WWE 2K17 sees the return of fighting in the crowd (which is the first time since SmackDown vs. Raw 2008, where it involves fighting into these backstage areas). It also will see the return of backstage brawls which could transition from ringside during Falls Count Anywhere or No Disqualification matches, a feature that was last seen in SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain. The responsiveness of the gameplay also has been greatly improved, while each game systems were updated such as ladders and taunts. The game will be introducing a new secondary submission system similar to the Breaking Point system currently seen in the last-generation versions of the WWE 2K Series.