A developer for the game then clarified that the 120 unique playable characters count does not include potential DLC, and that all 120 characters are included and will be released with the game. Ladder tag team, handicap tag team, and tornado tag matches, all of which were removed in 2K15, return in 2K16.ĢK announced on their social media accounts that WWE 2K16 will feature the «largest roster in the game's history», featuring over 120 unique playable characters, nearly double the 67 that were in last year's game. Gameplay in the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions remains largely the same as in previous iterations on those respective consoles, though does include smoother animations for a number of moves. The game will also feature rest holds characters can use to regain stamina. Online matchmaking has also been improved. Pins and submissions have been reworked and improved, with a new system replacing the previous one, allowing for fairer breakouts and newer animations have also been added, including dirty pins and canceled pins. The chain wrestling minigame has been reworked.

Referee and manager AI has been improved. On next-gen versions, there are no loading screens between entrances, and players have the ability to attack other wrestlers during their entrance.

Reversals have been changed so players have a set amount of reversals per match, preventing players from spamming reversals all match.