WWE 2K14 Recomp

WWE 2K14 Recomp

An unofficial static recompilation of the Xbox 360 version of WWE 2K14 for 64-bit Windows and Linux. The original PowerPC game code is translated ahead of time to C++ and built into a native executable using the ReXGlue SDK; this is not an Xbox 360 emulator.

What's new in v1.4.9

• Creation Suite: rename your created superstars and custom arenas.
• Logos: draw new logos or edit existing ones with the built-in paint tool (works with a touchpad, full screen option).
• Music: play your songs in the launcher with a position bar to jump anywhere. Change volume, trim, fades, bass and treble and hear each change while the song plays. Match a song, or several ticked songs, to the game's own music level.
• Settings: clearer pages with bigger buttons. Recommended settings for my PC now uses your strongest graphics card (for example the RTX instead of the built-in graphics on a laptop) and offers to switch to it.
• The game itself is unchanged from v1.4.8.

What's new in v1.4.8

• Fixed: matches with a created superstar (CAW) never finished loading (#72, #84). Post-match replays are off again for now, because turning them on caused this; they come back once both work together.
• Fixed: the in-launcher updater on Linux downloaded the Windows files (#82). The main download contains both the Windows and the Linux files again, so Linux players on the broken updater can update normally once.

What's new in v1.4.7

• Fixed endless loading screens with DLC installed: at the main menu and in Move-Set > Signatures / Finishers (#29, #78, #83).
• Fixed a rare random crash and a possible freeze in cloth physics.
• Freeze reports now say what a stuck loading screen is waiting for.

What's new in v1.4.5

• Fixed: the game would not start on Intel "Ice Lake" laptop graphics (for example Core i3-1005G1 / i5-1035G1 with Intel UHD or Iris Plus) with the Native renderer in v1.4.4 (#77). One compatibility shader was missing.

What's new in v1.4.4

• Smoother matches on a slow graphics chip. Tested on an Intel UHD 630 at 480p: frames on time went from 42 % to 82 %, and speed from 52.7 to 62.3 fps. Crowds are now drawn with far fewer steps, and less memory is copied each frame.
• Fixed: matches slowing down on AMD laptop graphics (Radeon 780M class, Steam Deck, Ryzen laptops). On a Radeon 780M laptop, matches now run at 59.4 fps with 1.9 % of frames late (was 45.7 fps, 30.5 % late).
• Fewer first-time stutters: effects prepared before play are now used directly.
• New launcher home-screen artwork. Windows and Linux are now separate downloads.
• New Settings option Intel Lake compatibility shaders (off by default). Turn it on only if the Native renderer crashes or looks wrong on an Intel graphics chip.
• New Settings option Faster loading (off by default; works with Locked 30).
• Known issues: as v1.4.3. If the title-screen demo has played, choosing a mode can hang - press Start within about 20 seconds. On some laptops Lower CPU use makes entrances less smooth - leave it off unless your PC runs hot or loud.

From v1.4.3

• New Settings options for slower PCs: Textures (Normal / Low) and Shadows (On / Off).
• New picture sizes 360p and 540p.
• Intel graphics without 64-bit shader support (for example 10th-gen "Ice Lake" laptops) can now use the Native renderer instead of getting a black screen (#56).
• Fewer stutters the first time you play: more effects are prepared before play.
• The launcher shows a message instead of closing silently when it cannot open its window (#26).
• Fixed: the chosen game language was ignored while Settings were on Recommended.
• Saves: backup/restore is blocked while the game is running, and a restore is no longer undone by the launcher.
• Known issues: as v1.4.2. On some laptops Lower CPU use makes entrances less smooth - leave it off unless your PC runs hot or loud.

From v1.4.2

• New launcher look.
• F11 switches between fullscreen and windowed (#58).
• Fixed white skin on AMD Radeon graphics (Hogan, Savage, Elizabeth and others) (#18).
• Fixed the invisible Money in the Bank briefcase and title belts in Create a Championship (#71).
• Fixed Creation Suite saying "unsupported" for saves with a CAW that uses a WWE Superstar head.
• Fixed bringing saves over from an older install when extracted into a deep folder.
• Fixed laptops with two graphics chips starting at lower settings than the Settings page shows.
• "Preparing shaders" box before play is back.
• Known issues: as v1.4.1. If the title-screen demo has played, choosing a mode can hang - press Start within about 20 seconds.

