As an annualized series, WWE 2K does a good job of iterating and improving upon itself year after year, at least since the debacle with WWE 2K20. That title received overwhelmingly negative reviews, launching in a broken state with numerous physical, graphics, and targeting bugs, to say the least. Ironically, it also featured Roman Reigns on the cover just like WWE 2K25 does. Unlike WWE 2K20, however, WWE 2K25 has quickly proven itself to be a game worthy of The Tribal Chief and his Bloodline—even after a little time with the game.
Game Rant recently visited Indianapolis, Indiana, where we played roughly four hours of WWE 2K25. Among other things, we were able to check out three matches in WWE 2K25's Showcase Mode and play a handful of Intergender matches. MyGM Mode, MyFaction Mode, Universe Mode, and the new Island Mode for WWE 2K25 were not available, so while we cannot speak to every facet of the game, we had a ton of fun with what was available. If everything delivers on what was promised, by both WWE 2K25's reveal and our time with the game, it's clear that this is not just going to be another annualized title: it's going to wreck everyone and leave.
WWE 2K25 Showcase: The Bloodline's Dynasty
For the Showcase Mode, we were able to check out the following three matches that adhere to its new structure of Relive History, Change History, and Create History.
- Relive History: Nia Jax vs Lyra Valkyria (King and Queen of the Ring ‘24)
- Change History: Seth Rollins vs Roman Reigns (Royal Rumble ‘22)
- Create History: The Wild Samoans vs The Dudley Boyz
As their names suggest, Relive History lets players have the typical WWE 2K Showcase experience by recreating matches from WWE history, Change History lets players experience real-world matches but with a different ending, and Create History lets players experience dream match-ups. As we dived into the matches, two things immediately struck us: the powerful presence of Paul Heyman and the removal of WWE 2K's Slingshot technology.
Narrating the segue between Showcase matches, Paul Heyman delivers all the promo skills he's developed over the years. He is as enthralling in WWE 2K25 as he is anytime on the mic, and just having Paul Heyman elevates the overall experience. It's entirely possible, of course, to skip these moments between Showcase matches, but anyone who does so is doing The Tribal Chief and themselves a huge disservice by discounting the Wiseman. Joining him, rarely it seems, is The Tribal Chief himself, and without going into spoilers, the dynamic is as strong in these moments as any time in WWE.
As we dove into the matches, the removal of WWE 2K's Slingshot technology was immediately noticeable. Some fans enjoyed this feature, many fans did not, and so it makes sense to drop it in WWE 2K25. Given that some matches feature altered outcomes or completely invented match-ups, it couldn't have been used in every match anyway. Instead, players are treated to some moments in WWE 2K25's graphics instead of archival footage. If anything, that seems to make these moments more impactful. Seeing Nia Jax hit Lyra Valkyria with the Annihilator at King and Queen of the Ring 2024 is always a shocking experience, but seeing it in WWE 2K25's graphics just makes them look even better.
Of course, based on screenshots and our gameplay so far, WWE 2K25's models have made serious strides in capturing the likeness of WWE Superstars. Cody Rhodes and Bayley look way better than they did in WWE 2K24 based on recent screenshots, but both Lyra Valkyria and Nia Jax's models captured them perfectly in our gameplay. However, this tends to be a mixed bag year after year, and that seems to be the case here as well. When Triple H crowned Nia Jax after the Showcase match, he did not look like Triple H. His teeth were too pronounced, his jaw was out of proportion, and there was definitely something "off" with this version of Triple H. One or two errant models do not ruin the whole bunch, however.
Notably, some of the match requirements/challenges in WWE 2K25's Showcase Mode also come with a time limit. There seemed to be only one in each match, likely designed to add more challenge to these requirements (outside checking the menu on how to do some of the more complicated moves). We missed the timing of one by a few seconds, and as a result, the completionist in us had to replay the match to get it.
Seeing the ferocity of The Wild Samoans paired up against the brutality of the Dudley Boyz is a fun dream match, and on that front it delivers. However, it feels worth mentioning an AI issue we had in this specific match. It is fittingly a table match, and putting an opponent through the table ends the match. Before we could finish the objectives of it, our AI partner put one of the Dudleyz through a table, ending the match and forcing us to replay it. This could be the only match where this specifically could happen, but assuming there's at least one match with the Usos, it's something to watch out for in any tag match.
Overall, though, despite an odd moment here or there, WWE 2K25's Showcase is clearly keeping things fresh with a wide variety of real-world and dream matches. Getting to see the entire Bloodline Dynasty, as opposed to just Roman Reigns, goes a long way in ensuring that this feels like a Bloodline Showcase and not a Roman Reigns one. Having him appear in narration, while it is primarily delivered by Paul Heyman, means this is not a Showcase to skip.
Intergender Matches Fulfill a Specific Fantasy
WWE 2K25 also introduces Intergender wrestling, which no doubt lets players fulfill their fantasies of beating up Dirty Dominik Myste