One of the most unique and historic match types in professional wrestling history is WarGames. It takes place in a steel cage, but not a traditional one. WarGames occurs inside a steel cage surrounding two rings, with teams of four to five competing against each other.
The first WarGames match took place in 1987 and was created by Dusty Rhodes in Jim Crockett Promotions. WarGames was later held in WCW, with the last edition being in 2000. After a 17-year hiatus, WWE brought back WarGames in 2017 under their NXT brand. Since 2022, WWE has had two WarGames matches every year at its annual Survivor Series premium live event.
In this article, we will break down the history of the WarGames match ahead of Saturday’s WWE Survivor Series PLE.
Check out our Survivor Series: War Games Preview and Predictions article on DraftKings Network!
WarGames Match History
There have been 45 WarGames matches in professional wrestling history. The first 31 WarGames matches took place in Jim Crockett Promotions and WCW. From 2017 to 2021, WWE had an annual WarGames premium live event in NXT. Over the past four years, WWE has held WarGames matches featuring wrestlers from Raw and SmackDown.
WarGames Match History in WWE
| Date | Event | Participants | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11/18/2017 | NXT TakeOver: WarGames 2017 | The Undisputed Era vs. Sanity vs. Authors of Pain & Roderick Strong | The Undisputed Era |
| 11/17/2018 | NXT TakeOver: WarGames 2018 | Pete Dunne, Ricochet, & War Raiders vs. The Undisputed Era | Pete Dunne, Ricochet, & War Raiders |
| 11/23/2019 | NXT TakeOver: WarGames 2019 | Team Ripley (Rhea Ripley, Candice LeRae, Tegan Nox, & Dakota Kai) vs. Team Baszler (Shayna Baszler, Io Shirai, Bianca Belair, & Kay Lee Ray) | Team Ripley |
| 11/23/2019 | NXT TakeOver: WarGames 2019 | Team Ciampa (Tommaso Ciampa, Keith Lee, Dominik Dijakovic, & Kevin Owens) vs. The Undisputed Era | Team Ciampa |
| 12/6/2020 | NXT TakeOver: WarGames 2020 | Team Candice (Candice LeRae, Dakota Kai, Raquel Gonzalez, & Toni Storm) vs. Team Shotzi (Shotzi Blackheart, Ember Moon, Rhea Ripley, & Io Shirai) | Team Candice |
| 12/6/2020 | NXT TakeOver: WarGames 2020 | The Undisputed Era vs. Team McAfee (Pat McAfee, Pete Dunne, Danny Burch, & Oney Lorcan) | The Undisputed Era |
| 12/5/2021 | NXT WarGames | Io Shirai, Kay Lee Ray, Raquel González, & Cora Jade vs. Toxic Attraction & Dakota Kai | Io Shirai, Kay Lee Ray, Raquel González, & Cora Jade |
| 12/5/2021 | NXT WarGames | Team 2.0 (Bron Breakker, Carmelo Hayes, Tony D’Angelo, & Grayson Waller) vs. Team Black & Gold (Tommaso Ciampa, Johnny Gargano, Pete Dunne, & LA Knight) | Team 2.0 |
| 11/26/2022 | Survivor Series: WarGames 2022 | Bianca Belair, Alexa Bliss, Asuka, Mia Yim, & Becky Lynch vs. Damage CTRL (Bayley, Iyo Sky, and Dakota Kai), Nikki Cross & Rhea Ripley | Bianca Belair, Alexa Bliss, Asuka, Mia Yim, & Becky Lynch |
| 11/26/2022 | Survivor Series: WarGames 2022 | The Bloodline vs. The Brawling Brutes, Drew McIntyre, & Kevin Owens | The Bloodline |
| 11/25/2023 | Survivor Series: WarGames 2023 | Bianca Belair, Charlotte Flair, Shotzi, & Becky Lynch vs. Damage CTRL | Bianca Belair, Charlotte Flair, Shotzi, & Becky Lynch |
| 11/25/2023 | Survivor Series: WarGames 2023 | Cody Rhodes, Seth Rollins, Jey Uso, Randy Orton, & Sami Zayn vs. The Judgment Day & Drew McIntyre | Cody Rhodes, Seth Rollins, Jey Uso, Randy Orton, & Sami Zayn |
| 11/20/2024 | Survivor Series: WarGames 2024 | Bianca Belair, Bayley, Naomi, Rhea Ripley, & Iyo Sky vs. The Judgment Day, Nia Jax, Tiffany Stratton, & Candice LeRae | Bianca Belair, Bayley, Naomi, Rhea Ripley, & Iyo Sky |
| 11/20/2024 | Survivor Series: WarGames 2024 | OG Bloodline & CM Punk vs. The Bloodline & Bronson Reed | OG Bloodline & CM Punk |
WarGames Timeline Highlights
- 1987-2000: In these 13 years, 31 WarGames matches were held between Jim Crockett Promotions and WCW. Some of the early WarGames matches weren’t televised but began airing on PPV in WCW in 1989.
- 2017-2021: This was when WWE first brought back WarGames and created many iconic moments during the black and gold era of NXT. Over five years in NXT, they held eight WarGames matches, with the first women’s match occurring in 2019.
- 2022-2025: The Bloodline has competed in two of the last three WarGames matches in WWE, and each one has felt special since moving it to Survivor Series.
WarGames Match: Recap & Stats
- Total Matches: 45
- Matches in JCP/WCW: 31
- Matches in NXT: 8
- Matches in WWE: 6
- Years Active: 1987-2025
Frequently Asked Questions
How many WarGames matches have there been?
There have been 45 total WarGames matches in pro wrestling history.
How many WarGames matches have taken place in WWE?
Between WWE and NXT, there have been 14 total WarGames matches.
What is a WarGames match?
A WarGames match is a special cage structure that encloses two adjacent rings. Teams of four or five competitors each face off in this match.
When is the next WarGames match?
This Saturday at Survivor Series, WWE will have a men’s and women’s WarGames match featured on the card. Roman Reigns, Jey Uso, Jimmy Uso, Cody Rhodes, and CM Punk are teaming up to take on The Vision, Brock Lesnar, and Drew McIntyre. Meanwhile, in the women’s match, Charlotte Flair, Alexa Bliss, Iyo Sky, Rhea Ripley, and AJ Lee are facing Nia Jax, Lash Legend, The Kabuki Warriors, and Becky Lynch.
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