When I reviewed WWE 2K24 last year, I proclaimed that the series had reached the top of the mountain. The series officially completed its comeback arc thanks to tighter wrestling, tons of great modes, and an enormous roster of superstars. It was a major achievement for 2K Games, but one that left the series facing an existential question: Where do you go next once you’ve reached the top?
I’m starting to get a feel for that answer after playing a few hours of WWE 2K25. In many ways, this year’s simulator looks to maintain the status quo by lightly tweaking existing modes like MyGM while adding subtle tweaks to its core fighting foundation. There’s much more to it than meets the eye though, from its new open-world mode to the introduction of intergender wrestling. While I didn’t get to try every new feature, the bits I did get hands-on with felt improved enough to keep this year’s edition from feeling stale.
There are a few changes that may rock the boat with long-time fans, though, giving the revitalized series its first true test since its babyface return to form began in 2022. Winning a title is just one challenge; defending it successfully is another.
The details add up
My demo session let me toy around with a few different modes and match types. I could play three of this year’s Showcase matches, try a backstage brawl, and even simulate a Royal Rumble match ahead of the real thing later that day (for the record, Rhea Ripley won my match after throwing out Bubba Ray Dudley). Before diving into any of that, I started with a traditional one on one match between Jacob Fatu and Nia Jax.
Okay, so maybe traditional isn’t the right word there. WWE 2K25 introduces intergender matches, a progressive move that even the real WWE has yet to fully embrace. The only caveat is that those matches won’t feature blood, though women’s matches do. While I’m sure there will be some handwringing over the move, it’s a fantastic decision. It creates more dynamic matchups between wrestlers of different sizes and opens the door for more “dream matches,” which is the entire appeal of the simulation. And as a man who loves a good hoss battle, Fatu vs. Jax is the Bloodline match I didn’t even realize I wanted until firing it up.
The fundamentals of wrestling will be familiar to old fans as 2K25 has the same controls, pin system, and split-second reversal prompts. There are a few big changes peppered in, though. For one, players can now engage in chain wrestling early on in a match. The minigame has two players moving a joystick to pick a maneuver and then finding the right stick position and holding it there long enough to gain an advantage. If I’m being honest, I never really got the hang of it. It’s a massive UI-driven minigame that like last year’s trading blows feature, but less cinematically satisfying.
Similarly tricky is a new submission minigame. Rather than simply button mashing to break a hold, both players now rotate colored bars around a circle. The player who’s stuck in a hold basically needs to keep their bar away from the other player to break out. I came to get the hang of it eventually, but it’s certainly not as elegant as the stick-flicking pinfall breaks I’ve come to love.
WWE 2K25’s more successful changes are its subtler ones that make battles flow more fluidly. Possum attacks can now be executed from various positions, like when a player is in the corner or against the ropes. Pinfall reversals happen more naturally in battles against computer-controlled players thanks to AI tweaking. Paybacks cost a bit less, which means that players can now chain a mist spray and low blow together. Even tag team matches have seen a major improvement thanks to a change that stops computer players from breaking up every pin, even ones that their teammates are clearly going to kick out of without their help. All of that makes the core battle system feel more dynamic without adding visual noise on screen.
The more subtleties like this are added, the more unique each match feels. For instance, 2K25 adds barricade diving to the mix. When the right conditions are met, a wrestler will dive out of the ring at their opponent in a short cinematic cutscene. I only managed to trigger it in one match, making it feel like a special moment rather than a thing that happens every time. In that way, 2K25 really understands something fundamental about wrestling: It’s more fun the more unpredictable it is. If a suicide dive happens in every single match, it loses its edge eventually. Every match I played during my session had its own pace and personality. That’s exactly what you want from a good wrestling simulator.
Experimenting with old modes
While I didn’t get hands-on with most of the series’ tentpole modes, I tried a nice suite of content. I had a good time playing around with expanded backstage brawls, which let players fight out into a parking lot and dive off of car hoods. I had a good time smacking Jimmy Uso with a traffic cone and swan diving off of industrial structures with the agile Kelani Jordan. I put on a little dream tag match as Jade Cargill and Bianca Belair took on the Dudleys in an instant classic where the fewer pinfall breakups led to some more surprising drama. There were no big surprises in any of those match types, but they play as well as ever.
One thing that did catch my eyes during these tests is the overall presentation. The 2K series is a weird one because it’s at the mercy of the wrestling promotion it’s emulating. 2K22 suffered because of the tumultuous real-world drama around its release, leading to a weak roster due to mass layoffs in the company at the time. By contrast, WWE is in a bit of a boom right now. The real product’s production is at a peak with sleeker sets, more cinematic entrances, and an increasingly premium feel. That reflects into 2K25 as a nice side effect. Jacob Fatu’s threatening entrance, for instance, is just as hair-raising in game. While there’s still a mismatch in quality between wrestlers (NXT’s Sol Ruca doesn’t get the same attention to detail as, say, Roman Reigns), the biggest stars really come to life this year.
What I’m a little less sure of is this year’s Showcase mode, which might stir up some mixed feelings among fans. For the past few years, 2K has created interactive documentaries that seamlessly weave real match footage into matches. That formula reached a creative height last year with an excellent walk through Wrestlemania history. This year’s mode is similar on paper, tracing the history of the Anoa’i Family (The Bloodline) through classic matches narrated by Paul Heyman, but they’re much looser about maintaining historical accuracy.
The big change is that 2K is ditching its slingshot technology entirely, meaning that game footage no longer transitions over to clips from the real match. A developer I spoke to at the press event explained that the decision was one driven by fan requests. They simply wanted to play these matches, not perform moves as a means of triggering cutscenes. I can understand that mentality, but this year’s Showcase does feel a bit less unique for it. In one match, I recreated Nia Jax’s Queen of the Ring victory against Lyra Valkyria. After completing my first objective, a long in-game cutscene played out that mimicked a sequence from the real match. The wow factor just wasn’t the same.
It partially feels like the team made that decision because this Showcase also includes entirely fictional matches. In one, I controlled the Wild Samoans in a tables match against the Dudleys. Of course, there’s no footage of that invented match that could be spliced in. A third match took me back to Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins’ 2022 clash, but in a “what if” version of it that played out differently. It feels like the team is a bit torn between treating Showcases as historical documents and playful fiction. One or the other would work just fine, but I’m not entirely sure how I’ll feel about mixing both approaches just yet.
I get the sense that this will wind up being a nitpick in the grand scheme of things. While I played 2K25 for a few hours, I barely saw the entirety of the package. There’s still MyGM, Factions, MyRise, Universe, a best-in-class creative suite, new match types, and the mysterious Island mode to see. So long as even two of those aspects are great, I know I’ll get my money’s worth. There’s space to experiment with each individual piece when the safety net is so wide.
And so, WWE 2K25 still looks healthy ahead of its next title defense. The core wrestling is great, the AI is getting better, bugs still seem to be under control, Jacob Fatu looks ridiculously good, and intergender matches make a familiar roster feel brand new. WWE 2K24 is a tough act to follow, but an enduring champion never gives up.
WWE 2K25 launches on March 7 for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC for those who pre-order one of its special editions. Those who buy the Standard Edition will have to wait an extra week, as that version releases on March 14.
