I’ve been playing wrestling games for a long, long time. Wrestling has been my greatest love and my worst enemy. When 2K and Visual Concepts released WWE 2K20, it was as objective a disaster as it possibly could’ve been. Then, they took an extended hiatus and dropped 2K22. Which may have been lacking in content, but it was a step in the right direction! Then, 2K23 became the standard-bearer of the franchise. 2K24 was 2K23 but more refined. Now, with WWE 2K25? I can say that this, tragically, is the best of the series yet. Along that, however, comes a distinctive aura of having suffered from its own recent successes.
You see, I could sit here and itemize each game mode. Talk about the new Bloodline Rules match (which does, indeed, rule). The wonderful chaos of Universe Mode and the return of my beloved promos. The exceptional Bloodline Showcase that allows you to follow the script, change history, or even make your own little fantasy matches. But, instead, I want to talk about one of WWE 2K25‘s biggest and most talked-about features: The Island. (Which also emphasizes everything that leaves a sour taste in my mouth about this game.)
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So, the Island is a mode where you make a custom superstar and enter a social hub with unique districts, quests, and plenty of cosmetics and the like to purchase. When I popped in, I obviously had the Island all to myself. My personal pre-launch playground. Me, R-Truth, and the ever-present Tribal Chief himself: Roman Reigns. I did a few quests and messed around with some cosmetics. The longer I resided at the Island, the more I came to realize something. WWE 2K25 is a beautiful, well-presented, tightly packed product. And I have a problem with that.
‘wwe 2k25’ made me long for the unhinged insanity of older games
At the Island, you have to impress Roman Reigns through quests and other tasks. You can buy branded gear — Puma, Nike, the WWE Shop. I imagined the Island populated by many excitable players. Doing manufactured quests. Buying clothes to impress their friends — or total strangers, really. And that felt like a rather depressing endgame to the WWE 2K series. A social hub where purchasable incentives are constantly dangled above your head. What happened to that chaotic, wild child that had to fight for its spot?
Okay, okay. I’ll make it somewhat topical for y’all. WWE 2K25 is the 2010s John Cena of wrestling games. It’s (mostly) achieved everything it set out to do. It’s far and away one of the most successful staples of a long-standing institution. The mad lad can even still put on an amazing match! …But somewhere, you get the sense that there’s a lack of depth. It’s dependable, it’s put together well, but it’s also this vacant, smiling poster child that simply can’t be beaten. Competitors have tried, and competitors have failed — or couldn’t meet WWE 2K25 at its ascended platform.
it’s a great game i can only recommend to specific groups of people
Everything WWE 2K25 does rests at the peak of the series. Everything is carefully fine-tuned to an almost annoying degree. But it’s that mechanical near-perfection that just feels… hollow somehow. Perhaps it’s me. Maybe I’ve fallen out of the target demographic. Even then, there’s something existentially horrible about players running around what’s basically a corporate-run theme park where, somewhere in the distance, there’s a group of guys in suits with their hands neatly joined behind their backs, observing. Hoping they’ll join the rat race. That they’ll be enticed by badges, ranks, experience points, and VC.
It’s terrifying, in a way. Knowing WWE 2K25 will be successful despite itself. A few people might complain, sure. But by and large, folks will go crazy for the Island and all the other solid-to-great offerings. In fact, I can easily recommend WWE 2K25 to WWE megafans who buy merch and argue about their favorite wrestlers online. Or people who rarely buy wrestling games and just want to enjoy the spectacle of it all. But, at $70 (and more if you want the fancy editions)? I can’t comfortably tell someone who buys the WWE 2K games every year — or even every few years — that this is worth their time and money over the other excellent games that either have already come out or are on their way.
in conclusion
Don’t get me wrong: there’s nothing wrong with it if you happen to enjoy the pageantry of it all. WWE 2K25, I have to iterate, is a beautiful spectacle. Updated entrances, attires, and animations. Crowd-pleasing additions to celebrated modes. An “Eh” MyRise but a phenomenal Bloodline Showcase. The Is are dotted and the Ts are crossed. But in crafting the best version of itself, I wonder if its soul is still there.
Verdict: Recommend (To Newcomers and Hardcore WWE Fans); Wait For A Sale (To Familiar ‘WWE 2K’ Players)
WWE 2K25 releases in Early Access on March 7, 2025, with its full release set for March 14, 2025. It will be available on PC, PlayStation 4/5, and Xbox One/Series Consoles. A code was provided by the publisher for the sake of review. Reviewed on PS5.
