Character Skills - WWE 2K23

WWE 2K23 Character Skills Guide

This guide covers every type of skill, ability, special move, and character attribute in WWE 2K23. Skills are divided into the following categories:

Paybacks (unique comeback abilities)

Signature Moves & Finishers (special attacks)

Attributes (core stats)

Skills & Abilities (passive bonuses)

Taunts & Psych (mental gameplay)

MyRISE Skill Trees (character progression)

MyFACTION Perks (card enhancements)

Tag Team Finishers & Abilities

Special Guest Referee & Manager Skills

Each skill includes detailed effects, cooldown/recharge mechanics, upgrade paths, recommended builds, and strategic usage tips.

---

1. Paybacks

Paybacks are powerful, one-time-use abilities that can turn the tide of a match. They are stored by taking damage—your Payback meter fills as you absorb punishment. Each character can equip up to 2 Paybacks from a list of ~10. Paybacks are activated by pressing L1 + R1 (PS) / LB + RB (Xbox) when the meter is full.

List of Paybacks

Payback	Effect	Cooldown / Notes	Recommended Build
Resilience	Automatically kicks out of a pin attempt at 2.5 count.	Passive; always active when meter is full. Triggers once per match. Use it to survive finishers.	Defensive builds; MyRISE underdog characters.
Slippery	Instantly escapes a grapple hold (submission or rest hold).	Active once per match. Great against submission specialists.	Submission-heavy opponents; counter for Kurt Angle builds.
Comeback	Automatically starts a “Comeback” sequence. You hit a series of strikes/grapples with unlimited stamina for ~10 seconds, followed by a Signature or Finisher.	One use. Meter drains during Comeback. Best for high-damage comebacks.	Offensive builds; any character needing a momentum shift.
Ruthless Aggression	Increases damage of all attacks by 50% for 15 seconds.	One use. Pairs well with a stored Finisher.	Hyper-offensive “glass cannon” builds.
Iron Jaw	Reduces damage to head from strikes and submissions by 75% for 20 seconds.	One use. Useful vs. head-focused opponents (e.g., Superkick spammers).	Tank builds; fighting against high-strike moves.
Take Down	Instantly performs a strong grapple move that cannot be reversed (unless opponent uses a Payback).	One use. Excellent for breaking momentum.	Gimmick builds relying on instant damage.
Positivity	Fills your Special meter by one full bar (allowing a Signature without building momentum).	One use. Good for quick Signature setups.	Builds that chain Signatures quickly (e.g., high-flyers).
Dirty	Causes opponent to lose a stored Finisher or Signature (one bar).	One use. Great for neutralizing enemy finishers.	Heel characters; strategic builds.
Nemesis	Triggers a cutscene where your character attacks the opponent on the floor, dealing moderate damage.	One use. Animation-based, cannot be countered.	Story-driven builds; breaking tables/chairs setups.
Relentless	Automatically reverses a finisher or signature attempt into your own grapple move.	One use. Requires perfect timing.	High-risk, high-reward; expert players.

---

2. Signature Moves & Finishers

Every character has one Signature (orange bar) and one Finisher (red bar). Some unlock additional variations via skill trees. Signatures build off Special meter (filled by performing moves). Finishers require two full Special bars.

Signature Moves

Effect: Stuns opponent longer than normal moves; can be used as a setup for a Finisher.

Reversals: Signature moves can be reversed with a well-timed reversal prompt, but harder than normal moves.

Upgrades: In MyRISE, you can unlock “Signature Damage+”, “Signature Reversal Penalty” (harder to reverse).

Combos: Chain two Signatures if you have the “Double Signature” skill. Example: John Cena’s Five Knuckle Shuffle into Attitude Adjustment.

When to use: When opponent is red health or after a big bump; to guarantee a near-fall.

Finishers

Effect: Highest damage; usually guarantee a pinfall if not reversed/released.

Variations: Many wrestlers have multiple finishers (e.g., Roman Reigns – Spear vs. Guillotine). In MyFACTION, you can equip different finisher cards.

