2K Games held a conference call to announce a new special edition for WWE 2K17 coming this fall. The NXT Edition will release on October 11, 2016 along with the standard edition. The NXT Edition contains the following:

• Copy of WWE 2K17 video game

• Exclusive premium packaging

• NXT Enhancement Pack:

• Playable NXT Superstars: Shinsuke Nakamura, Nia Jax and Apollo Crews

• 50 percent more points at NXT in MyCareer

• Exclusive Canvas 2 Canvas lithograph designed by WWE artist Rob Schamberger and autographed by NXT Superstar Shinsuke Nakamura

• Exclusive eight-inch “Demon” Finn Bálor collectible figurine

• Exclusive Topps NXT TakeOver: London Mat Relics Card:

• Each card will include a piece of authentic ring canvas from the event

• Each card will feature one of 14 featured Superstars from event

• Each Superstar’s card will have one of 10 different rarity levels

• Goldberg Pack: access to two playable versions of legendary WCW and WWE star Bill Goldberg, as well as playable WCW Monday Nitro and Halloween Havoc arenas.
   

The NXT Edition will be available on PS4 and Xbox One with 50,000 total copies available (which I assume is 25,000 per console). The price will be $99.99 and will be available for pre-order at select retailers today.  

I took one major detail from the conference call and press release: Shinsuke Nakamura, Nia Jax and Apollo Crews are EXCLUSIVE to the NXT Edition. I asked 2K about the question of their exclusivity and was given the following response:

“We know many of you may have questions about playable NXT Superstars Apollo Crews, Nia Jax and Shinsuke Nakamura in WWE 2K17. Please note the following:

• The NXT Enhancement Pack, which includes access to the NXT Superstars, is available on launch day for consumers who purchase the WWE 2K17 NXT Edition for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One;
• PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consumers who do not purchase the WWE 2K17 NXT Edition can purchase the NXT Enhancement Pack through the game’s downloadable content program later this year
• Consumers who purchase WWE 2K17 for PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360 platforms can purchase the NXT Superstars as downloadable content starting on launch day.”

I also asked about the Digital Deluxe and whether it would include the NXT pack like the Hulkamania Pack was included in the Digital Deluxe for WWE 2K15, and was told “the Digital Deluxe Edition will not include the NXT Enhancement Pack.” I was not given a timetable for when the pack would be available to purchase or whether it would be a part of the season pass.  

I’m not a fan of holding active superstars behind a paywall like this. When it was the Hogan pack, Warrior pre-order bonus or even Goldberg this year as a pre-order bonus, they are all at least legends who weren’t on WWE programming on a weekly basis. In this case, fans of these three superstars have to buy the $100 NXT Edition to be able to play them on PS4/XB1 on launch. Especially for gamers who are digital only, you have no other recourse than to wait for the pack to be available on the respective digital storefronts.