From v1.4.1

• Creation Suite fixes (launcher only; the game itself is the same as v1.4.0):
  • Importing some arenas no longer leaves the save "unsupported" (#64). The launcher now checks the save before it writes anything.
  • Many more community CAWs and arenas import, including most of the "Best of" save collection (before, many were refused as "package list is damaged").
  • Imported arenas no longer show a black ring or floor: each arena is now copied completely, including its look settings and full name.
  • Arenas imported with an older launcher can be repaired: open Creation Suite > Arenas and press Fix / find existing once.
• Known issues: on AMD Radeon integrated graphics (for example Radeon 780M) the game can still stall for a moment or drop to 30 fps, most often the first time a new arena or superstar is shown; we are still working on it. Linux: post-match replays stay off for now. With Frame rate: 60 everywhere championship belts can shake during entrances (use 30 / 60); if the intro video plays and the game goes back to the title screen, choosing a mode can hang on a black screen - press Start on the first title screen.

From v1.4.0

• Beat the Streak crash fixed: backing out of the "Past WrestleMania Victims" page no longer closes the game (#46).
• No more slowdown after a few matches in a row (for example in 30 Years of WrestleMania) on graphics cards with less video memory (#69, #70).
• AMD Radeon integrated graphics (for example Radeon 780M): no more "device lost" crashes.
• Post-match replays play again on Windows (#7).
• Lower CPU use is now off by default (it could cost smoothness on some PCs); you can still turn it on.
• Creation Suite: imports now work with more save files (#63, #64); export created superstars and arenas; new Logos tab (your own pictures as custom logos, 256 x 256 or 128 x 128) and Stories tab; Discord button in the launcher.

From v1.3.0

• Creation Suite (CAW / arena import), PC keyboard typing in name boxes (#53), WrestleMania V skin fix (#18), Hollywood Hogan's nWo t-shirt, PC no longer sleeps while playing with a controller (#49).

From v1.2.1

• Rope shadows fixed (Native renderer), Crowd setting (Full / None), G-SYNC / FreeSync double speed and non-English folder name fixes restored from v1.0.1, better graphics errors in the log, Xbox renderer picture size shown in the launcher.

From v1.2.0

• Created superstars save fix: saving a created superstar several times in a row (and the signatures / finishers screens) no longer freezes the game.
• Lower CPU use (Native renderer), Language setting, Xbox renderer Frame rate and Anti-aliasing options, Custom Music fixes, Superstar Threads faces, F3 counter fix, 4K memory crash fix, Linux start fixes and the game/launcher icon.
• Coming from an older version? Extract v1.4.9 into a new folder and start the launcher: it offers to bring everything over (game folder, title update, DLC, saves, created superstars, music, keys and settings). Updating with the launcher's Update button keeps everything in place.

Before you download

You must own a legally obtained Xbox 360 copy of WWE 2K14 and supply the game files yourself. This project does not include the retail default.xex, title-update file, game assets, audio, video, DLC, or saves. The executable is a compiled recompilation derived from the game; it is not a substitute for supplying the required game data. See DISCLAIMER.md.

Required game files

• Base game files from your own copy (a game folder, or your own disc image .iso).
• Title update 1.0.3 (default.xexp and its data files). It is required: the recompilation was built from the updated game, so the game refuses to start without it and tells you why.
• DLC packs are optional.

What you need

• Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit), or Linux (glibc 2.38 or newer, e.g. Ubuntu 24.04, with GTK3; on Wayland the game window runs through XWayland, installed by default on most distributions).
• CPU: a 64-bit processor with AVX2 (most PCs from 2013 onward: Intel Haswell / AMD Ryzen or newer).
• Graphics: up-to-date Vulkan drivers. With the Native renderer, integrated graphics such as AMD Radeon 780M and Intel UHD 630 are supported (start with 480p). The Xbox renderer needs a dedicated graphics card.
• About 10 GB of free space for the game files.

