WWE 2K as a series is in a really solid place at the moment, with recent efforts cleverly iterating on its core systems, making minor tweaks, gameplay improvements and adding exciting new match types. WWE 2K25 looks to be no different; after its announcement last week, we’ve now managed to spend a solid couple of hours with our hands on this year’s edition, and it continues to take baby steps in the right direction.
Of course, I mostly focused my time using the limited preview roster on the new additions, one of which is the inclusion of Intergender matches for the first time. That means the women can mix it up with the men, and I instantly went for the obvious choice of playing as Aussie badass Rhea Ripley, taking on the evil Dirty Dominik Mysterio one-on-one. There is nothing fundamentally different about how these matches go down, of course; but the developers have noted that there will be no blood or bruising taking place during these matches. It’s a fantasy, for sure, and knowing where that line is between “fun” and “too much” is important.
The 10-person Royal Rumble made for a pretty hilarious example of how Intergender matches can work. I played as current Women’s Intercontinental Champ Lyra Valkyria, and initially faced off against Liv Morgan. Who came out next? The Final Boss himself, The Rock. I couldn’t help but cackle. As the ring filled up with men, women, Legends and NXT Superstars, it really showed that WWE 2K25 is fine to be silly, along with offering some true dream matches that you previously would only see in other indie wrestling brands, like the former Lucha Underground, among others.
“Paul Heyman, as one of the greatest characters in WWE history, adds his own dramatic flare to proceedings.”
Showcase mode is back, featuring The Bloodline as the main focus. When initially announced, I worried that this would primarily feature Roman Reigns’ recent tenure as long-term champ, and all of the Bloodline drama we’ve been witness to, including his recent beef with “new Bloodline” leader Solo Sikoa and the other family members. Much to my pleasant surprise, this Showcase isn’t just that, but actually a bunch of history that focuses on not just “The Bloodline Saga”, but all of their historical family members and the connective tissue between them.
One unexpected Showcase match I got to see for this preview was for Nia Jax, and her Queen of the Ring final against Lyra Valkyria. It wasn’t only about the match, though; it went back in time to her first appearance in NXT, joining the main roster, and served as a celebration of her career so far. She’s even hyped up and compared to previous talents like Yokozuna, with their matching finishers.
These videos are, once again, well-edited and produced, but this year’s Showcase is bolstered by the inclusion of Paul Heyman as a host for each of them. He sets the scene, and as one of the greatest characters in WWE history, adds his own dramatic flare to proceedings. Not only is it cool to hear him talk about Nia, or even the Wild Samoans as they take on a fantasy-booking match against The Dudley Boyz, but he adds emotional depth to the Showcase match between Reigns and Seth Rollins, the man who turned on Reigns, broke up The Shield, and remains The OTC’s arch nemesis to this day. Heyman cleverly toes the line between real life and fiction, as the best wrestling characters in history do, and it’s exciting to think about what other potential Showcase matches will be in the mix, presented by the Wiseman himself.
Playing through the Showcase matches themselves? Well, it’s still a bit of a mixed bag. They’ve done away with the merging of real-world footage with the gameplay, and have opted instead to keep iconic match moments in-engine, which I think is a smart choice. It doesn’t completely do away with the feeling of being forced to watch certain parts when you’d rather be playing, but it’s not quite as egregious as in previous years. Certain in-match objectives can still be a pain in the arse to trigger, but they’re still fun enough to play through.
While I may have spent an enormous amount of my play session trying to hit the Sol Snatcher on an opponent (it’s one of the hardest moves to set up and hit successfully, but felt incredible doing so, shout out to my girl Sol Ruca), I left my preview feeling positive about WWE 2K25. It isn’t massively pushing the boundary, but its focus on smart updates and a compelling Showcase will go a long way when the game launches next month. And we don’t even know what The Island is going to be like yet, as the team at 2K remains tight-lipped… so there’s still plenty of unknowns to be excited about.
WWE 2K25 Deadman Edition and The Bloodline Edition are scheduled for worldwide release on Friday, March 7, 2025, seven days prior to the Standard Edition, which will be available Friday, March 14, 2025, for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4 and PC.
The journalist was flown to Sydney as a guest of 2K ANZ for the purpose of this coverage.
About the Author
Luke Mitchell
he/him
Luke spends his time making radio, playing video games, binge-watching TV, getting unreasonably invested in wrestling, hosting bear events and hanging out with his beautiful pets.
