WWE 2K16 Tips and Tricks – Grapples, Finishers, Kick Outs

2K Games is back for another year of wrestling greatness with WWE 2K16, complete with well over 100 superstars past and present, along with a variety of modes to keep people grappling for hours. Whether you want to put “Stone Cold” Steve Austin through his paces in Hell In a Cell or dominate Survivor Series with Seth Rollins, there’s something for everyone.

This year’s game features some important changes, and we have some WWE 2K16 tips to dominate the squared circle.

The Opening Grapple

When you first begin a match, there’s a good chance you’ll start off with a grapple. When this begins, you’ll see two circles pop up on the screen. This will allow you and whomever your opponent is (AI or human) to eventually find a grappling position to move into, whether it’s a headlock or a reverse arm hold. Eventually you’ll get to the point where you can begin wearing an opponent down, or fling him or her into the ropes for a quick strike.

There’s no right or wrong decision to make per se, so select a choice and prepare to get out of the grapple or turn it in your favor. After you get into the position, you’ll see a circle icon with a small blue circle inside of it. The goal here is to find the “pressure spot” with the analog stick and hold it there. If your red circle fills up first, you’ll either take control of the grapple or get out of it. If your opponent’s fills first, he or she assumes control.

Getting a grip (literally) on the grapple system will help you gain momentum when it comes to starting the match right. Prepare to get out of it if you need to – the last thing you want is to give your opponent an advantage.

Master of Submission

Submission maneuvers are a great way to wear down an opponent and/or win the match, like with the Undertaker’s Hell’s Gate. Once you get an opponent in a submission move, this is when a mini-game kicks in. 

The goal is to overlap your opponent’s moving meter with your own around a circular path. They’re going to move around quite a bit (and sometimes even change direction), so the best thing you can do is try to keep up with them. You can make your bar move faster by holding down the left trigger, which will enable you to catch up with their bar. Be prepared if they change direction, though, to stay out of submission.

If you can match up with an opponent’s bar for several seconds and keep it there (it’ll flash when you do), they’ll have no choice but to tap out to your submission move – and that’ll give you the victory. Be prepared for a fight if you’re on the opposite end. Avoid the bar as much as possible, and don’t be afraid to use the boost to escape.

Reversal of Fortune

The reversal system once again returns in WWE 2K16, and per usual, you need to have utmost timing when it comes to mastering it. You’ll see a right trigger prompt appear when an opponent is about to perform a move, but it’ll only last for about a split second. If you hit this at the right time, you’ll reverse the move and strike back with one of your own.

This can be crucial when it comes to changing the momentum of a match, so you’ll want to get a hang of the system. Early on you’ll see how the timing works, and even receive indications on when you hit the button too early or too late. The goal here is to try and perfect the timing – it can take a bit, and you might even have a few losses as a result – but once you do, you’ll be able to get out of most moves with ease and throw in a few of your own.

Remember, practice makes perfect – and even when you think you have it down, you could still miss a reversal or two. It’s the way the system is set up. Work on your timing.

Kicking out of a Pin

If your opponent attempts to pin you, there will be a small circle that shows up with a highlighted green area. The circle lights up in red with each hand count the referee makes, and it’ll pass over into the green section with a limited amount of time. The way the kick-out works is to hit the proper button when the bar is within the green section. Otherwise you won’t kick out. If you miss it twice, your opponent will likely score the pinfall. 

Early on, the bar will be pretty wide and hard to miss, so don’t sweat it in the beginning. However, as you’re worn down during a match (this is a good opportunity to keep an eye on your energy meter), it’ll grow smaller and smaller, which makes kicking out even less likely with each time you’re pinned. The goal again is timing. You’ll want to hit it this at the right time in order to get out of the pin.

Again, it can take practice and you might lose a couple of matches, but eventually you’ll get the hang of it and stay in the match a bit longer. Well, unless you go up against Brock Lesnar. Good luck with that. 

Signatures and Finishers

Finally, there are signature and finishing moves for each wrestler. Usually they tie in with one another, with the signature required before you can perform the finisher. The key is to watch for letters that pop up in your character’s profile over the course of the match.

When “S” appears, you’re ready to perform your signature move. With some wrestlers you need to be in a certain position, like standing over your opponent or having them in a stance. Once you see “Signature” pop up the screen, hit Y or the triangle button (depending on your version) and it’ll execute.

From there, you’ll see an “F” in your bar, indicating the finisher is ready. Depending on your character, this also has a lot to do with positioning. With “Macho Man” Randy Savage, for instance, you’ll first need to climb to the top rope to execute his finishing elbow.

If you have knowledge of whom you’re wrestling as, you’ll have a better idea of what position you need your opponent in for Signature and Finishing Moves