Install and play

1. Download WWE2K14-Recomp-v1.4.9-x64.zip (Windows and Linux in one package; Linux players can also use the smaller Linux-WWE2K14-Recomp-v1.4.9-x64.zip) and extract it to a normal folder such as Documents or Desktop (not C:\Program Files).
2. Start WWE 2K14 Launcher.exe (Linux: Linux-x86_64/wwe2k14-launcher).
3. In Game files, do one of the following:
   • put your game folder in the WWE 2K14 folder beside the launcher, or
   • press Find Automatically to search this PC, or
   • press Choose a Folder, or Use a Disc Image to extract your own .iso once.
4. Add the title update (and DLC packs, if you have them) with Add TU or DLC. The launcher accepts the package files you have and installs them where the game expects them.
5. Press Play. The very first start takes a few extra seconds while the game prepares its graphics; after that it starts normally.

The launcher checks every file and shows Game files ready when everything is correct.

WWE2K14-Recomp-x64/
├── WWE 2K14 Launcher.exe       # start here (Windows)
├── wwe2k14.exe                 # the game (started by the launcher)
├── wwe2k14.toml                # keyboard keys (change them on the launcher's Controls page)
├── avcodec-58.dll, avutil-56.dll
├── shaders/                    # Native renderer shaders (shared by Windows and Linux)
├── shaders32/                  # Native renderer shaders for GPUs without 64-bit shader support (Intel Ice Lake)
├── shadertools/                # converts rare missing shaders at run time (Linux: Linux-x86_64/shadertools)
├── Linux-x86_64/               # Linux launcher + game
├── README.md, CHANGELOG.md, DISCLAIMER.md, CONTRIBUTORS.md, SHA256SUMS
├── licenses/, third-party-licenses/, ffmpeg-source-*.zip
├── WWE 2K14/                   # your game folder (default.xex + default.xexp + data)
├── userdata/                   # saves, DLC and settings (created on first run)
└── logs/                       # game logs (created on first run)

Launcher settings

The launcher shows a recommended setup for your graphics card. You can also choose:

• Renderer - Native (default, recommended) or Xbox (the previous renderer).
• With Native: Picture size (480p, 720p, 1080p, 1440p, 4K - how sharp the 3D picture is drawn), Frame rate (Locked 30, 30 / 60, 60 everywhere), Anti-aliasing and Lower CPU use.
• With Xbox: Resolution 720p, 1080p or 1440p (the game draws at 1280x720 like the Xbox 360 and is scaled), Frame rate and Anti-aliasing (FXAA).
• Language - the game's language (English, Français, Deutsch, Italiano, Español).
• Display - fullscreen or windowed (press F11 in the game to switch at any time); Graphics card - for PCs with two GPUs (laptops: pick the one you want to play on).
• Stretch to fill wide screens - fill a 21:9 or 16:10 screen instead of showing black bars.
• Creation Suite - import created superstars and arenas (Beta), and drop your own songs in for the game's custom music.
• Saves - Back Up Now and Restore your saves with one click.

Updates

When the launcher starts, it asks this repository's Releases page whether a newer version exists. If there is one, the Play page shows it with What's new, Update, Not now and Skip this version. Update downloads the new release, checks that the download is intact, replaces only the program files and restarts the launcher. Your game files, saves, DLC, settings, keyboard keys and music are never touched; the previous version's program files are kept in backups/update-<version>/. Nothing about you or your PC is sent. Turn the check off with Check for updates on the Settings page.

Controls

An Xbox-compatible controller is recommended. The keyboard also works as a controller: the default keys follow modern WWE 2K games on PC - WASD move, J strike (X), L grapple (A; also confirms in menus), K Irish whip / pin (B; back in menus), Space signature / finisher (Y), 1 reversal (RT), Left Shift run (LT), U pick up / in-out of the ring (LB), Left Ctrl limb targeting (RB), arrow keys taunts (D-pad), Esc pause. See and change every key on the launcher's Controls page. When the game's on-screen keyboard is open (for example, naming a story), you can type with your PC keyboard and paste with Ctrl+V. Names are upper case, like on the console.

