The Most Unfair Custom Match Stipulations in WWE 2K

The WWE 2K series has always been a staple for wrestling fans looking to recreate their favorite in-ring moments or craft their own epic battles. The game offers a range of custom match stipulations that allow players to mix things up, but not all stipulations are created equal. Some can feel frustratingly unfair, creating a one-sided advantage that ruins the fun. Let’s explore some of the most unfair custom match stipulations in WWE 2K and get into why they can leave players feeling like they’ve been cheated out of their victory. These stipulations may sound exciting on paper, but in practice, they can prove to be extremely imbalanced.

1. Extreme Rules Match (With the AI Having Unlimited Weapons)

The Setup: Extreme Rules matches are designed to be chaotic, offering the opportunity to use weapons to gain an upper hand over your opponent. In theory, this should be an exciting match type that emphasizes creativity and brutal attacks. However, when faced with an AI that can access unlimited weapons while the player is limited to picking them up from tables, chairs, and ladders, the match quickly becomes unbalanced.

Why It’s Unfair: The AI in WWE 2K games tends to grab weapons without restriction, almost as if it has a never-ending supply of steel chairs and kendo sticks. Meanwhile, players must take time to grab weapons, making it harder to match the AI’s relentless assault. This leads to an overwhelmingly frustrating experience where players feel like they’re constantly on the defensive.

2. Iron Man Match (With a Lengthy Time Limit)

The Setup: Iron Man matches are typically a test of endurance, where the competitor who scores the most pinfalls within a set time limit wins. While this match type sounds exciting, the time limits can often be much longer than what feels necessary, making it difficult for players to stay engaged, especially when facing an AI that has an unfair advantage.

Why It’s Unfair: When playing against an AI opponent, the extended time limits can allow the AI to perform repetitive moves, slowly building up a lead. For human players, this creates a sense of urgency, but it’s hard to keep up when the AI is programmed to be relentless for the entire duration of the match. The sheer length of these matches, combined with the AI’s tendency to never tire, makes them an uphill battle, often making the match feel less like a test of skill and more like a war of attrition.

3. TLC Match (With the Opponent Starting With a Ladder)

The Setup: Tables, Ladders, and Chairs (TLC) matches are a favorite because of their unpredictability and high-flying action. In a typical TLC match, players must climb a ladder to retrieve an object hanging above the ring. However, the imbalance comes into play when the AI or a custom match stipulation starts with a ladder already in the hands of the opponent.

Why It’s Unfair: Starting the match with a ladder gives the AI an immediate edge. While players scramble to grab a ladder or weapon from outside the ring, the opponent is already set up for an advantage, making it harder to counter their moves. This stipulation forces players to play catch-up and can make the match feel unfairly stacked against them from the very start.

4. Hell in a Cell (With No Escape Option)

The Setup: Hell in a Cell matches are infamous for their brutal, high-risk action, taking place inside a steel cage that surrounds the ring. While the match’s design encourages chaos and destruction, a custom stipulation that removes the option to escape the cage completely can turn it into a punishing experience.

Why It’s Unfair: Hell in a Cell matches are often already difficult, with the confined space and dangerous environment making it easy for players to get trapped in painful submission holds or devastating slams. When players cannot escape the cage at all, it becomes a never-ending cycle of punishment, where the player can feel trapped and overwhelmed. The AI opponent, which seems to have a knack for predicting every move, becomes even harder to deal with, turning what should be an intense but manageable match into an unbalanced slaughter.

5. Last Man Standing (With the Opponent Regenerating Health)

The Setup: Last Man Standing matches are designed to test how long players can withstand punishment before their opponent can no longer answer the referee’s ten-count. This stipulation is supposed to showcase resilience, but when the opponent’s health regenerates over time, the fairness of the match is seriously undermined.

Why It’s Unfair: The main appeal of Last Man Standing matches is the brutal back-and-forth, where players try to incapacitate their opponent enough to keep them down for the ten-count. However, if the opponent’s health regenerates automatically, players are left fighting an uphill battle that’s practically impossible to win. This turns what should be a challenge of stamina into a frustrating and exhausting affair, as players can’t get ahead due to the constant health recovery of the AI.