WWE and 2K are back with WWE 2K25, which promises a host of gameplay improvements and mode additions that look to make the experience as grand as what fans see on Raw, SmackDown, and NXT each and every week. Over the course of the past few games, 2K has built upon a stellar foundation of core wrestling action in the ring, and after getting some time with the game at the Royal Rumble, that is indeed the case once more, and the good news is that the additions (at least most of them) seem to be adding welcome nuances to those core mechanics and bringing in new ways to experience what the game does best, setting up WWE 2K25’s full release for great things.
Videos by ComicBook.com
ComicBook had the chance to preview several modes in 2K25, including the standard 1 v 1, Tag Team, Fatal 4-Way, and Triple Threat modes, as well as Royal Rumble, Brawls in the NXT Parking Lot and WWE Archives, and several matches found in the Bloodline Dynasty 2K Showcase. That also means we haven’t delved into MyGM, MyRise, MyFaction, Universe, or The Island, so that will have to wait for another time.
Many of the most impactful updates to the gameplay are ones that you’ll encounter in just about every type of match and have just as much to do with the presentation as they do with the in-ring action. The 3rd person camera is a big one, as the functionality has now been expanded outside of just entrances. Now you can switch perspectives to 3rd person when you’re hitting a key moment of the match, so if you’re heading up top for Jacob Fatu’s big moonsault or hitting a spear with Roman Reigns outside of the ring, you can now get a much more immersive angle on the potentially match-swinging moment.
It’s not earth shattering mind you, but it gives the player that much more control on how they are interacting with the match, and that’s always welcome, especially for those who like to stream and share gameplay. Now, a first-person mode is too far for me, so hopefully the 3rd person camera is as far as we go with it, but it is something I will continue to play around with as I spend more time with the game.
[RELATED: Watch Fan Favorite Return to WWE as NXT Makes Major Title Change]
Chain wrestling also makes its return, and while I found it intriguing the first time around, it’s not something I necessarily missed when it made its exit from the series. Funnily enough though I enjoyed it far more this time around, in part because of how its worked into the match. Not only does it feel like a natural starting point to a match, but it doesn’t overstay its welcome either. We’ll have to see how my opinion is affected after many more plays, but as of now it was an unexpectedly welcome return.
The unexpected is actually a recurring theme here, as one of the big features of 2K25 was something I didn’t care much about leading into the preview, and that’s intergender wrestling. The feature is making its return to the series after just around a decade, and I ended up spending far more time playing intergender matches than I ever expected. Not going to lie, having Rhea Ripley jump into the ring and hit a Riptide on The Rock is pretty dang fun, and as a fan of the Mixed Match Challenge, I can already think of several other combinations I’d love to see recreated in the game. The other big benefit is that it can be used across 2K25’s ever growing roster of modes, and that means even more options for modes like MyGM, which is one of my favorite ways to play the game.
One note on regular gameplay isn’t so positive however, as the mechanic built into submissions is just not clicking with me. No matter how many times that came up during a match, I could not get my head around it, and because you’re on a timer essentially as the other person is attempting to break the hold, it was hard to figure it out on the fly. It’s just too fiddly for my taste, and it instantly shifts all your focus to the mechanic as opposed to the match that’s playing out on screen. Hopefully there’s a toggle to change to something more straightforward in the full release.
Alright, enough complaining. Let’s get to showcase mode, which is based on one of my favorite WWE storylines ever. As someone who has immensely enjoyed the Bloodline saga, the Bloodline Dynasty showcase mode is right up my alley, and while there were only three matches available, I ate it all up with a spoon. Paul Heyman’s introductions and outros are obviously a major element of that, but I also enjoy how 2K tries to keep things fresh with the matches themselves.
I got to test out two of the three matches available in the preview, which were Nia Jax vs Lyra Valkyria and Seth Rollins vs Roman Reigns, and both were presented in different ways. Nia vs Lyra recreated the match as part of the relive mode, tasking you with defeating Lyra and making Nia the Queen of the Ring. Meanwhile the Roman vs Seth match tasked you with changing up the result from the 2022 Royal Rumble, which had Reigns retaining his Championship and defeating Rollins. The match I didn’t get to try was the Wild Samoans vs The Dudley Boyz, which is part of the What If? style matches that allow you to pair any of the Bloodline Dynasty with other Superstars, creating dream match scenarios.
In past showcases, the matches themselves are always going to vary as far as interest goes unless you’re just a massive fan of the superstar in the spotlight, and the same will be true of the Bloodline Dynasty. That said, having three different ways to interact with those matches throughout the mode helps keep things fresh, and as always, 2K has done a lovely job of recreating the big moments those matches brought to the screen.
I didn’t spend much time in Brawl, as it didn’t really hook me in 2K24. What I will say though is if I was going to brawl anywhere, it would absolutely be in the NXT Parking lot, as anyone who watches NXT knows to be the most dangerous place in all of WWE. Speaking of NXT superstars, we have several making their debuts in 2K25, and 2K has knocked their character models and move sets out of the park. We got to play as Sol Ruca, Kelani Jordan, and Ethan Page, and not only did their entrances look fantastic, but they each felt like the Superstars we’ve all watched soar in the ring, and hopefully they are going to be followed by even more big NXT talents when the full game releases.
WWE 2K25 is off to a promising start and continues to evolve a still immensely fun and rewarding core wrestling experience with welcome updates and modes, and hopefully some of the other big additions will bring even more energy to this year’s release.
WWE 2K25 will release on March 14th, while the Bloodline Edition and Deadman Edition will release a week early on March 7th.
Are you excited for WWE 2K25? You can talk all things wrestling and gaming with me on Bluesky @knightofoa!
