Professional wrestling and video games go hand-in-hand. After decades of playing some of the best wrestling video games in the world, WWE is offering its latest edition with WWE 2K25. Released on Friday, March 14, the game is seeing strong reactions from critics but also some concerns around the monetization practices becoming all too common in 2K sports games.
Metacritic is a video game platform that gathers reviews from major outlets and everyday gamers playing the game. The scores fluctuate as games come up, but as of this release, WWE 2K25 has an 82/Generally Favorable rating – which is a strong start for the game.
For those who played WWE 2K24, many of the best aspects of that game stay the same, with a few minor tweaks. The gameplay and presentation still look excellent, bringing all the biggest aspects of WWE’s global presence to the screen. The performers look remarkably close to their real-life counterparts. Plus, the in-ring action is still fantastic. The pacing of the matches flows well and closely mimics what is seen on television.
WWE 2K25 offers a number of game modes to keep players busy. Players can hop into exhibition matches, online play, General Manager modes, and create-a-character-based storylines as well. Much of this stays the same in WWE 2K24, except for one major area which is causing the biggest outcry.
WWE 2k25 comes with growing concerns about monetization
The “Island of Relevancy” is now more than just a phrase from Roman Reigns and Paul Heyman. It’s become WWE’s version of the “Neighborhood” from the NBA 2K series. The biggest problem with that is those games are packed with so much monetization opportunities that it has become one of the biggest critiques of the series. This iteration for WWE 2K is certainly heading in that same direction.
While there was certainly a level of care built into the island, which fans can see from easter eggs in each section, fans are right to have a concern about the play-to-win mechanics. Grinding at the game is an option, but experience points and VC (the in-game currency) grow at a snail’s pace. All of that can be avoided by dropping in real-life money to build up your character. This matters because the Island includes player-ranking, which is based on wins and losses. If you run into a maxed-out character and you’re just getting started, it doesn’t matter how well you play, you’re probably going to lose that match.
There’s more concern that if the Island becomes a popular addition to the game, it will influence publishers (the businesspeople in the room) to place more emphasis on it rather than other aspects of the game. A real concern as monetization gets a further grip on the games industry.
Overall, there’s a lot to like about WWE 2K25, and it is understandable why the initial reviews are so strong. The Island is packed with monetization, which will turn some people off in the long term. However, it hasn’t taken away from the overall game experience, which is strong upon release.
