Another year, another game, and WWE 2K25 is here to bring players to Roman Reigns’ Island of Relevancy. But is it an improvement over last year’s WWE 2K game?
While there are some newly-introduced features, such as The Island, most of the game remains intact from 2K24. New roster additions are the biggest appeal, while subtle gameplay changes also bring something fresh to the game.
But is it worth the investment of a new video game? Find out if WWE 2K25 is worth it in our review.
WWE 2K25 review — what is it?
WWE 2K25 is the latest entry in the 2K video game series. It was developed by Visual Concepts and published by 2K Games. It will be released on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S.
Roman Reigns was revealed as the cover star during the January 27, 2025, edition of Monday Night RAW. There are three editions — the standard, the “Deadman Edition,” and the “Bloodline Edition.”
The game is centered around Reigns and the family dynasty. There is a showcase mode that goes through generations of the Anoa’i family, from the Wild Samoans to Nia Jax.
Gameplay
The mechanics of WWE 2K25 are largely transferred from last year’s game, for better or worse. One key addition is the return of chain wrestling at the start of matches.
It was much needed, as it helps matches between ring technicians feel real. The trading blows mechanic is also back from last year, and that is one that could use work.
While it does add realism to matches reaching their crescendo, it will activate in the early part of the game. Never have I seen competitors trade blows 30 seconds into a match.
Since the WWE 2K series returned in 2022 after the disastrous 2K20, the gameplay has drastically improved. However, it could still use work.
There were several times in multi-man matches where moves would not register. The targeting system has always been wonky, but it felt even worse than last year. It is especially frustrating during Showcase Mode, which is hard as it is.
Still, the game is generally fluid, and most of the moves look good. Subtle changes like the addition of the Prime Bottle outside the ring make for fun new weapons.
Also, hats off to 2K for keeping WWE 2K25 relatively up to date. Given its yearly release cycle, it is nearly impossible to stay on top of everything. They still found a way to get the updated WWE RAW on Netflix and Friday Night SmackDown stages and rings in the game.
It is little things like presentation updates that keep the game feeling fresh. Resembling the real-life product is crucial, and WWE knocked it out of the park there. They even got the latest Intercontinental Championship in the game. Expect them to add the women’s midcard titles in soon.
Bloodline Showcase
The Bloodline Showcase made sense, given its grand crescendo at WrestleMania 40. It starts strong, with players being able to relive the ending of Roman Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes.
WWE 2K25 even implements some first-person elements to this specific showcase moment. It is a cool feature, and if only they continued to use it in the other stories.
Instead, Showcase Mode remains the frustrating object-based game mode. They use more multi-wrestler matches than I remember in previous years, making it harder to accomplish. It gets frustrating during ladder and tornado tag team matches.
It would have been nice to see a change in this game mode. Allowing users to see a revisionist history of matches would make it feel fresh instead of reliving Tamini’s Money in the Bank match.
Or, given Reigns’ prominence in the game, making it about dethroning the former Undisputed WWE Champion. WWE 2K games have sorely missed the Road to WrestleMania modes the SmackDown vs. RAW games had. Making it story-based instead of objective-based would switch things up, but alas.
MyRise
WWE 2K25 does have one story-based mode: MyRise. Other 2K games, such as the NBA 2K series, have succeeded with similar modes. The same cannot be said about the WWE franchise.
For a company that relies on storytelling, it is surprising that they also fail with MyRise. The story is not engaging, and part of the problem may be that it isn’t as fun becoming a Superstar as WWE thinks.
Most of that is because no matter what you do, your Superstar always looks out of place. They do not look like they should be competing on WWE TV.
That is why a Road to WrestleMania-like mode would make more sense. Allowing users to use familiar faces is more interesting than slowly making your way through the ranks.
The Island
The same problem applies to The Island. While it is cool to see such a big homage to Reigns, wrestling is not the same as basketball. 2K’s Park and City modes work with their NBA series because people actually play pickup basketball.
I would like to assume most do not walk around parks wrestling. Having The Island, a place where online players can interact, was a great idea on paper, but it doesn’t have much function outside of allowing users to put their characters in swag.
I’m also confused as to why this was not rolled into MyRise. Having to create a new character for The Island did not make much sense. It is a bummer, as having one continuous character would be more fun.
The Island is a microtransaction wasteland with little else to offer. Wrestling may just be too rigid for a game mode like The Island.
Universe Mode is almost left untouched
Perhaps the biggest bummer is the lack of improvement to Universe Mode. Fans of WWE likely want to be immersed in storytelling, and Universe Mode provides the open sandbox needed to do so.
While bringing promos back is a step in the right direction, most of Universe Mode remains the same as last year. Two-night PLEs are another nice touch, but WWE has been doing it for years, so it should have been in the game way before 2025.
It’s not a total disaster — WWE 2K25 has adjusted match cards, making them better resemble real-life events. The presentation is also close to the real-life product, so it helps immerse you.
The best addition was working tournaments in Universe Mode. King and Queen of the Ring is a PLE on the calendar, and Superstars are placed into tournaments that culminate in their crowning achievement. In the future, they should add brackets for Number One contenders on RAW and SmackDown for championships.
But 2K should combine the MyGM and Universe modes together. MyGM is so repetitive, making you book shows every week against other GMs. On paper, it sounds fun, but it is about as extensive as Madden’s old “Owner mode” in Franchise.
Booking shows without budget constraints would make MyGM more fun. Allow it to be as free as Universe Mode with more booking options. The WWE 2K series desperately misses a “Create a Storyline” feature.
Should you buy WWE 2K25?
Depending on what you want out of a WWE video game, 2K25 may be the game for you. If you want the latest roster and updated presentation, it is perfect.
Keeping up to date sounds easy, but the team at 2K and Visual Concepts deserves praise given how fast their turnaround is. Maybe they will add the WrestleMania 41 arena following the event as they did last year. That would be the cherry on top.
Graphically, it is on par with their past entries. Top Superstars like CM Punk, Roman Reigns, and Seth Rollins look especially good. They also updated the entrances of Reigns and Jey Uso, which were critical to add to the game’s realism.
The revamped MyGM and MyRise do not offer much, and Showcase Mode misses a big opportunity. 2K played it safe when celebrating Roman Reigns, who made one of the boldest moves in WWE history by turning heel in 2020.
Hopefully, they take bigger swings in WWE 2K26.
Score: 5/10
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