WWE 2K25 review: Keeps getting better in the squared circle

WWE 2K25 has arrived and despite not expecting much from this year's release, yet again, I’ve been pleasantly surprised at how developer Visual Concepts has continued to knock it out of the park.

As with WWE 2K24, in terms of gameplay, Visual Concepts hasn't messed around too much with the formula which feels like the right call. Returning players will feel right at home with this year's release but will no doubt appreciate the subtle improvements made, as well as some new additional features and modes.

One of the best elements of this series is its pick-up-and-play approach with just about anyone able to pick up WWE 2K25 regardless of experience. That being said, the move-list is so deep that it more than has enough to satisfy those looking for a simulation approach.

Check out the WWE 2K25 trailer below!

When it comes to the in-ring action of WWE 2K25, one of the first improvements that I noticed is the weight detection between classes. If you’re a 5ft 6in Rey Mysterio running at 7ft 3in Omos, you’re going to be knocked on your ass and you won’t be pulling off a Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant-style bodyslam.

On the flip side, don’t expect giant Superstars to perform over-the-top high-flying moves. Sure, they’ll be able to climb the turnbuckle post but they’ll be a lot more heavy-footed than a smaller Superstar. They also won't be able to unleash fast combos and will be limited with what high-risk moves they can perform. The limited high-risk moves or combos as a giant will deplete your stamina more than smaller wrestlers at the expense of dealing more damage.

This is where a tactical approach comes into play. Rey Mysterio will have to rely on his speed to counterattack a much larger Superstar as well as utilising his arsenal of flamboyant high-flying moves to chop down the likes of Omos. You can turn weight detection off but you’d be taking away a fantastic mechanic.

Chain wrestling has also returned for the first time since WWE 2K20. Chain wrestling can be initiated at the beginning of a normal match by grappling and then holding down the grappling button. This will kick start a chain of grapples between the two players trying to gain an advantage early on by winning an analogue-sensitive QTE segment.

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Outside of the ring, you can climb on the barricade that separates the crowd from the ring and unleash even more high-flying attacks. This has been something missing in the series for years and fans of Jeff and Matt Hardy (sadly not in the game) will very much appreciate this new feature.

One other improvement that I noticed is the extra detail when it comes to blood, bruises and welts that dynamically change during the match. Blood, bruises and welts are not entirely new in the series but in WWE 2K25, blood spills more accurately as well as staining the canvas, and the added detail of dynamic welts on a Superstar after being slammed through a table reflects the real-life aspect more than ever.

A new addition that the content-creating community will appreciate is the third-person camera. In WWE 2K24, players were given the freedom of manoeuvring the camera how they pleased. Now, with the additional third-person camera, your videos can look even more impressive, especially if you want something extra special when uploading Superstar entrances for the community to see.

Perhaps the biggest change to this year's in-ring action is intergender wrestling. For the first time in the WWE 2K series, men and women can fight each other, and that includes mixed-gender Royal Rumbles. So if you ever wanted to see real-life married couple Seth Rollins vs. Becky Lynch or Bianca Belair vs. Montez Ford, now is your chance.

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Visually, WWE 2K25 is a vast improvement with much more fluid animations. A Superstar's likeness reflects their real-life counterpart more than ever. Just look up Cody Rhodes from last year and compare it to this year, and you’ll see what I mean. Moreover, it will never get tiresome seeing Jacob Fatu do his Boogeyman-inspired twitches after delivering a devastating Samoan Drop.

WWE 2K25 also brings two new match types, Underground and Bloodline Rules. Underground is a fairly unique match where the ring has no ropes, just a padded turnbuckle in each of the four corners. It has a moody atmosphere with darkened arena lights and NPCs on the edge of the ring smashing the apron and reacting to the action.

You can only win an Underground match via knockout or submission. While you can get disqualified for pummeling your opponent with a steel chair, the referee is a little more lenient compared to a standard match and they won’t DQ you straight away. I’ve probably played about 10 Underground matches so far and not only do they feel like a worthy addition, but it pretty much nails the vibe of the real-life match.

As for Bloodline Rules, which was a fancy way of saying a no-rules between Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 40, the version in WWE 2K25 is a little different. Yes, it has no DQ, so anything goes. However, you can summon up to three AI-controlled Superstars to the ring to help you get the victory but your opponent will also be able to do the same.

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In theory, this sounds like a lot of fun. But as I found out, if your opponent summons one or two call-outs before you do, it’s all-out chaos, but not always in the best way. When the CPU opponent did this to me, it was very frustrating. Even when one Superstar is called to the ring (as well as your standard opponent), the spamming of attacks can make it unnecessarily difficult to call out help.

Worse still, it felt like the AI wasn't quite there to cope with the chaos of a Bloodlines Rules match. The AI was all over the place at times and couldn't decide what it wanted to do, other than spam attacks. There were even instances when the AI was breaking up its own team members' pinfall. I can see what Visual Concepts is trying to do with Bloodlines Rules but I feel it’s not quite there just yet.

