ComingSoon recently got to attend the 2025 Royal Rumble and go hands-on with WWE 2K25 for four hours. Following a rough first attempt (WWE 2K20) that required a year away and much retooling, developer Visual Concepts has been on a roll with the series, constantly refining the core gameplay in what had traditionally been a fun yet sloppy experience. While the early build I played still had the occasional funny animation, WWE 2K25 is the most polished game in the franchise.
What really impressed me was the small tweaks to the core gameplay that made it really enjoyable. For example, chain wrestling is back, allowing your technique to really shine at the start of a match. It’s done similarly to before, with you choosing different strategies and then finding a “hot spot” with your analog stick in order to pull it off. The trading blows mini-game from 2K24 also returns with a major presentation upgrade, as these situations look great and feature dynamic camera angles. It all adds to an already fun experience that is really coming together and reaching its full potential.
One addition that I definitely need more time with is the new third-person camera view. Yes, you can wrestle as if WWE 2K25 was an action game and use the right analog stick to control the camera from behind your back. I only did one match like this, and it was an interesting, novel way to play, but after decades of playing these games, I wasn’t ready to fully convert how I played. The implementation allows for some cool ideas in the future, and I wonder if this will play into the career mode, which we weren’t able to check out.
I did get to check out two new brawl locations, though, which include the hilariously meta NXT Parking Lot (the most dangerous place in all of wrestling) and the WWE Archives. Both were great locations, but I really just adored the WWE Archives, as the stage features a ton of references to past wrestling gimmicks and is sure to trigger a nostalgia wave for any longtime fan. While checking out the brawls, I was also able to experience another new addition, which is intergender matches. While blood is disabled during these (although women can now bleed against other women in matches), it’s very cool that you can now relive moments like Nia Jax entering the Men’s Royal Rumble and come up with dream matches.
Finally, I got to check out the new 2K Showcase mode, which is titled The Bloodline’s Dynasty. It’s all centered around cover star Roman Reigns and his family’s legacy in wrestling. There’s a neat gimmick in this one, as matches fall under three types: relive history, change history, and create history. Relive is the typical match where you recreate historic moments from the past, such as Nia Jax defeating Lyra Valkyria to become Queen of the Ring. Meanwhile, change history saw Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins’ battle at the 2022 Royal Rumble feature a different outcome, and create history had a dream match between The Wild Samoans and The Dudley Boyz. It’s a fun way to keep the mode varied and I’m excited to dive into it more besides the three matches I got to check out.
WWE 2K25 Preview: Final Verdict
I had a great time getting to check out the early build of WWE 2K25. It’s shaping up to be the most dynamic and fun game in the series from a gameplay standpoint. While I didn’t get to check out many different modes that the full game will offer, it’s clear that Visual Concepts’ additional polish is really starting to shine through.
Disclaimer: 2K provided travel and lodging for our WWE 2K25 preview.
