Reviewed on: PlayStation 5
Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Publisher: 2K Games
Developer: Visual Concepts
Release: March 14, 2025
Rating: Teen

Quality is subjective, but if you ask WWE fans about the state of the product in recent years, many will tell you it’s the best it’s been in ages. The company is enjoying a boom period in quality and mainstream popularity not seen since the Attitude Era, and it almost feels scripted that the WWE 2K video games have been on a similar upward trajectory during the same time frame. WWE 2K25 retains everything that has worked in the recent entries while opening up the roster in a welcomed way due to the long-overdue introduction of intergender matches. Although the game’s most prominent new mode, The Island, is a questionable addition, 2K25 puts on another strong performance.

For the first time in a long time, the 300-plus superstar roster can slam each other as equals now that male and female superstars can finally compete in any match type together. This is my favorite new addition; I only spent significant playtime with half the roster in previous games since the online community tends to favor playing the men. Now, I can finally use my neglected favorites like Asuka or Rhea Ripley without twisting a buddy’s arm to pick one of the ladies to play with me. Intergender matches also raise the possible combinations of match-ups exponentially since men's and women’s abilities are on a level playing field. Liv Morgan can take down Roman Reigns as effectively as the boys, giving 2K25 a fun, arcade-like vibe. 

The exceptional grappling includes the return of chain wrestling, a triggerable mini-game in which players execute a cinematic series of counters and tie-ups to gain the upper hand. I haven’t missed this feature since its last appearance in a 2K game, and 2K25 doesn’t make me feel wrong for that. The mechanic works fine, but it is sometimes a chore due to how long it can go on, so it’s not something I go out of my way to execute and falls squarely in the “neat” category. 

I enjoy the addition of the Underground Match, the MMA-style contest where you must win by knockout or submission inside a ropeless ring surrounded by bystanders. Bloodlines Rules is perhaps the most entertaining stipulation in some time. The match is essentially a street fight that lets you summon up to three superstars to perform run-ins on your behalf à la Cody vs Roman at Wrestlemania XL. This match is delightfully chaotic, and it’s even more amusing when using non-Bloodline-related superstars just to see who runs out. The allies either fit that wrestler's on-screen relationships or are hilariously random, like Stone Cold receiving help from Roddy Piper, Ricky Steamboat, and The Ultimate Warrior. Regardless of the match, WWE 2K25 remains an entertaining hold-for-hold experience. However, I’m beyond ready to move on from hearing the action called by the long-outdated commentary team of Michael Cole, Corey Graves, and Byron Saxton. 

The Bloodline, WWE’s faction of wrestlers hailing from the legendary Anoaʻi/Maivia family dynasty, dominates 2K25, culminating in a brand new mode called The Island. This is WWE 2K’s spin on NBA 2K’s MyCareer, letting players create a custom superstar to explore a WWE theme park-like hub world. From cleverly designed destinations like the lucha libre-inspired Temple of the Ancients and a Japanese arcade themed after the members of Damage CTRL, The Island is fun to gawk at, especially since it's filled with inside nods and easter eggs for hardcore fans. Unfortunately, text-based conversations mean interactions with superstars feel flat, and the minimal ambient sound effects make the Island more lifeless than it looks. Exploring is a literal pain due to constantly holding the trigger button to execute a weirdly sluggish run to get around marginally faster. Additionally, the lack of a map means a lot of aimless searching for where to go, and the small in-game mission indicators don’t stand out enough from the crowd. 

The Island challenges players to complete matches and other tasks to earn a WWE contract (and the acknowledgment of Roman Reigns) while engaging in goofy sidequests like finding the haunted scattered pieces of an urn or obtaining mech suit parts from WWE’s gamer wrestlers. These missions are broadly fine, eliciting a chuckle in some cases. 

The main reward for doing them is earning VC, 2K’s premium currency, to pump up your character, but the Island would prefer that you spend real money to speed up the process. My earlier theme park analogy rings most true in how much the Island tries to tempt players to open their wallets via stores selling cosmetic pieces (some branded, e.g. Nike). While easy to ignore, it still feels a bit icky given that a single piece of attire, such as a pair of shoes or a shirt, costs $5 minimum, and it will take a lot of playtime to earn enough VC to unlock even a few complete outfits purely by playing. This is especially egregious since the same currency is used to improve your character’s attributes, and budgeting real money to balance attire and performance upgrades isn’t fun. 

As a fan of the yearly Showcase mode, centering it on The Bloodline’s long lineage is an appealing choice, and it covers a nice breadth of the family tree. From Peter Maivia to Yokozuna to the Usos to Nia Jax, Showcase is thematically interesting but disjointed in execution. Instead of only presenting a faithful documentary-style recreation of matches, several bouts offer fantasy match-ups, like The Wild Samoans vs The Dudley Boyz, which is a bit odd for the historian in me. 

Vintage matches are sometimes held in modern arenas instead of recreating era-appropriate venues, creating another thematic disconnect. Showcase’s match order also feels haphazard as the family history lesson (narrated by Paul Heyman, who does an unsurprisingly great job) jumps back and forth between the different family generations, making it trickier to grasp if you’re unaware of the Bloodline’s heritage. The 2024 Bloodline vs Bloodline WarGames match, for example, seems like an obvious and fitting final bout, but it’s strangely the penultimate contest to a random and far less significant tag match from yesteryear. Showcase is still an enjoyable summary of the Bloodline’s decades-long greatness, but it’s a weaker overall showing than previous iterations.

 

The story-driven MyRise pushes intergender gameplay further by featuring a single, branching storyline that stars a male and female superstar that players switch between. I appreciate the streamlined approach of doing away with social-media-based match-ups to bouts. With only Story quests and optional live events designed for grinding skill points, MyRise is less bloated and more manageable. This year’s storyline of an NXT invasion of the main roster, a la 2001’s WCW/ECW Alliance angle, is hilariously absurd when you factor in that at least 90 percent of the main roster consists of NXT alumni. Still, that silliness is what makes MyRise’s often ridiculous plots fun in a dumb way. Despite several flat performances from some voiced superstars (including what sounds like a tired CM Punk in a primary role), MyRise remains a fun little romp I still enjoy partaking in.  

MyGM, a favorite destination of mine, is essentially the same this year but makes up for the lack of innovation by finally introducing much-requested online play for up to four players. My long-time disinterest in the card-collecting MyFaction remains unchanged; it’s still okay for those who like it, but playing it does nothing to inspire more engagement beyond the obligatory check-in. The Creation Suite and, to a lesser extent, MyUniverse don’t feature any substantial changes, but they’re still entertaining time sinks for dedicated players. 

But what matters most is when the bell rings, and taking control of this massive roster and mixing it up – regardless of gender – across a now-impressive selection of stipulations is a blast. Although it’s the only real game in town, WWE 2K25 retains its title as the best and most substantial pro wrestling sim fans can buy. 

Score: 8.25

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