WWE 2K25 | 13 details you need to know
We recently attended a Q and A with the developers of WWE 2K25, and there were a lot of cool details revealed about the upcoming title. While they talked about many of the features already revealed, there were some titbits of information fans are going to be excited to hear about. With that in mind, here’re 13 details about WWE 2K25 you’re going to want to know.
The Island is bringing wrestling to video games
Andrea Listenberger, Senior Narrative Designer at Visual Concepts and a former writer on WWE Smackdown, is the main writer of the new mode. While we didn’t get a ton of details about what the story is about, she did say “it’s not like anything you’ve seen in MyRISE.” While MyRISE is still a part of WWE 2K25, the story of the island is more like bringing wrestling to video games. We’ll let you dive into what that means, but she did say it was the reverse of MyRISE that has always focused on bringing video games to wrestling.
The soundtrack is getting some “deeper cuts” this year
We’ve had some pretty good tracks in the WWE soundtrack over recent years, and this year looks no different. Al Stavola at 2K alluded some this year featuring some “deeper cuts” from WWE’s music catalogue. It makes you wonder if we’re getting some Jim Johnson classics, or maybe some songs synonymous with famous WWE promos such as ‘My Way’ by Limp Bizkit? Who knows, but the possibilities are exciting. It’s also worth mentioning that custom soundtracks still aren’t a part of the game, but that’s a decision that doesn’t lie with 2K, and that decision is far above their pay grade.
The Underground match type involve a lot of reworked mechanics
WWE 2K25 features some new match types that change the way in-ring action plays out. For example, the Underground match sees a ring without ring posts and ropes. Derek Donahue, Lead Combat Designer at Visual Concepts said “the idea of a ring without ropes has completely upended how combat works in the game, and that’s something you’re going to feel immediately when you get into the match. The interactions at the edge of the ring are completely reworked and this is something that helps both underground matches and fighting outside the arena in brawl arenas.” The crowds will also react differently during these matches as well, with fans banging on the mat, bringing carnage to the arena.
What exactly is involved in the Bloodline Rules match type?
We’ve all seen the Bloodlines Rules match in WWE 2K25, famously closing out last year’s WrestleMania, but how does it work in the confines of WWE 2K25? While it does indeed feature no DQ etc, there’s a mechanic that allows each Superstar a total of three run-ins during the match, which takes the form of a Payback ability. Once you reach the right number of gauges to use a run-in, someone can be called out to help with the Bloodlines Rules match.
There’re exclusive titles for Intergender Wrestling
Derek also revealed that there will be titles to unlock that both male and female Superstars can compete for, which is pretty cool as not even WWE has them initiated in their own titles. There will also be some other options with regards to Intergender Wrestling that unlock the more you play, but these details were kept under wraps.
Barricade dives have their own allocated move sets
For those of you looking forward to dive off of the barricades in WWE 2K25, some details were revealed about moves being initiated from the barricades. Superstars will have their own move sets when it comes to jumping of barricades. The LED boards that surround the ring these days in WWE will also begin to get damaged the more players are thrown into them, adding yet another sense of reality to in-ring action.
MyGM getting cross-brand PLEs and trading
MyGM has come along way since it was introduced, and during the Q and A, Alan Flores, Design Director at Visual Concepts said “we’re also adding Cross brand PLEs, too, which sort of plays into the betrayal part, because now you sort of like can put your own superstars against each other, I guess. We have a bunch of new GM’s, a bunch of new dramas involved as well. So there’s gonna be a lot of backstabbing a lot, of complaining superstars. You know, people trying to trade each other. All that type of stuff is going to be featured in it.”
2K Showcase is getting rid of Slingshot technology and bringing back full cutscenes
The balance between playing 2K Showcase and watching real-life footage has received positive and negative feedback since its inception. This year, Slingshot tech has been removed in favour of allowing players to play the entire matches. Dino Zucconi, Designer at Visual Concepts, said “We wanted the emphasis on showcase this year to really be more about playing than it is watching, and I think that was kind of what we were hearing the last few years. So this time we want to really give it back to the player.”
There will be three outcomes for matches in 2K Showcase
Dino continued to elaborate on what we would be getting from the 2K Showcase mode in WWE 2K25 which features on the Bloodline. He said there would be a three-prong approach. You can finish each match how it finished in real-life, try to change these matches by getting the other person or team to win, and play out dream matches featuring Superstars from the extended Anoa’i family. We don’t know the full roster yet, but I am praying for Haku to come back to WWE 2K. Damn, I should’ve asked!
Many match types will include Intergender options
If you want to relive R-Truth entering the Royal Rumble, well now you can. There are no restrictions on what Superstars can compete in any match, but the game doesn’t force it on you. If you want to have women competing in men’s matches, or men competing in women’s matches, the option is there. The only restriction is the Mixed Tag match as that features a strict rule set.
Backstage Brawls can now have 8 players involved
There have been some restrictions in the past that has meant these epic brawls backstage can’t go above a certain limit of Superstars, but now there can be a total of 8 involved. This is going to mean some crazy moments unravelling as you have plenty of carnage going off on screen at any one moment.
The third-person cam is going to be revolutionary
Initially added to follow Superstars out as they make their entrances this year, 2K has embodied the third-person cam and taken it into every match imaginable, including backstage brawls and Hell in a Cell. Derek said “when you’re climbing the top rope, when you’re running on ringside, when you’re climbing to the top of a Hell in a Cell, being able to follow the character all the way up there, and really feel like you’re embodying them rather than the standard kind of broadcast view, or the classic grand cam broadcast view that we’ve we’ve had previously.”
He continued to talk about how this works with control changes. “So it’s just a whole new way of kind of playing and immersing yourself in the game. It’s had some control challenges. For sure, the right stick controls the camera, but it also does other things in game, other things in gameplay, and I think we found a really nice compromise with the way that it works with. There’s just one new button you have to press to kind of unlock those right stick actions, but normally right stick is going to control your camera. It takes like a second to get used to, but once it clicks you’re just playing the game like you normally were, with a totally new view.”
The new ‘Giant’ archetype adds a brand new way to play
Where previously there have been 4 archetypes in wrestling, the new giant one brings new ways to both play as and face. They have an additional health bar, but they can’t do any high-flying spots, and combos are going to be limited due to more stamina being needed to initiate them.
WWE 2K25 will release on March 14, 2025 for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC.
