WWE 2K25 Review: Can You Smeeeeeeeeeeell What 2K Is Cooking?

WWE 2k25 Review Key was provided by 2k Games

Gameplay & Design

2K Games is known for producing premier sports titles, but they’ve been under some scrutiny lately. Because of that, every new 2K release tends to be examined under a microscope. The WWE 2K series has had its share of highs and lows. Personally, I thought WWE 2K23 played really well but lacked content. Then came 2K24, which added a bit more in terms of content and polished its already solid gameplay, but it still didn’t feel like enough. So for WWE 2K25, they needed to do something special to really make it stand out.

Right from the start, they delivered something unique with the editions—one centered around The Undertaker and another focused on The Bloodline. Each one caters to different kinds of fans, which was a smart move. And the Wyatt Sicks as a preorder bonus? Easily one of the few preorder incentives that actually felt worth it.

As I mentioned, 2K25 needed more than just visual upgrades to truly surpass its predecessors. So what did they do? They expanded the roster—though it’s worth noting that a lot of it consists of alternate versions of the same wrestlers. Still, they packed more content into each game mode and somehow managed to make the gameplay even smoother than 2K24, which already felt great.

New match types and the addition of inter-gender matches help push things forward, giving WWE 2K25 a real sense of progression. There are still some things that could be improved (which I’ll touch on later), but overall, matches feel significantly less clunky. Combos, reversals, signatures, finishers—they all flow together in a way that feels natural.

As a wrestling fan, the fluidity of matches is important. After all, when do you ever see a wrestler just standing around waiting for their opponent to get up? Almost never—unless they're charging a finisher or taunting. That was one of my biggest issues with previous games: knock someone down, and they’d just lie there while you repeated the same moves, with little variation or payoff. WWE 2K25 changes that by making the matches feel more dynamic and authentic. It’s a step in the right direction.

That said, I wanted to wait until after the first major patch before making a full judgment—and I’m glad I did. The patch has already addressed many of the bigger bugs and smoothed out a lot of the rough edges. As it stands now, the game feels much more stable and polished. The current state of play is genuinely smooth, and it’s clear that 2K is committed to supporting WWE 2K25 post-launch. It’s always risky judging a sports game right at release, since they often need that initial TLC (No, not Tables, Ladders, and Chairs) to really shine—but with this patch in place, WWE 2K25 feels like it’s finally firing on all cylinders.

Game Modes & What 2k25 Has Too Offer

Showcase

The Showcase mode in WWE 2K22 was easily my favorite. Having Rey Mysterio narrate his matches and share what those moments meant to him was incredible—it really added heart to the experience. 2K23 was solid too, but I wasn’t as into the format. John Cena only spoke between matches rather than commentating during them, so it didn’t feel as immersive. Then came 2K24, where they brought in Corey Graves (who I genuinely think is a fantastic commentator) to voice over some of the most legendary matches of all time—definitely a step up.

Now in 2K25, the Showcase shifts focus to the legendary Anoa’i Family, highlighting their most iconic matches throughout history. From Yokozuna defeating Hulk Hogan for the WWE Championship, to Peter Maivia battling George “The Animal” Steele in a Steel Cage match, all the way to the modern-day Bloodline—this Showcase covers generations. And who better to guide us through it than the Wise Man himself, Paul Heyman?

I’ve been a fan of ECW for as long as I can remember, so I love Paul Heyman. That’s why it kind of hurts to say… his commentary in this Showcase can feel a little jarring. Since 2K25 fully does away with the old video cutaways to real-life footage, matches now play out entirely in-game. When one ends, it cuts immediately to Heyman introducing the next. And while he nails those intros—because hyping up a match is literally what he does—it still feels abrupt. There’s not enough integration between the matches and his narration, so the transitions come off as unnatural. A little more in-match commentary or thematic build-up could’ve gone a long way.

That said, the match selection itself is phenomenal. These are some of the most memorable bouts in the Anoa’i family’s legacy, and they’re instantly recognizable. If you were asked to pick a defining match for each member of the family off the top of your head, chances are it’d be this exact list—and playing through them is a blast.

