Ever since its profitable 2022 reinvention, 2K’s common WWE sequence has frequently made a bunch of iterative enhancements in an try to not solely construct upon its successful system but additionally justify its annual releases. WWE 2K25 actually guarantees a brand new batch of iterations, together with a model new, on-line interactive world referred to as The Island, a revamp of its story, normal supervisor and Universe mode, a brand new hardcore match sort referred to as Bloodline Guidelines, and a number of other extra. Nonetheless, I can’t say if all these new additions will elevate 2K25 above its predecessor as a result of, sadly, I didn’t get to pattern any of them at a current preview occasion.
As an alternative of sampling this yr’s most vital alterations, my time with 2K25 was largely centered on the (principally) unchanged core gameplay and this yr’s adjusted Showcase Mode, which focuses on The Bloodline steady of wrestlers. However whereas I used to be locked out of most of this yr’s new concepts, I did respect some small however important alterations. They’re sufficient that I’m assured WWE 2K25 will likely be one other profitable evolution of the sequence and most definitely price any wrestling fan’s time.
WWE 2K25’s Showcase Mode focuses on the historical past of the Anoa’i household, headlined by its most up-to-date stars Roman Reigns and The Bloodline, but additionally celebrates earlier generations like The Wild Samoans, Yokozuna and, most famously, The Rock. The mode now contains three kinds of matches: Ones the place you recreate historical past, others the place you create historical past, and most apparently for me, matches the place you alter historical past. I bought to expertise all three varieties within the form of recreating Nia Jax’s Queen of the Ring victory from 2024, making a dream Wild Samoans versus The Dudley Boyz match, and altering the historical past of the long-lasting Roman Reigns in opposition to Seth Rollins bout from the Royal Rumble in 2022. All three provided their very own fashion of enjoyable and distinctive perspective for any hardcore WWE fan and an enchancment on final yr’s showcase mode. However that’s to not say there aren’t nonetheless some small points.
The Showcase Mode in final yr’s WWE 2K24, very like the one in WWE 2K23 earlier than it, was hampered by an over-reliance on switching to real-life footage that ran for a number of minutes – a system developer Visible Ideas dubs “Slingshot”. As I identified in my preview for WWE 2K23, “I discovered myself eager to be again within the motion and create these moments myself, not simply watching clips of footage which can be already burned into my mind.” Two years later, I’m joyful to verify that though the difficulty just isn’t utterly solved, progress has been made.
The reduce to real-life footage is now gone, as is the over-reliance on taking you away from the motion (not less than so far as I skilled within the hands-on session). Key moments are recreated in-engine via animation, offering a much less jarring expertise and a stage of satisfaction from seeing iconic moments realised within the recreation’s (principally) beautiful graphics. These sequences additionally appear considerably shorter, which means much less time away from controlling the motion.
That’s to not say that each one my prior gripes with staying in management have been addressed, although. In the course of the conclusion of my Nia Jax match, full management was taken away from me. Reasonably than keep within the ring, I used to be pressured to embody a bystander through the 1,2,3. Ideally, I’d like extra management throughout these vital moments. I wish to relive them with my very own gameplay choices, not merely observe as a passive bystander.
Elsewhere, 2K25 makes minor enhancements to different tough edges. Earlier showcase modes relied closely on a guidelines system, requiring you to finish usually rudimentary manoeuvres to set off the match’s live-action sequences. A typical criticism is that this method makes a match really feel much less like dynamic gameplay and extra like a to-do record. This technique is again, which little question will show contentious as soon as once more, nevertheless it has been barely refined for WWE 2K25, with added non-obligatory goals on a timer. You’re rewarded for finishing these actions with cosmetics, however most significantly you’re not punished for failing them as you have been in earlier entries. It’s a significant (child) step in the fitting path.