Saves and DLC

The game keeps saves, DLC and settings in userdata/ beside the launcher. It is local to this installation; use Back Up Now on the launcher's Saves page (or copy the folder) before moving or replacing a release.

On-screen prompts and saving a created superstar

• ATTENTION dialogs start on NO. When the game asks a yes/no question - for example the "create save data?" prompt on the first start, or the custom-data notice - the NO button is selected first. Press Left (controller: D-pad left) to move to YES, then L (controller A) to confirm.
• Saving a created superstar (Create a Superstar): in the editor, switch to the OTHER tab (RB, keyboard F), move the highlight down to the last row ACCEPT and press L (controller A). Answer the ATTENTION prompt about unattended attire with Left + L (YES). The editor's Back overlay (hold Tab) is only a controls legend, not the save menu.

Known issues

• AMD Radeon integrated graphics (for example Radeon 780M): short stalls and drops to 30 fps, most often the first time a new arena or superstar is shown. This will be fixed in the next build.
• Post-match replays are off for now on Windows and Linux (with them on, matches with a created superstar never finished loading).
• Native renderer: Bobby Heenan's outfit can show a red tint in WrestleMania mode; Randy Savage, Hulk Hogan and Miss Elizabeth can look white in 30 Years of WrestleMania (WrestleMania V); John Cena's title belt can shake with 60 everywhere (use 30 / 60); rarely, the loading screen after choosing wrestlers does not finish (restart the game). If something blocks you, switch to the Xbox renderer.
• The Back button does not toggle the pre-match options; use the D-pad (arrow keys) instead. In the Create-a-Superstar editor, holding Back (Tab) shows a controls legend. Save a created superstar from the OTHER tab's ACCEPT row (see "On-screen prompts and saving a created superstar" above).
• Some shadow and lighting differences remain compared to the console.
• Frame rates can dip in active play on some systems (the game's timing follows the frame rate).
• Extract the release to a normal folder, not C:\Program Files: the launcher keeps your saves and settings next to itself (it warns you if the folder is read-only).
• Only the exact title update 1.0.3 is supported; other regions, game revisions or title updates are refused.
• In menus, the modern keyboard keys confirm with L and go back with K (they follow the controller's A and B buttons). The Back button is the exception noted above.

Reporting bugs

Press Save a Bug Report (logs + settings) at the bottom of the launcher. It saves a wwe2k14-bug-report-<date>.zip next to the launcher with the latest game logs, your launcher settings and basic PC information (graphics card, system); no game files or saves. Attach it to a new issue on this repository's Issues page and describe what happened. If the game crashed, its log ends with a crash report that shows exactly where.

If the game freezes, wait a few seconds and then use Save a Bug Report and send it: the game writes a wwe2k14-freeze-<date>.txt into its logs folder (and the report zip always includes it) that records every guest thread and what it was waiting on at the moment it stopped presenting.

Legal

• This is an unofficial fan project. It isn't affiliated with or endorsed by WWE, 2K, Take-Two Interactive, Yuke's or Microsoft. WWE 2K14 and all related names, characters and game material belong to their respective owners.
• No game material is included: no default.xex, title update, game data, audio, video, DLC or saves. You must own the game and supply your own files. See DISCLAIMER.md.
• Recompiler and runtime: the ReXGlue SDK (this project builds on the rexglue-sdk-yukes fork), which is derived from Xenia. See their licenses in third-party-licenses/.
• Native renderer: draws through plume (MIT license); its shaders are converted with XenosRecomp. Memory is managed with the Vulkan Memory Allocator (MIT).
• Video: FFmpeg libraries under the LGPL 2.1 or later; the corresponding source is included (ffmpeg-source-*.zip).
• Other components and their licenses are listed in licenses/ and third-party-licenses/.
• Contributors: see CONTRIBUTORS.md.