Roman Reigns and his Wiseman, Paul Heyman, enter from one end of the venue where I’m playing WWE 2K25, breeze through to the far end, pose for a few pictures, and exit. You can’t blame them for the quick visit. The Royal Rumble is hours away, and the Tribal Chief needs time to strategize how he’ll throw 29 other men over the top rope.
I missed an opportunity to snap a selfie with the OTC—although I did make sure to point to the sky as they passed my station—but that’s okay. I got to play WWE 2K25, due out this March in three editions, for several hours over Royal Rumble weekend. From what I played, this year’s entry is set to be a banner entry for the series.
If you’ve played WWE 2K24 (or ‘23 or ‘22), the good news is that you should be able to suicide-dive right into the action. Light and hard strikes, grapples, submissions, carrying, entering and exiting the ring—the controls carry over from previous versions, so you’ll feel right at home. Chain wrestling returns, making matches against technical wrestlers such as Kurt Angle and Bret Hart (a bona fide dream match if ever there was one) even more exhilarating.
There are several new features to enjoy in WWE 2K25, and I got to try many of them. Intergender matches, oft-requested by the fan base, makes its return. If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if Rhea Ripley and Jade Cargill squared off against The Rock and Jacob Fatu, this year’s game will let you find out. I also brawled in backstage environments and tried out the new Underground match, although I can’t share the particulars of that match type quite yet. There's also the Island, a fully navigable environment where you'll be able to explore, interact with Superstars, and unlock content—although, again, 2K wasn't quite ready to show off that content.
Even so, I'm excited to explore an interactive environment that goes beyond simple menus. From what 2K has described, it reminds me of the backstage environment of classic games such as WWE SmackDown: Shut Your Mouth. Here's hoping it lives up to the hype.
The real star of WWE 2K25 is the Showcase mode, which lets you recreate (and in some instances, alter) the outcomes of matches and scenes from the long-running Bloodline story that’s captivated WWE fans since 2020. In the preview build, I got to control Nia Jax in her match to become Queen of the Ring; later, I helped Roman against Seth Rollins in a re-creation of their singles contest from the 2022 Royal Rumble. Showcase should feel familiar if you’ve played most previous editions’ modes, but the icing on this year’s cake is Paul Heyman’s video narration between scenarios, setting the stage and getting you hyped for what’s to come as only he can.
WWE 2K25 promises the 2K series’ largest roster ever with over 300 NXT, main roster, and Legend Superstars. Not all of them were available in the preview I played, but I did get to take The Rock, my vote for the GOAT of sports entertainment, for a spin. His “Final Boss” entrance is as accurate and as flashy as you’d expect from the 2K series, as are the others I saw while playing.
The hours I spent with WWE 2K25 got me excited for the game’s release this coming March. With more wrestlers than ever, a ton of match types, a long list of new and returning features, and the perfect balance of familiar and new, the game is shaping up to be one of the best grapplers fans have played yet.
Shacknews was invited to play a preview of WWE 2K25 in Indianapolis. 2K paid for our travel, lodging, and transportation to and from the Royal Rumble event.
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replyDavid Craddock posted a new article, WWE 2K25 lets you relive the Bloodline's greatest triumphs
