WWE 2K25 is definitely a matter of when, not if. If the fact that it wasn’t an annual franchise wasn’t enough, Take-Two’s financial report in August mentioned WWE 2K25 releasing by the end of March 2025. This should surprise no one given that WWE 2K22, WWE 2K23, and WWE 2K25 all released in March of their respective years. Fans can also reasonably expect to hear news about the next title around the Royal Rumble, should this pattern hold.
Either way, a new year means a new WWE wrestling game, and given how hot the business has been lately, it’s certainly exciting. The “wrestling boom” is going strong, and it’ll be interesting to see how WWE 2K25 plays any sort of role in that. Roughly four months from its anticipated launch, here are my biggest wish list items.
Related
Red Dead Redemption 2 Arthur Morgan Actor Roger Clark Shares Hot Take About WWE’s Dominik Mysterio
Red Dead Redemption 2 star and pro wrestling fan Roger Clark shares his own hot take about current Judgement Day heel Dominik Mysterio.
WWE 2K24 Wish List for Each Game Mode
Showcase Mode – The main thing I want for WWE 2K25‘s Showcase Mode is a Bloodline focus. Listen, I am a major Cody Rhodes fan and was a little peeved when the Showcase Mode for WWE 2K24 (which he is on the cover of) ended with his loss to Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 39, but there’s no denying that the Bloodline is one of the best wrestling storylines of recent years, if not of all time. My thing is, if we wait for this new chapter of the Bloodline to close, that means a years-long wait and a standard-length Showcase Mode isn’t really going to capture all of its best moments. Instead, I hope WWE 2K25 presents a Bloodline Showcase Mode that covers Roman’s initial return at SummerSlam 2020, covering his historic reign until his loss to Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 40. Then, we can get an Original Tribal Chief Showcase Mode down the road, chronicling what has happened since WrestleMania 40 until whenever this wraps up.
Please, please, please, give me Paul Heyman narrating this Showcase when/if it happens in WWE 2K25 or beyond.
MyRise – I love choice-based games at large, and while WWE 2K24‘s MyRise presents a few choices, they’re largely just “Which storyline do you want to do next?” I would love it if each MyRise campaign had a more meaningful choice system and more meaningful storytelling, akin to the older WWE games. More complex storylines, more than just alternate routes, perhaps an overarching direction, and a way to define and encourage replayability would go a long way in MyRise. Also, while I really enjoy how WWE 2K24‘s Men’s MyRise story was somewhat tied to real life, with Roman Reigns’ historic title reign and all, I don’t think it’s necessary if removing that restraint made for more interesting wrestling stories.
MyGM – MyGM is my favorite mode. After completing everything else, it’s why I continue to boot the game up well after launch. Nothing beats kicking back, running a roster, and having fun with it to boot. Modifying the available roster for chaos (I once had it where all the dupes were on and just dupes, so matches were like Undertaker vs. Undertaker, John Cena vs. John Cena) or running Punk vs. McIntyre’s feud are all things I deeply enjoy. This makes it hard to add anything to my wish list for, honestly, as long as it keeps expanding and gaining parity with the rest of the game. I think making PLEs stand out and perhaps modulating the calendar system would go a long way. That said, if I had like one long-shot wish, it would be for scenarios to get official support in WWE 2K25 MyGM Mode. I’ve written ideas about WWE 2K25 MyGM scenarios before, but this could be supernatural takeovers, goals like winning a Unified Title belt, a ‘Road to WrestleMania’ like scenario, being a wrestling GM, etc.
MyFaction and Universe – I typically play these just for achievements and then move on, but I think just keeping these game modes on par with others would go a long way too.
Better stability for online matches would also likely go a long way, as this seems to be a constant struggle. And, of course, any improvements to its creative features are welcome too.
WWE 2K25: Beyond Game Modes
Crossover Content – With 2023’s TKO merger, I think it would be awesome to see crossover content between WWE games and UFC fighters. Of course, UFC games are pretty solid too, so the crossovers should be rather limited and special in my opinion.
Fan & Crowd Interactions – If nothing else, the number of overseas PLEs this year shows how awesome a crowd can be when it doesn’t get multiple WWE shows. Crowd and fan interaction is such an important part of WWE that I want to see it play a bigger role in games, beyond just making signs. I would love it if there was some way that interacting with chants during a match gave some kind of bonus. As a brief example, if a crowd is booing against a player’s heel (like Bronson Reed), I think players should be able to grab them and throw them as he did at Braun Strowman in real life. Or, it could be as simple as getting a finisher by grabbing a table to “We Want Table” chants. Some level of interactivity, akin to WWE 2K24‘s Trading Blows mini-game, would go a long way.
Give Me The Samoan Werewolf – As with every year, there are going to be a lot of changes to the launch roster. Several now-former WWE superstars have left the company this year, some of whom (like Ricochet) have gone to competitor AEW. But there are a lot of new superstars, too. WWE has signed quite a few new Legend deals this year and brought on new superstars like MCMG and, of course, the members of Solo’s Bloodline. I cannot understate how much I want to play as the Samoan Werewolf, Jacob Fatu, in WWE 2K25. However, I am not sure if he was signed early enough to make it into the WWE 2K25 base game.
In a previous interview with Game Rant, Visual Concepts creative director Lynell Jinks explained that it takes about nine months to get the game out the door and to first parties (for various testing and certification reasons), which happens around fall. That cut-off date, furthermore, is before Survivor Series, so anyone who debuts late summer or after the summer becomes really hard to get into the game. Fatu signed in April and debuted in June, so I am hoping that’s soon enough for the base game. If not, then I at the very least need him in the first DLC pack of WWE 2K25.
- Released
- March 8, 2024
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Blood, Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol, Violence
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong