For three years now, Visual Concepts and 2K have been on a winning streak with their WWE 2K series. From the ashes of the WWE 2K20 disaster, a phoenix rose, and since then, WWE 2K22 has served as a clever template for the franchise’s developers. Like its predecessors before it, WWE 2K25 is yet another very good wrestling game that builds on past entries – although clever improvements made along the way do give it a more exciting, fresh edge.
The most impactful change is one we’ve spoken about before – the implementation of intergender matchups. Where previously, matchups were siloed by gender, changing attitudes and the increased prominence of women’s wrestlers across WWE storylines has inspired a rethink of gameplay options.
In WWE 2K25, you may pit any female wrestler against any male wrestler, with a plethora of wild dream matches now available to players. If you want Rhea Ripley to face off against Roman Reigns or Cody Rhodes for the WWE Championship, you can do that immediately after jumping in. While the smaller women on the roster do lack the advantage in certain matchups, that they can compete at all is a real novelty – and who doesn’t love a plucky underdog story?
It’s also really nice to see these intergender features pop up in a variety of other game modes – in both MyRise (which features a single multi-gender plot this year) and the weirder visual novel-like multiplayer-focussed mode, The Island.
WWE 2K25’s MyRise plot feels particularly strong
More on The Island and its many controversies shortly, but let’s start by diving into MyRise. This returning mode is once again a standout, particularly for those who enjoy their wrestling games with a more narrative-oriented flavour. This year, you begin by creating your own customer wrestler (male or female), you get a brief introductory match (you’re a highly sought-after wrestling star from another company), and then the plot kicks off almost immediately.
While we won’t delve too much into story spoilers, it’s enough to say the overarching plot revolves around an NXT takeover that involves all the wrestlers of Raw, Smackdown, and beyond in a war for company loyalty. You, as the newbie of the locker room, will pair up with CM Punk and other wrestlers to take down the upstart invasion, uncovering conspiracy theories along the way.
It’s a punchy plot that frequently makes fun of dirt sheet rumours and life in modern WWE, with the prominence of CM Punk being particularly good and tongue-in-cheek. The game goes to great lengths to poke fun at his history in WWE and AEW, with knowing nods to company rivalries.
There’s also plenty of lines that inspired a snort or two, thanks to solid writing and a narrative that allows for all sorts of wackiness, and over-the-top depictions of fan-favourite wrestlers as caricatures of their ‘real’ selves.
The Island of Relevancy
It’s worth mentioning this humour also pops up in The Island. As touched on, this multiplayer-focussed mode allows you to create a custom wrestler and explore, in third person, a theme park-like world inspired by WWE. As you enter, you’re met with an array of wrestlers who share particular quests with you in static cutscenes that are delightfully shonky.
There’s elements of kusoge in this design, with character models feeling slightly off, and dialogue playing out wordlessly – but it remains light-hearted and charming as a new, slightly unnecessary, mode for the game.
There’s plenty of silly humour and fun in its many quests, and its multiplayer battles and resulting progression provide a new avenue for players to flex their wrestling skills, if they choose. But it’s not all fun and games here – players will need to be wary of this mode’s aggressive monetisation if they’re keen to make the most of their time on The Island.
While you can create a perfectly stylish, cool-looking wrestler from the base accessories offered, The Island encourages players to spend VC on loot at every turn. There’s cooler masks on offer, brand-name shoes, new shirts, new hairstyles, and more – and it’ll all cost you.
Personally, I was perfectly happy with how my wrestler looked and played on first entry into The Island, and as an “extra” mode, I didn’t feel a need to spend any actual cash to enjoy it.
It’s a quirky new experiment for the WWE 2K series, but not one that feels particularly essential or must-play – unless you really enjoy R-Truth’s ‘naive idiot’ gimmick, or bizarre cameos from the WWE wrestlers of decades past. It’s enjoyable enough in standalone fashion, but again, not the most exciting new addition to the series. With significantly higher quality modes elsewhere, it simply pales in comparison.
Showcase Mode is better than ever
One of these standout modes is the returning Showcase Mode – in WWE 2K25, a celebration of The Bloodline, aka the Anoa’i family dynasty. This year’s collection of matches are tied together with a real sense of prestige, thanks to the contributions of veteran spokesperson, Paul Heyman.
Each match is introduced with a cinematic short of Heyman describing the historical significance of all parties involved, and how the match shaped the long-standing legacy of The Bloodline. That includes matches with Roman Reigns, Yokozuna, The Rock, The Usos, and even Nia Jax (and frankly, it’s great to see Nia get the recognition here, after her excellent comeback in 2023, and her subsequent winning streak).
Heyman’s introductions give weight and gravity to each bout, which goes such a long way towards adding formal stakes and pressure to conquer each challenge.
Read: Paul Heyman is the MVP of WWE 2K25
As for the match choices themselves, there are some very neat, and some more unusual inclusions in this year’s Showcase Mode. Alongside some core moments in Bloodline history, there are also two additional “alt history” branches to the mode: one that allows you to play through “dream” Bloodline matches, and another that allows you to “correct” history by rewriting the victors.
It makes for a good deal of variety in the matchups available – and while I would’ve liked more historically accurate matches, it’s also nice to see a new flavour in Showcase Mode.
It continues to be one of the tougher modes in the game, thanks to match requirements that task you with performing moves in a set order – you’ll often be thwarted by rogue AI opponents or tag team members – but a fair level of challenge keeps you moving through each new fight, and you do feel a real sense of accomplishment once each match is completed.
The best of the rest
These aren’t the only modes in WWE 2K25, of course, although they are the most prominent. Returning modes include MyGM (which allows you to create and manage your own wrestling show episodes), My Universe (another twist on show management), and MyFaction (a card-based mode where you can unlock special wrestler variants, compete online, and more).
It really can be overwhelming attempting to play all of these modes – there’s just too much content to parse all at once. The best way to approach WWE 2K25, as ever, is to tackle it slowly, and take on modes that excite you, in turn. Focus on one thing, then another.
Each year, I stray away from Universe and MyGM, and should The Island return, that may join my list of non-essential experiences. But as with all things, your personal taste will determine your own investment in these modes. There’s certainly plenty to enjoy in MyFaction’s unique competitive matches and in its card-collecting antics, for the right person. Likewise, playing god in My Universe and MyGM can be very satisfying if you’re willing to put the time in to develop your rosters and their weekly plots.
Setting personal preferences aside, these modes all contribute up to a very well-rounded package. While WWE 2K25 doesn’t do a lot differently from its predecessors, it bolsters its key modes with clever improvements – and even the features that don’t work so well can simply be ignored without consequence.
As a whole, WWE 2K25 feels like a small but impactful step up from its direct predecessor, and an overall better game. So, the good streak of Visual Concepts and 2K continues.
Four-and-a-half stars: ★★★★½,
WWE 2K25
Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Microsoft Windows
Developer: Visual Concepts
Publisher: 2K Games
Release Date: 14 March 2025
A copy of WWE 2K25 for PS5 was provided by the publisher for the purposes of this review.
