WWE 2K23 Cage Match Controls Guide (2024)

With the latest installment now available, the WWE 2K23 Steel Cage controls are crucial to learn for players working through the new game. The good news is that changes from last year aren’t significant, but a refresher never hurts before you dive into a critical match.

With this WWE 2K23 Steel Cage match controls guide, you’ll be able to learn the ins and outs from calling for the door to fighting your opponent on top of the cage. Before you get rolling in MyRISE or Universe Mode, make sure you’ll be prepared if it’s suddenly Steel Cage time.

In this guide you will learn:

• The Steel Cage controls and match options
• How to call for the door in WWE 2K23
• Tips on when to escape over the top or through the door
• How to fight on top of the cage and dive back into the ring

WWE 2K23 Steel Cage controls and match options

For players who aren’t new to the franchise, you’re in luck as the WWE 2K23 Steel Cage match controls haven’t changed much when compared to WWE 2K22. However, with WarGames in the mix now, it’s worth knowing the differences between those matches so you’re fully prepared.

The biggest change you’ll notice if you spend some time adjusting to the WWE 2K23 WarGames controls and jump back into a Steel Cage situation is that WarGames has no escape meter when climbing to the top of the structure. However, fighting and diving off the top is fairly similar.

If you’re setting up a Steel Cage match or end up in one in any of the various WWE 2K23 game modes, knowing the rules of that match are crucial. By default, Steel Cage matches in WWE 2K23 allow you to win by escaping the cage, pinfall, or submission.

You can alter any of these settings, including turning off escape entirely as a win condition, when setting up the match. Match Options is also where you can choose to use the older Steel Cage designs instead of the modern one. If you’re already in a match and unsure of the rules, press pause and look just below your pause menu options to see the viable win conditions for that match.

Before diving into the nuance of some of the things you can do, here are the core WWE 2K23 Steel Cage match controls you’ll need to know:

• RB or R1 (Press) – Climb up towards the top of the cage
• B or Circle (Press) – Climb down off the cage towards the ring mat
• LB or L1 (Press) – Attempt to escape and climb out of the cage while on top
• RB or R1 (Press) – Stand up while on top of the cage, then press Light Attack or Heavy Attack to dive at your opponent in the ring
• Left Stick (Move) – Scoot forward or backwards while seated on top of the cage
• Right Stick (Move) – Flick towards your back while seated on top of the cage to turn around and face the opposite way
• LB or L1 (Press) – Call for the door when prompted and standing near the cage door
• RB (Press) – Exit and attempt to escape through the door after the referee has opened it

As many of these are only applicable in very specific circ*mstances, the tips and tricks below will help you know how to handle every possible Steel Cage situation in WWE 2K23.

How to fight on the cage, use it as a weapon, and dive off the top

As you’re working to wear down your opponent either to escape or pick up a win some other way, there are a few ways to use the Steel Cage to your advantage. At any point in the match, you can use a Hammer Throw or Heavy Irish Whip as if you’re trying to throw them to the outside and send your opponent flying into the cage wall.

When you attempt to climb the cage, you’ll be able to press the Heavy Attack or Light Attack buttons as an opponent approaches to try and kick them away and leave yourself open to continue climbing. Once you’ve reached the top, there’s always a chance your opponent has followed you up there.

Just like in WarGames, you can trade strikes while seated on top along with an opponent. Using the Heavy Attack option after a strike will often initiate a slightly stronger animation where you slam your opponent’s head into the cage before throwing them off the top and down into the ring.

This might be the perfect time for you to escape depending on the match, but it’s also a great opening to look for a huge dive. While pressing LB or L1 while on top would initiate an escape (if that win condition is active), you can instead press RB or R1 while on top to stand up straight and dive back into the ring at your opponent for massive damage.

Tips to escape over the top or call for the door

If you’re in a match where escape is a viable way to win, going for it too early can be a crucial mistake. You’ll also want to know when to watch for your opponent doing the same and how you can intervene if they do go for the escape.

This will always include a button-pressing mini-game, and for players who struggle with mashing buttons there is an option to help things. If you go into Gameplay Options from the WWE 2K23 main menu, you can use the setting “allow held input for mini-games” to do away with frantic button mashing.

This allows you to simply hold down the button displayed during the mini-game, but you’ll want to be as quick as possible when that button changes. Holding down the wrong button will push the mini-game meter in the wrong direction, so be ready to keep your button press moving as it changes.

The two ways to escape a Steel Cage in WWE 2K23 are through the cage door or over the top. Climbing out over the top requires two escape mini-games; while using the door could have zero mini-games or just one, but there is a massive catch that can make using the door extra challenging. After you call for the door, it takes the referee a full 20 seconds of fiddling with the lock before it’s open and you can begin your escape. If you walk away after it’s been opened, it’ll immediately be closed and you’ll have to start that process over again.

Once you begin to exit through the door, your opponent can only intervene until you’ve passed through to the outside of the ropes. While you’re still going through the ropes, any opponent can attack and initiate a competitive submission style mini-game to intervene and prevent your escape. Once you’re past that midpoint and the exit animation has been triggered, the escape can no longer be prevented.

If you’d rather escape over the top, the full process takes on average about the same amount of time as the door escape if you’re good at the mini-games. However, you’ll be able to fight your opponent off and give them a longer path to intervene by climbing compared to simply running at an opponent about to go out the door.

In both cases, you generally do not want to attempt an escape until significant damage has been done to your opponent. Waiting until you’ve been able to execute a signature and finisher that leaves your opponent stunned tends to be the safest choice. Every match goes differently, but with the strategies in this WWE 2K23 Steel Cage match controls guide, you’ll have the best shot at victory.

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