As is the Road to WrestleMania, we are now finally on the Road to WWE 2K25, which releases on March 14, 2025, or with Early Access on March 7, for those who purchase the digital-only Deadman or The Bloodline Editions.
In our first stop on that road to release, we want to take some time to break down some exciting new gameplay updates that you can expect when firing up WWE 2K25 for the first time.
In this steam article, we’re going to be covering off:
- Intergender Matches
- Chain Wrestling
- Submission Mini-Game
- Barricade Interactions
- Ladder Match Updates
- New Third-Person Camera
- AI Settings for Movesets
INTERGENDER MATCHES
Fans have been clamoring for it for years and we’re ecstatic to finally bring you intergender matches this year for the first time in WWE 2K franchise history.
The ability to match up WWE Superstars and Legends from both the men’s and women’s divisions, opens up a lot of opportunities within the game, whether you’re taking on friends in local or online play, or expanding your creative ideas in Universe, the possibilities are exciting with support in various areas of the game.
Want to pit the “9th Wonder of the World” Chyna against “Latino Heat” Eddie Guerrero? Or how about revisiting Nia Jax entering the Men’s Royal Rumble? It’s all possible in WWE 2K25.
Intergender matches are supported for nearly every match type including 1v1, tag-team, triple threat, Battle Royal, Guest Referee, Underground, Casket Match, Tournaments, and more.
For tag team matches, you still have the ability to choose the traditional mixed-match setup, but can also now add a regular 2v2 where the men and the women can battle it out in the ring, without having to tag out to their respective partners.
The inclusion of intergender match support also extends to some non-traditional parts of the game such as Championships.
Custom Championships can be set up to support both the men and the women so it can be put up in intergender title matches which also includes the ability to set up intergender tag team titles. So if you want to create new intergender championships and crown Rhea Ripley and Damian Priest as champs, you can do that too.
There are a couple of existing championships such as the 24/7, UpUpDownDown, and LeftRightLeftRight titles that will also support both divisions.
CHAIN WRESTLING RETURNS
We had been hearing from many of our fans that there was a desire for Chain Wrestling to return to the WWE 2K franchise and we’re happy to announce it is indeed back!
For the uninitiated, Chain Wrestling is a test of technical skill that often occurs at the start of 1v1 matches, with competitors trading holds back-and-forth to inflict damage and prove who is the most proficient wrestler. In WWE 2K25, wrestlers start the match with a Chain Wrestling buff which will trigger this mechanic from a Grapple.
The Chain Wrestling mini-game has been updated to provide more control. Each player will select the action they want to perform, such as Switch to a new hold, Wrench in the current hold, or Drive to the ropes. Then, a hotspot mini-game determines who will win the hold and perform their selected action.
Chain Wrestling won't occur in non-standard match types, or in matches involving the new "Giant" archetype. It can also be customized in the Gameplay Settings.
It’s a highly-requested addition to the gameplay experience that adds to the realism and authenticity of a WWE match.
ALTERNATE SUBMISSION MINI-GAME IS BACK
Speaking of mini-games, we’ve updated our Submission Mini-Game to offer an alternative to the button-mashing option.
In WWE 2K25, you can now switch things up and use the slider-based mini-game which prompts players to use the left and right triggers to move the slide around the circle shown on-screen.
Your opponent will of course try to move their slider out of the way while it’s up to you to try and overlap it to either escape (if you’re on the receiving end), or get them to tap out (if you’re on offense).
The button mash option is still there of course for those that prefer that method.
BARRICADE CLIMBING
Jumping off things is always a fun visual and this year we’re adding a few extra wrinkles to this part of the game.
Over the years we’ve seen WWE Superstars such as Kofi Kingston make use of the barricades around the ring to gain a heightened advantage and launch themselves at their opponents for an aerial assault. And while we’ve given players the ability to use them to throw or slam their foes onto them, this year we’re taking it a step further, or higher in this case.