The standout addition to Showcase Mode is surely the aforementioned skill to vary the conclusion of sure historic matches. The place Roman Reigns as soon as misplaced by disqualification to Seth Rollins, now you can expertise how issues might have performed out ought to Roman have altered his temperament within the remaining moments. It’s a recent expertise for hardcore followers of WWE and I’m very excited to see what occurs within the different unannounced change matches.
Whereas there are notable modifications in modes and match varieties, the core gameplay essence of WWE 2K25 is principally the identical as earlier than with some minor tweaks. That’s not essentially a nasty factor. I used to be already pleased with the grappling motion in WWE 2K24, so I largely imagine it’s a smart move to stay with the confirmed, profitable system. There are although just a few fascinating additions and returns, nevertheless.
WWE 2K25 sees the long-requested revival of chain wrestling, a gameplay sequence that was sacrificed with WWE 2K22’s big engine revamp. In the course of the opening moments of a bout, instigating a grapple will now power gamers right into a mini-game that means that you can achieve the higher hand. After locking up you’ll be able to select to drive, wrench, assault and in the end reposition your opponent right into a spot that’s advantageous to you. Just like the buying and selling blows mechanic launched final yr, chain wrestling provides one other staple of WWE motion, taking one other important step in direction of precisely recreating what followers see on TV each week.
Additionally making a return is the submission system, a mini-game during which you will need to both keep away from or match your opponent’s color block on a wheel. Whereas it has an awesome U.I. presentation, it shortly turns into second nature, and I’m glad to see it return. Should you’re much less excited by its reappearance, it could actually luckily be disabled within the choices. The identical goes for chain wrestling and different quick-time occasion moments – they’re all non-obligatory.
Definitely, my favorite gameplay characteristic from WWE 2K24 additionally makes its triumphant return: weapon throwing. Not solely has the roster of weapons been improved, however the backstage brawls have now expanded into new environments which can be excellent for weapon tossing. One of the best location I skilled within the demo was the WWE archives, which not solely means that you can toss apples, footballs and megaphones, but additionally drops you right into a WWE fan’s dream setting, affected by historical past and easter eggs galore. Oh, and it’s also possible to battle on high of an enormous Wrestlemania signal and everybody’s favorite big fist from the Smackdown days of yore.
As to be anticipated, very like in actual life, the ring space is roofed in Prime sponsorships. Say what you’ll about that, nevertheless it does help you use the Prime Hydration Station’s big bottle as a weapon. For my cash, wrapping a bottle of Logan Paul’s luminous juice round your opponent’s head actually appears like one of the best use of the egregious electrolytes.
Maybe essentially the most notable gameplay alteration this yr, although, is the long-overdue intergender gameplay. For the primary time in a 2K WWE recreation, you’re in a position to pit the boys in opposition to the lady in a match of your selecting. This, together with the biggest roster ever (with 300+ wrestlers to select from) lastly opens the doorways to a complete host of matchups that beforehand weren’t obtainable.
Lastly, though the demo construct featured a restricted quantity of latest updates to discover, I did get some hands-on time with the brand-new match sort referred to as Underground. It’s a rope-less variation of an exhibition match that places you in a Combat Membership-like setting with lumberjacks across the ring. That is one thing utterly model new for the sequence and one thing I can share extra about later this month as a part of our unique IGN First content material. Make sure you verify IGN later this week to get a take a look at a full match, in addition to a full, detailed rationalization of the brand new match sort from Visible Ideas developer, Derek Donahue.
WWE 2K25 continues the current custom of the sequence, layering new options on high of current and sturdy fundamentals. Nothing proper now feels notably revolutionary because the system feels largely according to final yr’s providing simply with some small-but-smart tweaks. Time will inform if the marketed large sweeping modifications and new modes I didn’t get to see will actually make this version stand out from its friends, however from my transient expertise, it’s laborious to say that is something however a really incremental step for an already well-realised sequence.
Dale Driver is an Government Producer of Video Programming at IGN and a lifelong WWE fan/apologist who acknowledges his Tribal Chief. Be completely bored by following him on Bluesky at @daledriver.bsky.social