The Nintendo Switch and WWE games have not had a great history together, with WWE 2K18 being the last mainline entry in the series (besides WWE 2K Battlegrounds) to appear on the system, due to the poor port quality of WWE 2K18. 2K Sports releases on Switch have often had to be hampered and based on last-gen console versions at best, so the WWE bowed out completely after that, probably for the better.
That has all changed now, though, with the much more powerful Nintendo Switch 2. WWE 2K25 has received a port for the system, which is a massive improvement and finally brings the full WWE experience to Nintendo consoles.
The power of the Switch 2 is exponentially better than its predecessor, enabling the system to not only have many more games ported to it but also maintain visual quality comparable to platforms like the PS5 or Xbox Series X. In fact, most of the time these visuals fall somewhere in between what would have been PS4 and PS5 level graphics, which is quite impressive for a hybrid system like the Switch 2. WWE 2K25 for the other platforms once again took things to the next level visually, ensuring that each wrestler added to the game looks as good as possible, often by scanning the wrestlers directly to achieve an accurate depiction in-game. The Switch 2 may not quite reach the levels of, say, the PS5’s version this year, but it’s still rather impressive and looks fantastic in action, even with the concessions they had to make for the less powerful platform. This is the case both in docked and in handheld, with the lighting and level of detail in the character models being minimally different.
Considering how many ports on the original Switch performed in handheld mode, I was very interested to see how WWE 2K25 would perform. Not only did the game look great, but the performance was top-notch, with a solid 60fps frame rate that I didn’t notice dropping below, even if only slightly. Considering how crazy some action can get in this game with War Games matches and ring-filled Royal Rumbles, the consistent frame rate was pretty amazing. The only downside is that it would cut to 30fps during various in-game cutscenes, so you have to be ready for that.
For those expecting WWE 2K25 on Nintendo Switch 2 to be an all-inclusive version with the season pass content included, you will be left disappointed. Just like with the original release earlier this year, WWE 2K25 for Switch comes in three versions: the standard base version, the Deadman Edition, and the Bloodline Edition. Both of the premium editions include the season pass, with the Bloodline offering a bit more content, such as the Nation of Domination Rock, Action Figure Jey Uso and Roman Reigns, and an extra 100,000 VC to spend. While it may be a letdown for some, this is pretty understandable since the original release for other platforms just released back in March, and the Season Pass itself is still ongoing as we speak. If they had suddenly packaged everything into the base package on Switch 2, people on other platforms would have probably felt cheated.
If this is your first time playing WWE 2K25, this year’s game added a number of new features on top of upgrades to existing modes. One of the biggest was the inclusion of intergender wrestling, which fit perfectly for matchups like Rhea Ripley against Dominik Mysterio based on how that story was going prior. However, now I was much more excited to have CM Punk and Becky Lynch face off, considering how the current rivalries are going. In fact, I’m still waiting for a Community Creation for AJ Lee’s return look to pop up so I can do the upcoming mixed tag match between CM Punk/AJ Lee and Seth Rollins/Becky Lynch that will be taking place at Wrestlepalooza.
This year’s game also introduced a new submission mini-game that added even more intensity to every submission attempt. Returning was the much-requested chain wrestling, which allowed you to execute a chain wrestling mini-game up to two times each match. Within the chain wrestling, you will be fighting with the opponent by picking options like Switch, Drive, and Attack, and then picking more options like Wrench in what is quite an intricate system, but it pays great dividends when you use it correctly.
There were also a couple of new match types introduced with Bloodline Rules and Underground matches. Bloodline Rules works like most of the crazy matches involving the Bloodline over the last few years, where anything pretty much goes, as more allies can be called in to help throughout the match. Underground matches, on the other hand, are a lot more unique, as you get to wrestle in a ring without any ropes, where the crowd is right there in the midst of the action.
The massive roster of superstars included in the original release is still here, including over 300 different variations of wrestlers that you can eventually unlock. As mentioned before, if you have the season pass, you will also have immediate access to a number of already released DLC superstars like Stephanie Vaquer, Giulia, Penta, and even Shaquille O’Neal. In fact, there are still two more DLC packs to come as part of the season pass that will add additional wrestlers like Mark Henry and Jesse Ventura. Needless to say, there are plenty of different options to pick from on the roster as of this point.
Not only do you have plenty of wrestlers to choose from, but you’ve also got an abundance of different game modes and game types at your disposal in WWE 2K25. One of my personal favorites each year is the Showcase mode, this year titled The Bloodline Dynasty. This hybrid documentary/story mode lets you take part in 17 total matches in addition to the bonus opener that reenacts WrestleMania 40’s incredible title match.
