WCW Mayhem was the first wrestling game that allowed players the option of bringing the fight to the backstage area. Although the various areas were nothing more than large, square rooms filled with weapons (the only difference between any of the backstage areas was cosmetic), backstage areas have since become a staple in most wrestling games, most notably the WWE SmackDown! series.
Was the first WCW game to feature a "Create a Wrestler" mode (WCW/nWo Revenge gave players the option of editing a wresler's name and attire, but lacked a full CAW mode).
One wrestler, Sting, appears twice in the game. He appears as "Sting" in the WCW faction with his typical black-and-white make-up and attire, and also as "Wolfpac Sting" in the nWo Wolfpac faction, sporting his red-and-black costume (Sting is available from the beginning of the game, but Wolfpac Sting must be unlocked).
Was the first game to feature all three WCW television arenas (Monday Nitro, Thunder, and Saturday Night), as well as all twelve usual pay-per-view arenas (Souled Out, SuperBrawl, Uncensored, Spring Stampede, Slamboree, Great American Bash, Bash at the Beach, Road Wild, Fall Brawl, Halloween Havoc, World War 3, and Starrcade). The PlayStation version also allowed players to unlock the original Monday Nitro arena using a Quest for the Best password.
The Nintendo 64 and PlayStation versions of the game feature a different introduction. The PlayStation version features technicians creating a digital Goldberg only to be attacked when they accidentally make him too aggressive. The Nintendo 64's hardware, being more limited than the PlayStation's, forewent this intro in favor of a voice over of Tony Schiavone welcoming the player to the game.