My only real gripe is the timed objectives. Stuff like “Execute two heavy combos in 45 seconds” sounds simple, but it can be infuriating. The Yokozuna match, in particular, had me pulling my hair out. I failed it over and over… and over again—mainly because that loser Hogan kept doing that ridiculous animation where he begs for mercy, which eats up nearly the entire timer. So unless the CPU decides to just stand there and take it, you might be in for some frustration.

MyRise

MyRise is one of the three main modes in WWE 2K25 where you follow your created wrestler’s storyline—it’s basically the game’s version of a traditional story mode. Right out of the gate, 2K25 makes creating your wrestler more accessible than ever. In past games, customization was either too limited or overly tedious, but this time around, they strike a solid balance. It still starts the usual way: you pick an archetype and then select a “persona.” But what’s great is that creating your own unique persona is far easier now than in previous years.

I had this idea for a high-flying striker, inspired by indie wrestling vibes, and I was actually able to bring that vision to life without much compromise. That said, I do wish there was more flexibility when it comes to ring announcing. It still feels like you’re forced to shape your wrestler around the in-ring name options if you want their intros to sound right. That’s one area that never really hits the mark for me.

Once your character is ready, the story kicks off with a bit of a twist: you’re the secret #1 overall pick in the WWE Draft, and you get to choose between SmackDown and RAW. It’s a nice change of pace from the usual “work your way up from the bottom” formula, and I actually liked starting off as a sort of indie legend. But once the draft is over, the plot takes a pretty wild turn—it becomes a full-on WWE-style mystery. You get attacked by a mysterious opponent and end up playing detective, trying to uncover who’s behind it all. Eventually, it spirals into an NXT vs. WWE invasion storyline.

Now, I get that 2K’s story modes have never been known for their subtlety, but this one is especially over-the-top. Still, I didn’t mind it too much. It reminded me of those quirky side storylines you might catch unfolding on WWE’s social media rather than on TV—kind of cheesy, kind of fun. All in all, MyRise is a solid mode if you enjoy story-driven content. If you’re not into that kind of thing, though, you might want to hold off on using your CAW until the next mode I’ll be talking about.

MyUniverse

MyUniverse has always been the mode I come back to the most—because honestly, who doesn’t want to run their own wrestling franchise exactly the way they want? And this year, 2K25 takes it to a whole new level. While I put in plenty of time with MyUniverse in both 2K23 and 2K24, I’ll admit it eventually started to feel like a barren wasteland—just throwing AI characters into matches with no real purpose beyond filling a card.

But in 2K25? The quality-of-life improvements are massive. You can now add brand-new shows to your schedule, and—drumroll please—promos are finally back! This has easily been the most requested feature, and while I’m beyond excited to see it return, I do have a small gripe: the promos don’t include any text-based storylines or dialogue to follow along with. It’s a bit of a letdown, but the choices you do get are fun, and honestly, I like to think I’m creative enough to fill in the blanks myself.

One of the most underrated additions this year is the ability to run multiple shows on the same night. I didn’t even realize how much I wanted that until I tried it—and now I can't imagine going back. The level of immersion it adds is seriously undersold. You can recreate the Monday Night Wars however you see fit. Want your own custom WCW roster to rewrite history? Go for it. (For the record, Hulk Hogan will never get screen time on my show.)

With multiple shows you’re no longer restricted by the days of the week, your calendar can be as stacked as you want it to be. Revive RAW vs. Nitro on Mondays, bring ECW back on Tuesdays, reignite the NXT vs. Dynamite battle on Wednesdays, slot in Impact on Thursdays, and keep SmackDown and Rampage rolling on Fridays. You can even make Saturday your personal indie showcase or host a Saturday Night Main Event if there's no PLE on deck. The creative freedom this mode offers is incredible, and it honestly feels miles ahead of previous versions.

That said, it’s not perfect. The UI can be a bit buggy on consoles, and the navigation is clunky at times. There are a lot of screens to flip through just to customize one match, and if you're like me, you’ll probably back out one screen too far more times than you'd like—especially when juggling multiple shows.

Still, if you're looking for the ultimate sandbox experience—and you want your CAW to have a fully fleshed-out WWE journey—MyUniverse is the place to do it. Their story is yours to create.