Synergies: Some Finishers can be upgraded with “Finisher Damage+” and “Finisher Speed” (faster animation, harder to reverse).

Recommended Builds:

One-Hit KO

Technical

When to use: When opponent is low health (yellow/red) and you have two bars; after wearing down stamina.

---

3. Attributes

Attributes are core stats that define your character’s strengths. Each attribute ranges from 0–100 in MyRISE and MyFACTION; in Universe mode they are fixed per superstar.

Attribute	Effect	Upgrades	Recommended Build
Power	Damage of power moves, grapples, and lifts. Also affects strength in attacks.	+Power increases move damage. Power+10 gives ~10% more damage.	Brawler, Big Man builds.
Speed	Movement speed, strike speed, diving speed. Also affects reversal timing window? (Not directly).	+Speed makes you faster; easier to close distance.	High-flyer, cruiserweight builds.
Stamina	Maximum stamina bar. Higher means you can run and perform moves longer before exhaustion.	+Stamina reduces stamina drain per move.	All-around builds; especially for long matches.
Arm Power	Damage of arm-related grapples and strikes.	+Arm Power boosts submission damage for arm locks (e.g., Kimura).	Submission specialists (e.g., Shayna Baszler).
Leg Power	Damage of leg-related moves, kicks, and submission leg locks.	+Leg Power boosts kick finishers and leg submissions.	Kick-heavy characters (e.g., Rey Mysterio).
Chains Wrestling	Success rate in chain wrestling minigame at match start. Higher = easier to win.	+Chains Wrestling reduces stamina loss and gives better positioning.	Technical wrestlers who want early control.
Reversals	Number of stored reversals (up to 5). Each reversal counter goes down by 1 when you reverse a move.	+Reversals allows more reversals before needing to refill (via taunting).	Defensive/strategic builds. Max 5 reversals.
Stun Resistance	Reduces stun duration after taking heavy damage.	+Stun Resistance means you recover faster.	Tank builds; counter to stun-lock combos.
Aerial	Damage of diving moves, springboard moves.	+Aerial increases dive damage.	High-flyers (e.g., Ricochet).
Viciousness	Damage of weapon attacks and hardcore moves.	+Viciousness boosts weapons strikes.	Hardcore/Extreme rules builds.
Charisma	Controls crowd reaction and momentum swing. Higher = more likely to get crowd pops/boos which affect stamina recovery.	+Charisma speeds up meter filling.	Face/Heel characters; showboats.
Toughness	Reduces damage from all sources.	+Toughness is % damage reduction (approx. 0.5% per point).	Survivor builds; high-difficulty matches.
Submission	Damage of submission moves.	+Submission increases hold damage and makes opponents tap faster.	Submission specialists (e.g., Ronda Rousey).
Strike	Damage of strike attacks.	+Strike boosts all punch, kick, elbow, etc.	Striker builds (e.g., Shinsuke Nakamura).

When to invest: In MyRISE, focus on a primary style (e.g., Power/Strike for brawler; Speed/Aerial for high-flyer). In MyFACTION, use attribute boosts on your best cards to maximize their role.

---

4. Skills & Abilities (Passive)

Passive skills provide ongoing bonuses without activation. They are purchased in MyRISE skill trees or innate in preset wrestlers.

