Be Injured In Normal, Tables, & Falls Count Anywhere Matches. |
| Steel Cage Fever | Earn 10,000 Fans When You Have A Steel Cage Match In A Show & Lose 5,000 Fans When You Don’t Have A Steel Cage Match In A Show. |
| Steep Discount | All Promos Cost 75% Less. |
| Talent Scout | All Free Agent Contract Prices Are Halved And All Free Agent Popularity Gains Are Doubled From Matches And Promos. |
| The Moneymaker | Select A Superstar, Gain $10,000 Whenever You Book Them In A Match. |
| Too Good To Be Forgotten | Superstars Don’t Lose Popularity While Injured. |
| Ultimate Betrayal | GM Interference Costs Twice As Much, Lowers The Morale Of The Superstar Who Is Being Run In Against More, & Increases The Popularity Of The Stars In The Match. |
| Wildcard | Using At Least 1 Specialist Superstar In A Match Increases Its Quality. |
| Yoink! | Steal A Power Card From Each Opponent. |
For now, that’s everything you need to know with regards to all playable GMs, Brands, Power Cards, Shake Ups, and their Abilities in WWE 2K23’s GM Mode. For more on the game, you’ve come to the right place. Just be sure to check out our other guides and updates and the various links below.
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