MyFACTION

MyFaction is one of those modes I usually check out when the game first drops—and then rarely touch again. I’ve always loved the card-collecting, team-building style of game modes in sports titles—MLB The Show’s Diamond Dynasty absolutely nails it, in my opinion. But with WWE 2K25, I haven’t noticed anything new or exciting added to really pull me in.

My feelings about MyFaction are pretty neutral, and honestly, they probably align with most players. It feels like a mode mainly designed to encourage microtransactions. While you can grind to unlock cards, if you’re after specific persona versions of your favorite wrestlers, you’ll likely need to spend VC—or invest a lot of time grinding. That’s not necessarily a bad thing for some, but it does make the mode feel more about transactions than gameplay.

The frustrating part is that the potential is definitely there. Instead of focusing so heavily on card packs and monetization, this mode could be something special. I'd love to see it evolve into more of a community-driven feature. Imagine joining leagues with your faction, competing in monthly events for custom titles or faction rankings. That kind of interaction would make MyFaction feel way more engaging and rewarding.

Right now, though, it just doesn’t feel like MyFaction is built with the community in mind—and that’s a real missed opportunity.

MyGM

MyGM is another game mode I’ve tried to get into—but no matter how many times I give it a shot, it just doesn’t click. I don’t know if I’m too ambitious with my bookings or just not paying enough attention, but I always end up burning through my budget way too fast and having to start over. Even in the rare runs where I manage to put together a decent show, something still feels off—like I’m missing a crucial piece of the puzzle.

They did add multiplayer this year, which a lot of fans have been asking for, and while that’s a step in the right direction, it still doesn’t fix what feels like a fundamental emptiness in the mode. There’s definitely a lot of depth and complexity—this is a simulation-heavy experience where you're the GM making all the big decisions—but even with all that, it can feel pretty dull.

Honestly, if that’s the kind of gameplay you’re after, I’d suggest just diving into MyUniverse instead. It offers a similar sandbox experience but with way more freedom and creativity. MyGM, for all its potential, just ends up being kind of a snooze.

The Island

I’ll keep this section short and to the point: The Island doesn’t need to be here. I’m all for community-based game modes, but the structure here feels tedious at best. Being sent on aimless fetch quests—“Go talk to this person,” then “Go back to where you were,” then “Now go to the furthest corner of the map”—is more frustrating than fun. The Island is basically this game’s version of MyCity from NBA 2K, and unsurprisingly, it's received about the same—most players just don’t like it.

Is it a money grab? Maybe. But to be fair, nothing is outright forced—you can grind your way through it if you’ve got the patience. Like I said about MyFaction, the potential for a strong community-focused mode is absolutely there. But once again, it feels like they just missed the mark. Not by a lot—but enough that there’s really no compelling reason to spend time here in its current state.

Feedback

WWE 2K25 feels like a step in the right direction—but if there’s one area where the series could truly shine moving forward, it’s in building out more community-focused game modes. Right now, modes like MyFaction and The Island have the potential to bring players together, but they lack the depth and structure to make that connection feel meaningful. There’s so much opportunity to create leagues, tournaments, faction battles, and custom title competitions that reward creativity and collaboration.

Imagine a mode where factions could compete weekly for bragging rights, or where community-created storylines could be voted into limited-time showcases. That kind of interaction would breathe life into the game beyond just grinding for cards or chasing fetch quests.

That said, I do think WWE 2K25 is headed in the right direction. The return of promos, the massive improvements to MyUniverse, and the expanded customization options show that the devs are listening. With a bit more love given to how players connect and compete with each other, 2K could push this series into a golden era of wrestling games.

Verdict

WWE 2K25 isn’t perfect, but it’s the most fun I’ve had with the series in a long time. The improvements to MyRise and MyUniverse stand out, offering more depth and freedom than ever before. While modes like MyFaction, The Island, and MyGM still feel underdeveloped or misdirected, the foundation is solid—and clearly moving in the right direction. With a stronger focus on community-driven content, 2K could take things to the next level. For now, it’s an enjoyable and promising entry that’s worth your time, especially if you’re a fan of wrestling sandbox storytelling.

WWE 2k25 is available now for PC via Steam, Xbox Series X|S, and PS5.