Skill	Effect	Notes
Resilience (as Payback)	See Paybacks above.	Also a passive attribute in some builds.
Slippery	+50% chance to escape submission holds by button mashing.	Stackable with Payback version? No, they are separate; Payback gives guaranteed escape.
Fan Favorite	Crowd meter fills faster.	Boosts momentum gain.
Locker Room Leader	Teammate stamina drains slower (tag team).	Useful in tag matches.
Signature Damage+	Signatures deal 20% more damage.	Prerequisite: 10 points in Signature tree.
Finisher Damage+	Finishers deal 25% more damage.	Essential for one-hit KOs.
Comeback King	Comeback Payback lasts 3 seconds longer.	Extends the sequence.
High Stamina	Max stamina +15.	Stackable with attribute Stamina.
High Speed	Movement speed +10%.	Helps hit-and-run tactics.
Tough as Nails	Reduced damage from all sources by 10%.	Pairs with Toughness attribute.
Submission Escape	Button mashing effectiveness increased by 30% for submission holds.	Only for holds, not for pins.
Springboard +	Springboard moves deal 15% more damage and faster.	For high-flyers.
Power Grapple	Strong grapples deal 10% more damage.	Strong grapples are the ones with grapple+strike combination.
Tunnel Vision	Executing a taunt reduces opponent’s stored reversal counter by 1.	Only works if taunt is uninterrupted. Heel characters benefit.
Guard Break	After a successful chain wrestling win, you automatically break opponent’s guard (stun).	Early advantage.

How to acquire: MyRISE progression levels; MyFACTION Perk cards; unlock via skill points in career mode.

---

5. Taunts & Psych (Mental Gameplay)

Taunts serve multiple purposes: they fill your Special meter, affect crowd (face/heel), and can inflict “Psych” (stun) if the opponent is triggered.

Effect: Each successful taunt adds ~10% to Special bar. Some taunts have extra effects (e.g., “Face Taunt” restores small stamina).

Cooldown: No cooldown, but taunting leaves you vulnerable to attack. Use after knocking opponent down.

Upgrades: “Taunt Speed” skill reduces animation time. “Intimidating Taunt” causes opponent to lose a stored reversal.

Synergies: Combine with “Comeback” Payback for fast meter fill. Use taunt before Signature to ensure full bar.

Recommended Build: Showboats (e.g., The Rock). Use taunts after hitting a Signature to fill Finisher bar quickly.

6. MyRISE Skill Trees

Striker

Brawler

High-Flyer

Technician

Striker Tree

Focus: Kick/punch damage, strike combos, and speed.

Key Skills:

Strike Combo+

Kick Power

Lightning Strikes

Unlockable Finisher: Superkick variations.

Brawler Tree

Focus: Power grapples, heavy weapons, damage resistance.

Key Skills:

Power Grapple+

Weapon Proficiency

Iron Chin

Unlockable Finisher: Spinebuster, F5.

High-Flyer Tree

Focus: Aerial moves, springboards, dives.

Key Skills:

Aerial+

Springboard Master

Air Time

Unlockable Finisher: Swanton Bomb, 630 Senton.

Technician Tree

Focus: Submissions, reversals, stamina management.

Key Skills:

Submission+

Reversal Expert

Stamina Master

Unlockable Finisher: Sharpshooter, STF.

Recommended Builds

Face High-Flyer: Max High-Flyer + Striker for quick hits and dives.

Heel Brawler: Max Brawler + Technician for power and reversals.

All-Around: 50% Striker/50% Technician for balance.

---

7. MyFACTION Perks

In MyFACTION, each card can equip up to 3 Perks (passive boosts) from a pool. Perks are tied to card rarity.

Perk	Effect	Rarity
Finisher+	Finisher damage +30%	Rare
Signature+	Signature damage +20%	Common
Reversal+	+2 stored reversals	Epic
Submission+	Submission damage +40%	Rare
Weapon+	Weapon damage +25%	Common
Comeback+	Comeback duration +5s	Rare
Slippery+	Escape submission +40% faster	Uncommon
Tough+	Damage reduction +15%	Epic
Stamina+	Max stamina +20	Uncommon
Speed+	Movement speed +15%	Rare
Charisma+	Crowd meter fill +25%	Common

Synergies: Pair “Finisher+” with “Comeback+” on a high-power card for devastating combos. Equip “Submission+” on Technical cards for tap-outs.

---

8. Tag Team Finishers & Abilities

Tag teams have unique double-team moves and finishers. They require team chemistry (same brand, stable, or created team).

