Put your ones to the sky: Roman Reigns is your WWE 2K25 cover star

The reveal of the yearly WWE 2K cover star is always fun to keep an eye on; while last year saw Aussie Rhea Ripley take to the cover alongside Bianca Belair and Cody Rhodes, WWE 2K25 has gone with a strictly family affair, with OTC Roman Reigns and The Bloodline taking centre stage. There will also be a Deadman Edition featuring The Undertaker.

Roman Reigns is striking his heroic pose on the Standard Edition, with his “Wiseman” Paul Heyman also sneaking onto a video game cover for the first time in his career as one of the best wrestling managers of all time. The Bloodline Edition features both Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa’s Bloodline factions in a family tree, showing the breadth and depth of how impactful the Bloodline storytelling has been over the past few years. While it would have been cool to see another female on the cover, it’s undeniable the impact that Reigns and his crew have had in recent

“I am personally and professionally excited that the Original and Only Tribal Chief and the extended Anoa’i family are the focus of WWE 2K25,” said Roman Reigns. “We’ve been building toward this moment for generations and I challenge players everywhere to show me and my Wiseman, Paul Heyman, what they’ve got, and prove they’re worthy of the attention of their Tribal Chief.”

WWE 2K25 promises to have the biggest roster ever, with more than 300 superstars including John Cena, Rhea Ripley, The Rock, “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, CM Punk, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Jade Cargill, Diamond Dallas Page, Booker T, Ultimate Warrior, Trish Stratus, and many more. You can also expect some key updates and gameplay enhancements; the Underground Match, Bloodline Rules Match and Intergender matchups are now in the mix, so you can beat the hell out of Dirty Dom as Rhea Ripley like you’ve always wanted. Chain Wrestling is back alongside new brawl environments such as the NXT Parking Lot (the most dangerous location in all WWE lore), and we can also expect a new MyRISE experience.

This year’s 2K Showcase will be The Bloodline’s Dynasty, hosted by Paul Heyman himself, and is “the first retelling of the Bloodline saga and an interactive celebration of the legacy of the extended Anoa’i wrestling family”. Excitingly, players can relive historic showdowns or flip the script and change the outcome of select match-ups, so you won’t simply be replaying the old favourites, but perhaps change history. Remember when Roman Reigns was champion for literal years without losing? Well, maybe that doesn’t have to be the case anymore.

Curiously, there will be a new ambitious addition for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S players, called The Island. It’s said to be “an interactive, online WWE-themed world that provides an immersive experience allowing players the option of focusing on a single-player experience, with the ultimate goal of earning a position in The Bloodline, or interacting and competing with other players they encounter.” According to the press release, you’ll complete quests, take on challenges, compete in live events, earn unlockables, and upgrade and customise MySUPERSTARS through multiple storyline chapters. While I’m not quite sure what to expect from The Island, a new way to play WWE 2K is always welcome, and it’s cool to see them experimenting with new ideas.

Here’s a rundown fo some of the other new features, from the official press release:

• New Match Types and Improvements on Gameplay: Intergender wrestling makes its long-awaited debut in the WWE 2K franchise! WWE or player-created Superstars from the men’s and women’s divisions can now compete against each other to set up limitless matchups across all game modes. Additional features include the return of Chain Wrestling, Bloodline Rules Match, Underground Match, and new barricade diving! More details on each new match type will be shared soon;
• MyGM Online Multiplayer: Intrepid GMs can take their show on the road and challenge general managers worldwide in the enhanced MyGM for WWE 2K25, now with online multiplayer for up to four players. Players draft WWE Superstars and Legends to their weekly show’s roster and lead their brand through multiple-week seasons with a bigger selection of General Managers, cross-brand Premium Live Events, and more;
• MyFACTION: The collectible, card-battle mode is back with updated features, new content, and more ways to play. Faction Wars now features new node types, and 50 new stages. World Tour replaces Proving Grounds, enabling players to travel to different locations in a non-linear approach, while additional match-type support for live events and online matches, and new community events offer enhanced replayability. New themed card packs and goals will continue to roll out regularly throughout the year with seasonal content refreshes*;

• MyRISE: Players guide their MySUPERSTAR from the women’s or men’s division in a singular, multi-gender MyRISE storyline where Bayley, Kevin Owens, and other Superstars infiltrate NXT in an attempt to take control of the entire WWE. Featuring new personality choices that lead to specific storylines, as well as brawl environments, unlockable arenas, characters, useable objects, and more, plus new ally storylines involving Jey Uso, Bianca Belair, Seth Rollins, and other WWE Superstars;
• Universe: WWE 2K’s sandbox mode receives new upgrades to give players greater control over their Universe experience, including the long-awaited return of Promos! The new system includes multiple promo types and outcomes with new cutscenes and branching choices;
• Creation Suite: The hallmark of the WWE 2K franchise, the best-in-class, most detailed and robust creation suite remains one of the driving forces behind players’ self-expression as they design their own custom Superstars, GMs, referees, arenas, entrances, move sets, championships, crowd signs, and more.
  WWE 2K25 Editions

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