From there, you are treated to interviews with people like “The Wiseman” Paul Heyman, Roman Reigns, and Solo Sikoa that are interspersed between matches spanning the decades of the Anoa’i, Fatu, and Malvia families that have been at the heart of the WWE over the years. This all starts with a match between Yokozuna and Hulk Hogan at King of the Ring 1993, and later includes matches such as Rocky Maivia vs. Hunter Hearst Helmsley from RAW 1997 and The Usos vs. The New Day at Hell in a Cell 2017. My favorites are some of the ones where you are asked to change history in the match, such as Umaga vs. John Cena at New Year’s Revolution 2007 or Rikishi vs. “Stone Cold’ Steve Austin at No Mercy 2000. What was really cool here is that the changing history matches weren’t always just as simple as, say, having Umaga win instead of John Cena. In the case of Rikishi, he was “arrested” during his match for trying to run over “Stone Cold” prior, but now you actually get to finish the match that never happened.
MyRise is also back with what was already one of the best story modes in years for the series. In this story, you get to play as a wrestler in both the Men’s and Women’s Division, and the two superstars you create end up having their stories intertwined, so you go back and forth between them after you start by being the #1 pick in the WWE Draft. The main story here is that a rival group known as NXT Mutiny pops up, featuring both young NXT superstars and several Red and Blue brand superstars who have roots in NXT and decide to join them instead. The goal is for NXT Mutiny to become the top brand at WWE, and it’s still a lot of fun to play through, even with knowing how the story beats are going to go this time around.
The most polarizing and significant letdown of WWE 2K25 was The Island, a new game mode that attempted to emulate what NBA 2K has done for years with The City, while also introducing some unique elements. The Island of Relevancy, where it takes place, is pretty cool. It’s complete with wrestling references all around the island, including places named after different wrestlers. However, the actual gameplay structure is where things take a major dive. Most of your experience is fetch quests that often feel totally like a waste of time, especially considering the outcomes of the quests here. You can’t even fast-travel around, either, which makes the overall experience just feel sluggish. In addition, this is a major area of the game where VC plays a part, with you having to spend way too much VC just to get any cosmetic items worth anything from the various shops, which you probably should save for leveling up instead. On the plus side, being able to be played on the go does add a little more appeal to this mode, as the grind for VC by doing the fetch quests isn’t quite as bad when you can multitask by doing something else. Even so, The Island is something that hopefully will be improved greatly upon by next year’s iteration, as it does have some potential.
There are even more game modes to choose from, such as MyGM mode, Universe Mode, and MyFaction, all of which were quite enjoyable. MyGM lets you take control of one of the brands between SmackDown, RAW, NXT, NXT 2.0, WCE, ECW, and even NXT Mutiny from My Rise and play GM as you organize matches to try to become the most successful brand from a business standpoint. Universe mode is sort of the other side of the coin, where you pick a superstar and play through their week-to-week story. Lastly, MyFaction is the card-collecting Ultimate Team variant that most games like this have. This is the most microtransaction involved mode, as you have to keep getting packs to upgrade, so your enjoyment may largely depend on how invested you’re going to be in that.
Community Creations are still fantastic in WWE 2K25, with people’s creativity really thriving through their bevy of creations. One downside here, though, is that, like the other platforms, there is no cross-platform sharing of community creations. This wasn’t as big a deal when the other platforms launched at the same time, but it would have been nice if they could have figured out how to connect them so that the Switch 2 would have access to the incredible creations from the past months from the get-go. Also, the Image Manager is not available in the Switch 2 version for some reason, which is a letdown. That said, there are still plenty of great creations already in there, such as Joe Hendry (Yes, we still BELIEVE in him) and the aforementioned AJ Lee.
WWE 2K25 was already one of the best recent entries in the series, with the last three years doing a fantastic job of building upon each other by adding new content to the already included offerings. After a seven-and-a-half-year hiatus on Switch systems, it was great to see WWE 2K25 be ported to Switch 2 so soon after the launch of the console and in such great shape. The game is almost fully intact, minus the removal of Image Manager in Community Creations, and it performs well and looks great, though not quite at the level visually as on other next-gen consoles. If you were looking to enjoy some wrestling on the go or even just to multitask while watching Monday Night RAW at home each week, WWE 2K25 on Nintendo Switch 2 is an excellent option for those who already own the game for other platforms and especially new players.