A variety of barricade styles are supported and you’ll now be able to climb on top and pull off a move depending on the moveset of the Superstar you have chosen or how you’ve customized your dives. You can even walk along the barricade like a balance beam to set up your dive.
Similar to the top rope, the barricade can be climbed facing forward or backward. When standing below an opponent who is on the barricade, players can perform new contextual attacks to bring them crashing down to ringside. Some of these attacks can transition into Carry, allowing you to pull someone off of the barricade and then slam them into the ringpost or onto the apron!
Another new feature of barricades is the ability to damage the LEDs for those that have them. A strong Irish Whip or an attack against those LEDs could cause them to break and pixelate.
LADDER MATCH UPDATES
Ladder matches, known for their high stakes and high levels of mayhem, have received some updates in WWE 2K25 as well.
In WWE 2K25 we have completely re-designed the mini-game in a way that better captures the tension and drama of a typical ladder match. This new mini-game is broken down into multiple stages, with each new stage bringing the player one step closer victory. As part of the mini-game players are prompted to press a series buttons before the timer expires. Succeed and move onto the next stage, while failure will send you back to the beginning. And in an all new twist, players can continue playing the game while hanging from the prize.
To start, there is a new mini-game when reaching for the briefcase that will now prompt players to press corresponding buttons before the timer runs out, with all-new animations. In addition, players who find themselves hanging from the object above the ring while the ladder has fallen down, can still attempt to win the match!
Lastly, adding to the fun, finishers and signatures can now be activated from the top of the ladder for Superstars who have those as part of their movesets from the top rope. Eddie Guerrero for instance can do his Frog Splash while “Macho Man” Randy Savage can pull off the Big Elbow or Double Axe Handle from the top of the ladder.
THIRD PERSON CAMERA OPTION
Finally, we have the debut of the new third-person camera in WWE 2K25 that opens up creative ways to experience gameplay. Whether you’re a content creator or simply like to mix things up, the new camera controls bring the game to life in a new way.
When activated, players can control an over-the-shoulder camera that follows your chosen Superstars where they go. With the right analog stick, you can rotate the camera around the Superstar or angle it high or low.
This can be accomplished both during an entrance, which will come up as an option once it begins, or during a match. As part of the presentation, you can either turn on the Third-Person Camera in the pause menu or before a match begins.
This movement of the camera during a match can be pulled off at any time. To perform an action using Right Stick such as pinfall or picking up your opponent, simply hold the Right Trigger before flicking the analog stick.
In practice, it’s a really cool way to show off different angles and putting you in the director’s chair of a show. We can’t wait to see how players make use of it once the game is available.
AI SETTINGS FOR MOVESETS
The WWE 2K franchise has long featured deep customization of superstar movesets, with hundreds of slots to assign strikes, grapples, and dives for every situation. This year, WWE 2K25 takes this system a step further by empowering players to customize how and when AI performs their assigned moveset attacks.
When viewing a move assignment in Create-A-Moveset, players will see a new option to edit the AI Settings for that specific move. This allows you to adjust the Priority, Repetition, and Timing settings for the attack.
Priority: This setting adjusts how likely AI will be to perform the move in general. When set to Preferred, AI will have a higher chance of performing the attack. When set to Favorite, AI will try their best to perform the move at least once during the match, performing any setup necessary. The Low and Very Low settings will de-prioritize this move.
Repetition: By default, AI tries not to repeat an attack too soon after it was performed. This setting modifies that behavior. For example you can discourage any repeats at all, or encourage AI to perform the attack multiple times in a row.
Timing: This setting allows AI to be particular about the “phase” of the match in which a move should be performed. Some moves make more sense in the Early phase of the match, while other moves should be saved until the Late phase of a match when both superstars have been worn down.
AI Settings are available for over 150 moveset slots including springboards, dives, and submissions. Since AI Settings are saved as part of movesets, they are fully supported by Community Creations.
We have so much more to talk about but we’ll save it for another time! We will cover different game modes, match types, and more so stay tuned.