‘The Island’ is a brand new mode in WWE 2K25, inspired by Roman Reigns’ “Island of Relevancy”, and is exclusive to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. The storyline focus is to win an opportunity to be in Roman Reign’s Bloodline faction.

‘The Island’ is an online hub which can host up to 50 players and is similar to The Tower in Destiny. The Island has different districts inspired by Roman Reigns and his Anoaʻi family bloodline as well as Undertaker, Rey Mysterio and the Damage Ctrl faction. You can partake in quests and challenge other players for exclusive rewards. You will also have a custom-created wrestler that you can kit out with cosmetics courtesy of unlockable rewards and purchases via the in-game currency.

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I’ll admit, ‘The Island’ isn't my cup of tea. I quickly got bored after seeing the sights and it was disappointing not being able to import my created Superstar from MyRISE. What’s more, The Island is microtransaction-heavy with additional cosmetic gear and many of the prices feel very unreasonable.

You can earn in-game currency via quests but it is very grindy and it feels lacking without having WWE characters voiced by their real-life Superstars, unlike the MyRISE. Again, I can see what Visual Concepts is trying to achieve with ‘The Island’ but it needs more features, more areas to explore, and for rewards to be less grindy.

My favourite mode in any WWE 2K game is its Showcase. Whether it’s one dedicated to John Cena in 2K23 or ‘40 Years of WrestleMania’ in 2K24. This year, it’s all about the Anoaʻi family, the greatest bloodline in pro wrestling history gracing us with the likes of the Wild Samoans, The Usos, Roman Reigns, Nia Jax, The Rock and many more.

In the ‘Bloodline Dynasty’ Showcase, we live through some of the most iconic moments in Anoaʻi history, from The Rock’s debut as a young blue chipper at Survivor Series 1996, to Nia Jax’s victory at the Queen of the Ring in 2024, and the epic match between Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins at Royal Rumble in 2022.

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You will relive historic moments or in some cases, have the chance to rewrite history. Better still, the Showcase campaign is narrated by Paul Heyman aka Roman Reigns’ wiseman, one of the greatest minds and storytellers in pro wrestling. He is also joined by members of the Bloodline to provide an added insight to specific chapters. I probably say this every year, but this is my favourite Showcase to date.

Elsewhere, the Universe mode that essentially lets you run TV-produced shows such as Raw and Smackdown as well as PLEs is bigger than ever, not only taking advantage of the large roster and match types, but promo segments have returned offering branching story paths.

In MyGM, you can now compete against other players online to see who can run the most successful show by bringing in weekly viewers and revenue. We now have more shows, PLEs, Superstars and managers to give us the best chance of defeating the competition. But you should take note that recruiting the most popular Superstars does not guarantee success. Managing morale, as well as finances and pairing the best Superstars in matches, is essential.

MyRISE, the create-a-wrestler campaign, has now integrated male and female creations rather than having one for each. Without giving too much away, MyRISE’s story tells one of an NXT invasion, and you, as the new recruit, will work alongside Superstars such as CM Punk to save WWE. From its branching storyline and voiced Superstars, it’s clear that Visual Concepts has put more work into making MyRISE even better this year.

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Then we have MyFACTION, where we build our dream teams to compete against CPU opponents or players online. Weekly and daily challenges offer new rewards to acquire such as alternative Superstar skins that can be used across all modes. MyFACTION is a lot of fun, as long as you can avoid the temptation of improving your teams by spending real-world money and instead grind for in-game currency if you have the patience for that.

It can feel overwhelming with all the modes in WWE 2K25, especially those that are surprisingly deep, and that’s not even taking into account the ever-impressive creation suite which continues to be one of the best of its kind. That being said, don't feel begrudged if you don't lose yourself in all modes, because the chances are that you’ll probably connect with half of what the game offers and that’s fine.

Visual Concepts has nailed its winning formula as it ascends the mountaintop and continues its role as the standard-bearer of pro wrestling games. WWE 2K25 is a fine example of knowing what makes a series a success, honing in on that but still offering plenty of new (and improved) content to keep players engaged.

While Visual Concepts hasn't hit a home run with The Island and the Bloodline Rules match, there is something new for the studio to build on going into next year and beyond. Inside the squared circle, WWE 2K25 is not only the absolute best pro wrestling game today, but it’s arguably the best pro wrestling game ever.

Pros: Best looking game in the series, immersive modes, fun gameplay, arguably best Showcase yet

Cons: The Island is a miss with grindy formula and emphasis on microtransactions

For fans of: Pro Wrestling, fighting games

8/10: Excellent

WWE 2K25 is out now for PC, PlayStation 5 (version tested), PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One. Read a guide to our review scores here.