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How to Break a Grapple Combo in WWE 2K23

Don't let him do the wombo combo

WWE 2K23 has returned with a lot of gameplay changes – from a revamping of Control Schemes that have loyal fans of the franchise reminiscing about WWE 2K19 to an alternative Pin System that is much harder to execute than previous installments. WWE 2K23’s controls are a more fluid and simpler system all around, allowing players to chain together attacks, grapples, and dodges for devastating combos. However, it sucks to be on the receiving end of your opponent’s onslaught, especially the grapple combo. If you are wondering how to break free, we’ll be your tag-team partner.

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How to Break a Grapple Combo

When the opponent is trying to grapple you, you only have a split-second to decide which grapple they might have picked. Grapples are initiated using ‘B‘ (Xbox) or ‘O‘ (PlayStation). However, when the Grapple is initiated, nothing is done until the opponent decides their next Move (which will be a Grapple Move). The buttons are either ‘X‘, ‘A‘, or ‘B‘ (Xbox), or ‘Square‘, ‘X‘, or ‘O‘ (PlayStation). Players should try to anticipate and match which button their opponent is going to press in order to escape the grapple. It’s similar to a game of penalties on FIFA where the Goalkeeper must make the right decision on where the ball is going. As these are the only three Buttons that can be pressed for a Grapple Move which will then be chained for a combo attack, you have a one-in-three chance.

Related: All Championships in WWE 2K23

How the Grapple System Works

So, this is a guessing game whether you must decide if they will choose to use a Light or Heavy Attack (‘X‘ or ‘B‘, ‘Square‘ or ‘X’) or to hold you in a Grab (‘B‘ or ‘O‘). Their choice will appear for a split second to show whether you picked the right option or not to break their Grapple. Likewise, you can also counter Strike Combos through a similar method. You guess which button they will press for either Light or Heavy Strikes. It may help to press ‘X‘ or ‘Square‘ to break from Grapples initially (for default guesses) as most players will opt for a Light attack first as the starting point of their Grapple Combo.

Remember that the environment can be used for Grapples such as Rope Grapples and Corner Grapples so keep that in mind whenever you are facing an opponent for nowhere is safe. Always anticipate a grapple inside the Ring.


That was our quick guide on how to break a Grapple Combo in WWE 2K23. We hope this information was useful. Thank you for reading our guides. Feel free to check out Gamer Journalist for more WWE 2K23 content along the way.

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Hadley Vincent
Hadley is a Freelance Writer for Gamer Journalist. They have been with the company since October 2022. With a BSc Honors in Psychology, Hadley focuses their creativity and passion for Video Games by primarily covering Horror, FPS, and anything with a great narrative. You will often find Hadley covering the latest indie horror games or deploying into Call of Duty's DMZ. They love a good story and one that can keep them up at night, be that for its scares or its lore.