When Visual Concepts and 2K pulled back the curtain on WWE 2K25, I was astounded to see Solo Sikoa’s Bloodline in the game. It makes sense because they all debuted in late spring/early summer 2024, but Superstars like Jacob Fatu would have been enough to get me (and many others) to buy DLC. Indeed, one of the best things to come out of the post-WrestleMania 40 world and Solo’s Bloodline is the WWE debut of Jacob Fatu. It’s no secret that WWE has something special on its hands with the Samoan Werewolf, especially with an eventual dream match between him and Roman Reigns, but it also makes WWE 2K25 feel even more special.
It couldn’t be a proper Bloodline-focused WWE 2K game if the latest developments in that storyline weren’t available, and at the same time, WWE 2K25 takes it a step further by looking at prior members of this family tree like the Wild Samoans too. When I visited Indianapolis, Indiana, to play WWE 2K25, I was hoping Jacob Fatu would be playable in the demo build, and indeed he was. The demo build also included Afa, Sika, Roman Reigns, Jey Uso, Jimmy Uso, The Rock, and Solo Sikoa, meaning Sami Zayn, Tonga Loa, and Tama Tonga were the only “modern” Bloodline reps missing from the build. So, when I put the Underground match through its paces, I decided to run this Bloodline “gauntlet” with Jacob Fatu.
WWE 2K25 Underground: The Bloodline Gauntlet
I went through the list, completing the following Underground matches in alphabetical order:
- Jacob Fatu vs. Afa
- Jacob Fatu vs. Jey Uso
- Jacob Fatu vs. Jimmy Uso
- Jacob Fatu vs. The Rock
- Jacob Fatu vs. Roman Reigns
- Jacob Fatu vs. Sika
- Jacob Fatu vs. Solo
How Underground Matches Work in WWE 2K25
Underground matches remove the ropes around the ring, having NPCs surround the ring on the outside. This creates some interesting interactions at the edge of the ring since there’s no real apron, such as someone teetering on the edge. During key moments of the match, the immediate NPC audience will slam their hands on the outer ring. When ringside, these NPCs will move out of the way and “ghost” through the player and opponent’s models.
The only way to win an Underground match in WWE 2K25 is either through knockout or submission. When players are in danger of being knocked out, typically delivered via finishers or signature moves, the stamina bar changes to showcase a “DANGER” status. It’s simple, iterative, and not necessarily revolutionary, but it’s a fun addition to change up the typical gameplay of recent WWE 2K games.
Taking the Werewolf Underground
As I loaded into my first match against Afa, it took a minute to get acclimated to the changes around the ring. They are rather simple, but it does make players reconsider how they approach the match. Any WWE 2K high-flyers or Superstars whose moves use the ropes are immediately at a disadvantage, and while I knew it going into the match, I was still a bit sad that I couldn’t use Jacob’s moonsault. Still, where the Underground match shined is in making a rather standard match seem more dangerous than normal. Falls count anywhere, so getting Jacob outside the ring easier is only worse for his enemies. It’s not like the match itself ratchets up the difficulty of a match, but the set-up goes a long way in immersing players in the danger of it all.
For example, an Irish whip now sees opponents teeter on the edge of the ring, which is a prime opening to knock them to ringside. Diving from the ledge to hit the enemy is faster, quicker, and as deadly as it should be. Jacob Fatu is absolutely the type of wrestler to take this risk, so it worked well in bringing out the power of the Samoan Werewolf. Through our matches, we also learned that Jacob Fatu has a taunt where he puts his hands together in prayer, and “I love you, Solo!” can be heard. That’s a Jacob thing, of course, but we really felt like the Samoan Werewolf was unleashed.
Because falls count anywhere in Underground matches, players can also go up the ramp and fight on a mostly empty stage. It would have been great for more match dressing to be set around here, but it was still a lot of fun to take Roman Reigns out there later to really put in the fight. Repeating this match type, of course, meant we quickly figured out the most effective way to win it. Players can put it on higher difficulties, of course, but the easiest way to win is to use a signature move after weakening the opponent to put them into a Danger status. After that, it takes one finisher to bring the match to an end. Overall, it’s a new match type for WWE 2K25, but it’s not something that’s meant to define the game. It’s a nice little bonus at the end of the day.
There is only one interaction we had in Underground matches that left a little to be desired. Jacob has a running move where he basically grabs, dives, and wildly throws his opponent into the air with reckless abandon. The opposing Superstar is basically rag-dolled into the air, and it’s such a fun move to perform. Of course, if this happened in real life near the edge of the ring, the opponent would go flying out and probably be seriously injured. In a game, it would have been fun to see this move ragdoll the opponent to the outside. Unfortunately, although the ropes are not there, the edge of the ring still serves as a barrier. No matter how many times we tried it, performing this move near the edge of the ring always saw the opponent thrown into the air and unnaturally land at that edge. The ropes are not there, sure, but the barrier they represent still is in terms of gameplay limitations outside a few new interactions.
Overall, though, Underground matches are a fun addition but ultimately a supplemental match type to all the new content in WWE 2K25. They were fun, and Jacob Fatu really shined in gameplay. We immediately went to a standard match to do his moonsault. Still, our eyes are on Sami and the Tongans. When WWE 2K25 releases, we will finish our Bloodline gauntlet and live out our hope of Jacob Fatu one day taking the mantle of Tribal Chief (War Chief?).
Game Rant was provided travel and lodging for the purposes of this preview.