Double Team Finisher: Performed when one partner is in the ring and the other is legal. Press Signature button after set-up. Each team has 2-3 variations.

Tag Team Finisher Meter: Fills with double-team moves and tags. Once full, you can perform the finisher.

Abilities:

Hot Tag

Switching

Interference

Recommended Build: Both partners with “Locker Room Leader” and “High Stamina” for extended tags.

9. Special Guest Referee & Manager Skills

Referee Skills

Fast count: Speed up pin count.

Slow count: Delay pin to allow partner save.

Stun: Knock out a competitor with a chair shot.

Dismiss: Disqualify opponent if they use weapon.

Manager Skills

Motivation: Restore 20% of superstar’s stamina once per match.

Distraction: Opponent’s next reversal fails.

Override: Manager takes a finisher for the superstar (once).

10. Combo & Synergy Strategies

Offensive Combos

Strike Combo into Signature: For strikers, do a 4-hit strike combo then immediate Signature (while they are staggered).

Grapple into Finisher: After a strong grapple (lift), chain into Finisher. Example: Powerbomb into Attitude Adjustment.

Submission into Signature: If opponent is weak, apply submission to drain stamina, then release into Signature.

Synergistic Build Combinations

Finisher+ Comeback+: Activate Comeback, build Special quickly, hit Signature, then Finisher for massive damage.

Slippery+ Submission+: Be a submission machine; if opponent escapes, use Slippery to reapply quickly.

Tough+ Reversal+: Tank build with maximum reversals; survive until opponent runs out of finishers.

---

11. When to Use Each Skill – Tactical Guide

Situation	Recommended Skill/Action
Opponent has finisher stored	Use “Dirty” Payback to strip it, or reverse with “Relentless”.
You are near defeat (red health)	Activate “Resilience” (if equipped) to kick out; then use “Comeback” to retaliate.
Opponent is stunned near ropes	Irish whip into corner, then hit diving Signature.
Submission specialist	Boost Submission attribute and equip “Submission+” Perk, use leg/arm locks.
High-flyer vs big man	Max Speed, Aerial, and “Springboard+” to avoid grapples; use dives relentlessly.
Facing multiple opponents (handicap)	Equip “Tough+” and “Reversal+” for survivability; use “Comeback” to even odds.
Need to fill Finisher bar fast	Taunt after knockdown, then hit a strong grapple Combo (Power Grapple).

---

12. Upgrade Priorities (by Game Mode)

MyRISE (Career)

First 10 levels: Unlock one signature and finisher upgrade (+damage). Put 5 points into primary attribute (e.g., Power for brawler).

Next 10: Invest in Recovery (Stamina) and Reversal stats. Unlock “Comeback” Payback.

Endgame: Max out your chosen skill tree (Striker/Brawler/High-Flyer/Technician) for unique finisher.

MyFACTION (Card Collection)

For each card: Equip Perks that amplify its natural strengths. Eras = specific synergies (Attitude Era + Striker).

Always equip “Finisher+” on any card if possible; it’s the strongest single perk.

For tag teams, use “Locker Room Leader” + “Stamina+” on both.

Universe Mode / Play Now

No upgrades; you select predetermined superstars. But you can edit movesets and add Paybacks in Creator.

Recommended Paybacks by class:

- Face: Comeback, Positivity
- Heel: Dirty, Take Down
- Technician: Slippery, Submission? (But they have no Payback affect on submission directly, so use Slippery).

---

13. Conclusion

Mastering WWE 2K23’s skills system requires understanding the interplay between Paybacks, Signatures, Finishers, Attributes, and passive abilities. Whether you prefer a powerhouse like Brock Lesnar or a technical wizard like Daniel Bryan, tailor your build to your playstyle. Use the tables and strategies above to optimize your character and dominate the ring. Remember: Payback timing is everything—save your most powerful skill for when the match is on the line.

---

This guide covers all major skill systems as of WWE 2K23 version 1.12. Updates may alter specific numbers, but core mechanics remain consistent.