Ever since its successful 2022 reinvention, 2K’s popular WWE series has continually made a host of iterative improvements in an attempt to not only build upon its winning formula but also justify its annual releases. WWE 2K25 certainly promises a new batch of iterations, including a brand new, online interactive world called The Island, a revamp of its story, general manager and Universe mode, a new hardcore match type called Bloodline Rules, and several more. However, I can’t say if all these new additions will elevate 2K25 above its predecessor because, unfortunately, I didn’t get to sample any of them at a recent preview event.
Instead of sampling this year’s most significant alterations, my time with 2K25 was largely focused on the (mostly) unchanged core gameplay and this year’s adjusted Showcase Mode, which focuses on The Bloodline stable of wrestlers. But while I was locked out of most of this year’s new ideas, I did appreciate some small but significant alterations. They’re enough that I’m confident WWE 2K25 will be another successful evolution of the series and most likely worth any wrestling fan’s time.
WWE 2K25’s Showcase Mode focuses on the history of the Anoa’i family, headlined by its most recent stars Roman Reigns and The Bloodline, but also celebrates previous generations like The Wild Samoans, Yokozuna and, most famously, The Rock. The mode now includes three types of matches: Ones where you recreate history, others where you create history, and most interestingly for me, matches where you alter history. I got to experience all three types in the shape of recreating Nia Jax’s Queen of the Ring victory from 2024, creating a dream Wild Samoans versus The Dudley Boyz match, and altering the history of the iconic Roman Reigns against Seth Rollins bout from the Royal Rumble in 2022. All three offered their own style of fun and unique perspective for any hardcore WWE fan and an improvement on last year’s showcase mode. But that’s not to say there aren’t still some small issues.
The Showcase Mode in last year’s WWE 2K24, much like the one in WWE 2K23 before it, was hampered by an over-reliance on switching to real-life footage that ran for multiple minutes – a system developer Visual Concepts dubs “Slingshot”. As I pointed out in my preview for WWE 2K23, “I found myself wanting to be back in the action and create these moments myself, not just watching clips of footage that are already burned into my brain.” Two years later, I’m happy to confirm that although the issue is not completely solved, progress has been made.
The cut to real-life footage is now gone, as is the over-reliance on taking you away from the action (at least as far as I experienced in the hands-on session). Key moments are recreated in-engine through animation, providing a less jarring experience and a level of satisfaction from seeing iconic moments realised in the game’s (mostly) gorgeous graphics. These sequences also seem significantly shorter, meaning less time away from controlling the action.
That’s not to say that all my prior gripes with staying in control have been addressed, though. During the conclusion of my Nia Jax match, complete control was taken away from me. Rather than stay in the ring, I was forced to embody a bystander during the 1,2,3. Ideally, I’d like more control during these important moments. I want to relive them with my own gameplay decisions, not merely observe as a passive bystander.
Elsewhere, 2K25 makes minor improvements to other rough edges. Previous showcase modes relied heavily on a checklist system, requiring you to complete often rudimentary manoeuvres to trigger the match’s live-action sequences. A common complaint is that this approach makes a match feel less like dynamic gameplay and more like a to-do list. This system is back, which no doubt will prove contentious once again, but it has been slightly refined for WWE 2K25, with added optional objectives on a timer. You’re rewarded for completing these actions with cosmetics, but most importantly you’re not punished for failing them as you were in previous entries. It’s a vital (baby) step in the right direction.
The standout addition to Showcase Mode is without a doubt the aforementioned ability to change the conclusion of certain historic matches. Where Roman Reigns once lost by disqualification to Seth Rollins, you can now experience how things could have played out should Roman have altered his temperament in the final moments. It’s a fresh experience for hardcore fans of WWE and I’m very excited to see what happens in the other unannounced change matches.
While there are notable changes in modes and match types, the core gameplay essence of WWE 2K25 is basically the same as before with some minor tweaks. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. I was already happy with the grappling action in WWE 2K24, so I largely believe it’s a smart decision to stick with the proven, successful formula. There are though a few interesting additions and returns, however.
WWE 2K25 sees the long-requested revival of chain wrestling, a gameplay sequence that was sacrificed with WWE 2K22’s huge engine revamp. During the opening moments of a bout, instigating a grapple will now force players into a mini-game that allows you to gain the upper hand. After locking up you can choose to drive, wrench, attack and ultimately reposition your opponent into a spot that is advantageous to you. Like the trading blows mechanic introduced last year, chain wrestling adds another staple of WWE action, taking another vital step towards accurately recreating what fans see on TV every week.
Also making a return is the submission system, a mini-game in which you must either avoid or match your opponent's colour block on a wheel. While it has an overwhelming U.I. presentation, it quickly becomes second nature, and I’m glad to see it return. If you’re less excited by its reappearance, it can fortunately be disabled in the options. The same goes for chain wrestling and other quick-time event moments – they’re all optional.
Without a doubt, my favourite gameplay feature from WWE 2K24 also makes its triumphant return: weapon throwing. Not only has the roster of weapons been improved, but the backstage brawls have now expanded into new environments that are perfect for weapon tossing. The best location I experienced in the demo was the WWE archives, which not only allows you to toss apples, footballs and megaphones, but also drops you into a WWE fan’s dream environment, littered with history and easter eggs galore. Oh, and you can also fight on top of a giant Wrestlemania sign and everyone’s favourite giant fist from the Smackdown days of yore.
As to be expected, much like in real life, the ring area is covered in Prime sponsorships. Say what you will about that, but it does allow you to use the Prime Hydration Station’s giant bottle as a weapon. For my money, wrapping a bottle of Logan Paul’s luminous juice around your opponent's head certainly feels like the best use of the egregious electrolytes.
Perhaps the most notable gameplay alteration this year, though, is the long-overdue intergender gameplay. For the first time in a 2K WWE game, you’re able to pit the men against the woman in a match of your choosing. This, along with the largest roster ever (with 300+ wrestlers to choose from) finally opens the doors to a whole host of matchups that previously weren’t available.
Lastly, although the demo build featured a limited amount of new updates to explore, I did get some hands-on time with the brand-new match type called Underground. It’s a rope-less variation of an exhibition match that puts you in a Fight Club-like setting with lumberjacks around the ring. This is something completely brand new for the series and something I can share more about later this month as part of our exclusive IGN First content. Be sure to check IGN later this week to get a look at a full match, as well as a full, detailed explanation of the new match type from Visual Concepts developer, Derek Donahue.
WWE 2K25 continues the recent tradition of the series, layering new features on top of existing and robust fundamentals. Nothing right now feels particularly revolutionary as the formula feels largely consistent with last year's offering just with some small-but-smart tweaks. Time will tell if the advertised big sweeping changes and new modes I didn’t get to see will truly make this edition stand out from its peers, but from my brief experience, it’s hard to say this is anything but a very incremental step for an already well-realised series.
Dale Driver is an Executive Producer of Video Programming at IGN and a lifelong WWE fan/apologist who acknowledges his Tribal Chief. Be thoroughly bored by following him on Bluesky at @daledriver.bsky.social
